+ I am a medical practitioner, how do I make a referral?

Fax referrals to 07 3103 4338. Email to admin@revivalhealth.com.au Call 3184 8221

Please note that Matt does not see clients with a past or current forensic history, or clients with an acute psychosis.

+ Where are you located?

8 Bejimba St, Kenmore.

+ How do I know it well help?

Research suggests that psychotherapy is an incredibly effective treatment. The impact of psychotherapy varies from one person to the next. Most people show improvement quite quickly, while for some it makes longer for improvements to occur, whereas others don’t find much benefit. Generally there is a ‘dose- response’ function with psychological treatments. This means the more treatment sessions you receive the greater benefit, although the additional benefit of each session decreases as the number of sessions increases.

For individuals who show limited benefits or get worse, changing treatment approaches or therapists can often be very helpful. I will discuss all the options with you if this happens.

In order to make sure that the treatment you receive is effective and most suited to you, I get specific feedback about progress from the people I see in every session so that early problems or difficulties can be resolved quickly. This approach is called ‘Outcome Orientated Practice’ developed by Scott Miller. This approach has been shown to help improve outcomes of psychotherapy by up to 50%.

+ How much does it cost?

Initial appointment (55 minutes) is $210. Subsequent sessions are $195.

Rebates – for clients with a GP referral under Medicare “Better Access To Mental Health”, a rebate of $124.50 per session is available for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. The out-of-pocket cost therefore is $85.50 for the initial consultation and $70.50 for subsequent consultations.

At Revival Psychology we understand that for some clients it may be financially difficult to access sessions, and we aim to assist everyone who asks for help. If you have genuine financial hardship which is a barrier to you accessing treatment, please call and discuss your situation with our kind administrator as reduced gap fees can be made available to some clients.

+ What days and times does he work?

Mondays: 9am- 3pm.
Tuesdays: 8am - 3pm Wednesdays: 8am -3pm
Thursdays: 8-3pm
Fridays: 8- 3pm

+ Can I be bulk-billed?

Matt does not usually offer bulk-billing appointments. At Revival Psychology we understand that for some clients it may be financially difficult to access sessions, and we aim to assist everyone who asks for help. If you have genuine financial hardship which is a barrier to you accessing treatment, please call and discuss your situation with our kind administrator as reduced gap fees can be made available to some clients.

+ What rebates are available?

Under Medicare scheme - ‘Better Access to Mental Health’ - rebate is $124.50. This requires a referral from your GP and is usually available for people with a broad range of emotional difficulties including anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, bereavement, sleep problems and unexplained somatic conditions to name a few.

Many private health funds provide rebates for Psychology as part of their extras cover. You will need to enquire of your own private health fund. You will pay for appointment and we can provide an invoice for you to claim your rebate.

Any out-of-pocket expenses count towards the Medicare Safety Net for that client, and once over the threshold, further rebates are made available.

+ What is the process of payment?

Payment is required at the time of the session. Payments can be made via cash, EFTPOS, credit card or direct debit. If you are accessing a medicare rebate, your rebate can be processed electronically at the time of booking, if Medicare have your bank account details. Rebates take 1-3 working days for Medicare to process.

+ What is your cancellation policy?

A minimum of 2 working days notice are required to cancel or reschedule your session. This will enable us enough time to rebook this session for another client and manage our waiting list. Missed appointments without any notice will be charged at the full session rate. Cancellations on the day will be charged at 50% of the full session fee. Cancellations are not accepted via SMS. You must call and speak with our admin, or leave a voice message.

Please be aware that when you book a session with Dr Evans this session is reserved especially for you, and other client’s are unable to book in to this session. In addition, Dr Evans prepares in advance for seeing you for this session. We understand that at times appointments need to be cancelled or rescheduled. If there is an emergency on the day of your session, please call and speak with our friendly admin.

Our software sends text message reminders of sessions, but these are a courtesy only. Clients are still responsible for missed appointments.

+ Does Matthew see workers compensation clients or other insured clients?

Usually. Our usual procedure is that the client will need to pay for the session and then claim the rebate themselves from their insurance company. There may be an out-of-pocket expense for the client as many insurance companies pay a lower hourly rate for psychology sessions. If for some reason the client can not pay upfront for their session, then arragements can be made for our admin to request payment directly from the insurer, however the client will need to arrange for written approval specifying the number of sessions approved, with the case manager’s details and your claim number.

+ Is there car-parking available?

Kenmore: Street parking is readily available.Please avoid parking in the driveway.

+ How many sessions will I need?

Many people report improvements even after the initial session, but typically between six to ten sessions gives people the best benefit to cost ratio. If they have improved with therapy, more sessions beyond ten will normally provide further improvement but at a slower rate than for the first ten.

+ How many sessions can I have under the Mental Health Care Plan?

Initially six sessions. After those six sessions, you can request a further four session from your GP. You can have a maximum of ten sessions per calendar year under the “Better Access to Mental Health” scheme. Your sessions do not expire, i.e. you do not have to use all 10 sessions by the end of the calendar year.

+ Do I have to have a referral to see Dr Evans?

No, you don't need a referral if you are paying for your session privately or claiming from your private health fund. You do need a referral to claim any rebates under Medicare. Referrals can be made by your GP or specialist, and need to be for the Better Access to Mental Health scheme, to claim under Medicare.

+ What happens during the sessions?

On the first session, Matthew will complete an assessment of your needs. This will normally involve talking to you about any problems you are currently facing, gathering some information about who you are and your life so far, as well as your aims for treatment. He might also ask you to complete some questionnaires to aid with assessment. After the assessment is complete you will discuss with Matthew a plan for dealing with your difficulties. Normally treatment will involve between six to ten sessions in total. In each session we will review progress and discuss strategies for helping with any remaining difficulties. Normally you will try out strategies between sessions and then discuss successes and difficulties in the next session.

+ What is Matthew's experience and ability?

Matthew is a fully registered clinical psychologist, registered with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Health professionals registered with AHPRA have a strict code of conduct and ongoing professional development requirements. Not all counselors or therapists are registered psychologists, and seeing someone who is registered ensures you receive high quality ethical treatment. Matthew also routinely collects data on his outcomes. On average about 3/4 people he sees make a reliable improvement.

Matt hold a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Oxford University, England, which he completed in 2004. He also has a Bachelor of Science honours degree from the University of Birmingham (UK).

Prior to private practice, Matt worked for many years as the consultant general Psychologist at Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, where he was instrumental in changing practice and setting up specialist clinics in gastroenterology, cardiology and diabetes, helping people adjust to and manage chronic health conditions. His work also gave him varied experience working with adults with high-prevalence conditions such as depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders. In other roles he also gained experience in working with parents, adolescents and children and has undergone Tripe P training as a facilitator. For many year he also supervised intern and extern students for Griffith University and the University of Queensland (UQ), and has been a tutor for medical students from University of Queensland, training them in ‘Clinical Communication Skills’.
In more recent years, his passion for relationships has led him to become a trained EFT (Emotion-Focused Therapy) practitioner, using this approach to help couples in relationship counselling.
Matthew believes that the therapeutic relationship you develop with your psychologist is an important predictor of how successful your treatment will be, so he strives to connect and establish this important relationship as the foundation of his treatment. He also routinely asks for specific feedback on your experience of the session so that he can change what he does to best suit your way of working.

+ How do I book an appointment?

For your first session, you can request a call back by completing our online form. Alternately, contact our admin staff on 0431 697 852, or send an email to admin@revivalpsychology.com.au. Our admin staff will need to talk to you to discuss the suitability of our service for you. Your GP or other health professional can fax or email a referral over. Once you have had your first session you will be able to book further appointments online if this suits you, by visiting our website and using the 'book online' tab.

+ Does Matt provide individual treatment sessions for children?

No, Matt will see clients from around the age of 12 years old. Generally they will need to be able to engage in talking therapy, in order to benefit from his sessions.

+ What types of clients and conditions does Matt commonly see?

Matt has many years experience in private practice and hospital work, and is skilled in seeing a people with a broad range of conditions. These include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, trauma, anger, obsessive compulsive disorder, sleep issues, grief/bereavement, addictions, lifestyle adjustment, unexplained somatic disorders, work issues and chronic health conditions. He has a special interest in gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes and the management of these conditions. He also has a special interest in neurodiverse client groups including people with Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, Twice Exceptional.

+ My GP/ Psychologist/ Insurer/ Partner wants to speak with Matt, what should I do?

For confidentiality reasons, Matthew will only discuss issues with other parties after having received your permission, so please let him know if another health professional or agency wants to contact him in the first instance.