FAQs

Do I need a referral? 

Not at all. You may refer yourself or request a formal referral from a health provider (e.g., GP). Self-referrals can be made via the Clinic page on this website.

What are the costs?

A 75-minute comprehensive assessment is $300 + GST . This includes brief recommendations and resources to explore.

Follow-up therapy consultations can include a variety of psychological (e.g., EMDR, ACT, DBT) and nutritional and lifestyle interventions depending on your needs and what you’d like to work on, and are $200 per 50 minutes + GST.

There may be additional costs if you pursue any recommended nutraceuticals (vitamins and minerals) after the assessment process - these can include either practitioner-only or over-the-counter options and will always be tailored to your budget and designed to give you the best results, efficiently.

What is an integrative approach to mental health?

The Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) provides evidence-based integrative healthcare education professional eduction for registered health professionals of various modalities including psychologists. They describe an integrative approach as being:

“..concerned with the interaction of nutritional and environmental factors with human biochemistry and physiology, and the resulting physiological and psychological symptoms and pathology. It is commonly referred to as integrative medicine and/or functional medicine.”

There is currently no formally recognised current training pathway to become an integrative or nutritional psychologist.

Since 2016, Dr Karen has sought various additional training in addition to her prior psychology degrees and registration, including post-graduate level study via ACNEM, academic papers in Clinical Nutrition, attendance at Integrative Medicine conferences, and she engages in regular professional consultation with a nutrition expert.

Can I get funding? 

In New Zealand, there are unfortunately limited funding avenues to see a psychologist in private practice. Consultations are generally self-funded or sometimes supported by family members, refundable by health insurance, subsidised by a Work & Income NZ (WINZ) Disability Allowance, or by employers in some cases. Please check with your insurance policy, WINZ, or workplace before you book to find out whether you are eligible for full or partial reimbursement towards therapy costs.

We regret that from 2021 we are not able to provide ACC Sensitive Claim services. You can access help at Safe To Talk. 

Is my appointment confidential?

The information you share will be kept private, confidential, and secure in line with the NZ Psychology Code of Ethics, the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, and The Privacy Act. The confidentiality policy will be discussed with you at your appointment and the exceptions to this explained (i.e., if there are immediate safety risks to you or others). Written records of appointment details are also kept and stored electronically using secure HIPAA-compliant software for psychologists called Power Diary. The booking system is also operated via Power Diary and you can read more about its healthcare data security here.

Clinical psychologists participate in professional supervision which is also confidential. Dr Karen may consult with nutrition specialists about the dietary aspects of your case or liaise with your GP or other health professionals if you provide your consent.  

How do online consultations work?

These are held on a HIPAA-compliant medical consulting platform for health professionals called Doxy.Me. You can learn more about security and privacy with Doxy.me here.

If technical issues arise we will troubleshoot and may use a different platform (e.g., Zoom). You will receive a text and email reminder in advance of your appointment with the online link.

What if I need to cancel?

Appointments not kept or cancelled with 48 hours notice will incur a 50% late cancellation charge unless there is illness or exceptional circumstances.

Missed appointments or those cancelled on the same day will incur the full fee. We ask for as much time as possible if you need to cancel so your appointment time may be offered to someone else in need.