Patient FAQs
Helpful answers to patients frequently asked questions.
What is a Mental Health GP?
Appointments and access
-
No. As a GP with a special interest in mental health, Sabrina does not require a referral. You can book an appointment directly. However, if you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) or referral from your GP, please bring it along as it may help with continuity of care.
-
You can book an appointment by contacting the practice directly at Elaris House, 102 Cambridge Street, West Leederville, WA 6007. Contact details are available on the Contact page.
-
Sabrina consults at Elaris House, 102 Cambridge Street, West Leederville, WA 6007. The practice is conveniently located with parking and public transport access.
-
Elaris House is located just 550 metres from Leederville Train Station, making it easily accessible on foot. You can also reach the practice by bus lines 82, 84, or 85.
For those driving, Elaris House has a private patient car park. Additional public parking is available on Cambridge Street and nearby streets.
-
Appointments are one hour long and structured around a comprehensive assessment. The first one or two consultations usually involve understanding your full health history, not just symptoms, but context, physical and mental health, medications, and life circumstances. Together, you will clarify priorities and develop a practical, personalised management plan.
-
If a consultation takes longer than the scheduled time, an additional fee may apply to reflect the extended consultation. This will be discussed with you so there are no surprises.
-
Yes. Telehealth consultations are available for follow-up appointments. However, in line with Medicare recommendations, the first appointment must be conducted in person. This ensures a thorough initial assessment and establishes the clinical relationship needed for safe, ongoing care. After your first face-to-face consultation, telehealth may be offered for subsequent appointments where clinically appropriate.
Fees, Medicare and insurance
-
Consultation fees follow AMA recommendations and reflect the length and complexity of the consultation. Please contact the practice for current fee information.
Medicare Safety Net (2026)
We strongly encourage patients to check their eligibility for the Medicare Safety Net, as it can significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs over the year.2026 Medicare Safety Net thresholds:
General individuals and families: $2,699.10
Concession & Family Tax Benefit A families: $861.20
Family Safety Net
Families need to register with Medicare to combine out-of-pocket costs. This is not automatic, even if you are on the same Medicare card.How it helps
Once your annual threshold is reached, Medicare covers 80% of your out-of-pocket costs (up to item caps), in addition to your regular rebate. This applies to all eligible out-of-hospital services, not just at our clinic.Example
For a standard $450 review, once the threshold is reached, the out-of-pocket cost drops to around $50 per session.Good to know
Payments to GPs, specialists, and other Medicare-claimable services all count toward the Safety Net.
The threshold resets on 1 January each year. -
No. Sabrina does not offer bulk billing. A private fee applies for all consultations. Medicare rebates will apply depending on your circumstances (see below).
-
Yes. As a vocational medical practitioner, consultations with Sabrina will attract a Medicare rebate. The rebate amount will depend on the type and length of the consultation. A gap (out-of-pocket cost) will apply.
Look at “what are the consultation fees and off of pocket?” above for information about patient cost.
-
Private health insurance generally does not cover outpatient GP consultations.
-
A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Late cancellations or missed appointments (no-shows) may incur the full consultation fee. This policy ensures that appointment times remain available for other patients who need care.
Areas of expertise
-
Sabrina works across a broad range of mental and physical health presentations, with particular depth in:
Pregnancy and postpartum mental health, including perinatal depression, anxiety, birth trauma, and medication management during pregnancy and breastfeeding
ADHD, neurodivergence (including autism) and youth mental health: diagnostic clarification, treatment planning, and support for adolescents and young adults
Women's health, perimenopause, menopause, PMDD/PMS, hormonal and mood-related concerns, MRT/HRT discussion where appropriate
Mental health disorders: anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, personality disorder, and older adult mental health including dementia-related concerns
Weight management and eating disorders: screening, structured treatment, and GLP-1 indication
Drug and alcohol misuse: harm reduction, medication management, and coordinated care
Insomnia and sleep problems: behavioural strategies, medication review, and integration with broader mental health treatment.
-
Description Yes. Sabrina has extensive experience in youth mental health presentations, including adolescents and young adults. She is an AMA-recognised Youth Friendly Doctor, reflecting her commitment to providing accessible, age-appropriate care for younger patients. Her work includes supporting young people with ADHD, neurodivergence (including autism), anxiety, depression, school-related difficulties, and complex or overlapping presentations where developmental context matters.
-
Sabrina combines the accessibility of general practice with the depth of extensive psychiatry experience. Her first appointments are one hour long, much longer than a standard GP visit, allowing time for thorough assessment, structured management planning, and coordinated care. Her review will depend of your needs but will be from minimum 30 minutes to one hour. She holds additional qualifications in mental health, perinatal care, women's health, eating disorders, and psychological strategies, and has senior hospital experience across emergency psychiatry, inpatient and community settings, and consultation-liaison services.
Treatment and care
-
No. Sabrina takes a whole-person, collaborative approach. Treatment may include:
Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS) and counselling recognised by RACGP and Medicare.
Lifestyle and behavioural strategies (sleep hygiene, activity planning, stress management, exercise, meal planning).
Medication review, initiation, or deprescription when clinically appropriate.
Coordination with other clinicians such as psychologists, dietitians, midwives, and other specialists.
Mental Health Care Plans and structured follow-up.
Eating Disorder Plan and structured follow-eps
Medication is one tool among many. The most appropriate approach is tailored to each individual's needs, preferences, and clinical consideration.
-
Yes. As a GP, Sabrina can prepare a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and Eating Disorder Plan (EDP) which provides structured support and may allow you to access Medicare-rebated sessions with allied health professionals such as psychologists and/or dieticians.
-
Sabrina has experience in the assessment and management of ADHD, including medication review and co-prescribing arrangements where clinically appropriate. The specific prescribing pathway will depend on your individual circumstances and may involve coordination with a psychiatrist as required by regulation.
Referrals
-
Sabrina can refer you directly to a psychiatrist if specialist psychiatric care is needed. As a GP, she is qualified to write referrals, coordinate care, and liaise with psychiatrists to ensure a smooth pathway. No additional referral from another doctor is required.
-
Yes. Sabrina can refer to a wide range of specialists and services including psychiatrists, psychologists, dietitians, sleep physicians, gynaecologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologist, and specialist mental health or eating disorder services, as well as community and inpatient pathways where appropriate.
Privacy and confidentiality
-
Yes. All consultations are strictly confidential, in accordance with Australian privacy legislation and medical ethics. Your personal and health information will not be shared without your consent, except where required by law (for example, mandatory reporting obligations relating to immediate risk of harm).
-
With your consent, Sabrina may communicate with your regular GP or other treating clinicians to support coordinated care. You will always be informed about what is being shared and with whom.
Boundaries and safety
-
A Mental Health GP is a general practitioner with advanced training and dedicated experience in mental health assessment, treatment, and ongoing management. Rather than replacing your regular GP, a Mental Health GP works alongside them, providing specialised, coordinated care focused specifically on your psychological and emotional wellbeing.
Sabrina brings many years of general practice experience alongside advanced training in mental health, including certification in Focused Psychological Strategies (FPS), a recognised therapeutic skill set that allows her patients to access Medicare rebates for psychological therapy delivered within the GP consultation.
This means you do not necessarily need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist separately to access ongoing therapeutic support. A Mental Health GP can offer both medical evaluation and structured psychological treatment within the one consultation, building a consistent therapeutic relationship over time while keeping your broader care team informed and involved.
With your consent, Sabrina can also liaise directly with your regular GP to ensure your broader healthcare needs remain coordinated and nothing falls through the gaps.
For many people, this integrated approach makes accessing mental health care more straightforward, receiving both clinical expertise and psychological support from a single, trusted practitioner, while knowing their overall care is joined up.
-
No. Sabrina's practice is not a crisis or emergency service. If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of harm, please call 000 or attend your nearest emergency department. For after-hours mental health support, you can also contact:
Lifeline: 13 11 14Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL): 1300 555 788 (Perth metro)
-
No. Sabrina does not provide formal report assessments for medico-legal, court, or compensation-related matters.