How to begin, step by step.
The whole shape of it: what happens in a first session, the ways to work together, and exactly what it costs. All of it in plain language, before you ever have to ask.
What a first session is actually like.
Often the hardest part is simply not knowing what happens. So here it is, step by step — no surprises, and no pressure to have anything worked out first.
You reach out
Book online, or email first if you’d rather ask about fit. You don’t need a referral, a diagnosis, or a tidy explanation to start.
Your first session
Around 50 unhurried minutes — a conversation, not an interrogation. What’s going on now, and what you’re hoping for. You set the pace, and you’re allowed to keep parts of the story back until you’re ready.
However you’re comfortable
In the warm rooms in Nedlands, or by video from your own couch anywhere in Australia. Bring notes, bring a support person, or bring nothing at all — every way you arrive is welcome.
More than one way in.
The formats you can start with. For the specific things we help with, that’s Pathways.
1:1 therapy
Individual 55-minute sessions, in Nedlands or by telehealth. This is the heart of the work — ongoing, at your pace.
Explore Available nowQuick Chair: a 25-minute chat
A short telehealth session to get oriented after a diagnosis, or when a full hour feels like too much — bulk-billed for eligible clients with a Medicare plan and referral.
Explore Waitlist openThe Belonging Table
A small, hybrid six-week group for the ADHD-and-eating overlap. $350, private-pay. Waitlist now open.
Explore Available nowThe post-diagnosis landing pad
Two or three focused sessions for the days after an ADHD diagnosis, then carry on into therapy, or not.
Explore FreeThe starter guide
When food stuff is brain stuff: a gentle, no-shame first step through the overlap. Yours free when you join the list.
Explore
Clear fees, with room to make it work.
Standard 55-minute session $200. With a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (Better Access), eligible clients get around $89.50 back from Medicare each session — roughly $110 out of pocket — for up to 10 sessions a year. As an ANZAED-credentialed clinician, Lauren can also work under an Eating Disorder Plan, which can open up to 40 rebated sessions a year (reviewed by your GP along the way), with a similar rebate per session. These are the current Medicare figures; rebates are set by Medicare and updated each year, so treat them as a guide — out-of-pocket costs apply.
A $50 deposit holds your spot when you book online. It comes off your session fee — it isn’t an extra charge — and free intro calls and bulk-billed sessions don’t need one. If something comes up, just give us 48 hours’ notice.
Two ways in: start now as a private client with no referral, or we’ll help you sort the right GP plan so the rebates apply.
Ways we keep it accessible:
- Free 15-minute intro call: no cost, no referral, no Medicare plan needed. A short call to ask questions and get a feel for whether this is the right room, before you commit to anything.
- Concession places: a limited number for clients experiencing financial hardship — just ask.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients: bulk-billed with a valid Medicare referral, so there’s no out-of-pocket cost, and we’ll help you sort the referral. A standing commitment, not a limited offer.
- Quick Chair (25-minute telehealth): bulk-billed for eligible clients with a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a current referral — fully covered by Medicare, nothing to pay. Because it depends on your Medicare plan, it’s arranged with us rather than booked online — start with the free intro call or just ask.
- Veterans & families (DVA): DVA-funded sessions, billed directly to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs with a valid referral, at no cost to you.
- Private health funds: some funds recognise mental health social work under extras cover as an alternative to a Medicare rebate — worth checking your level of cover.
Belonging shouldn’t depend on what you can pay.
Wondering whether an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker is the right kind of clinician? AMHSWs are Medicare-recognised mental health providers under Better Access. What matters most for eating and neurodivergence is specific expertise: Lauren is an ANZAED-credentialed eating disorder clinician who is neurodivergent herself, and an Eating Disorder Plan can mean up to 40 rebated sessions a year. The right fit is about that expertise, and feeling understood.
Accredited, credentialed & in good company
This is not a crisis service.
Body Belonging Clinic is not an emergency or crisis service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 support: Lifeline 13 11 14, 13YARN 13 92 76, Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, or the Butterfly Foundation 1800 33 4673.