Frequently Asked Questions

A collection of some commonly asked questions are below.

If you don't find what you are looking for, please reach out!

Do you work with NDIS participants?

Emerald Ability are proud to work with NDIS participants. We are currently awaiting registration as an accredited NDIS provider, so at this stage we can only accept self managed or plan managed participants. We will welcome all NDIS participants once our registration is complete!

Do I need a GP referral to attend counselling and do you accept Mental Health Care plans?

A GP referral is not required to access counselling! This is the beauty of counselling - it is a private and confidential service that doesn't require a GP referral (saving you money!)

At this stage counsellors in Australia can not accept mental health care plans. However the hourly rate at Emerald Ability is very similar to the out-of-pocket expenses with other services like psychology.  Mental Health Care Plans also only provide 6-10 sessions at the reduced rate - after which time you will pay the full fee which can be up to $300 per session.  With Emerald Ability, you can attend as often as you need for the one fixed price.

How many sessions are needed for counselling and Play Therapy? 

The number and frequency of counselling sessions is completely flexible and based on the individual needs of each client.

Play Therapy can last from 8 - 30 sessions, but at Emerald Ability we start with 8-10 sessions. Further sessions are based on the individual needs of each client.

Do you provide group therapy?

During the school holidays, we offer group sessions for primary and secondary students focussing on self esteem and social skills. These will be advertised closer to the date in the office and on our social media pages.

We will be offering small group Interactive Drawing Therapy for adults later in 2025.

What are your qualifications?

Renay holds a Bachelor of Teaching / Bachelor of Arts (University of Newcastle), a Masters in Special Education (University of Newcastle), a Graduate Certificate in Teaching Asia (Australian National University), a Diploma in Counselling (Registered through the ACA),  is a registered Play Therapist (registered through the PTPA), is a certified LEGO (R) Based Therapy facilitator and is a certified Interactive Drawing Therapy facilitator.



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