An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) is a social worker and allied health professional with a minimum of two years post-qualifying experience and specialist training in mental health. We’re assessed by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and must undertake a minimum of 30 hours of professional development each year in order to remain credentialed. AMHSWs are recognised by Medicare to provide focused psychological support using evidence-based therapies, and are also trained to identify and address social and environmental factors that affect mental health and wellbeing. 

Please see the full schedule of fees here.

No. You can refer to me directly by completing this referral form.

If you’re unsure, you’re welcome to get in touch using the contact form below, and I will reach out to arrange an initial 15-minute chat so you can ask questions and see if you feel comfortable working together.

A referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan will significantly reduce the out-of-pocket cost of sessions. To get a MHTP and referral:

1. Book an appointment with your GP, face-to-face or telehealth are both fine. (You can also get a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your psychiatrist or paediatrician if you have one.)

2. At the appointment, ask for a MHTP and referral for counselling.

3. The GP will ask you a few questions about your mental health and most likely will give you a short questionnaire to complete. The most common ones are the K10 (Kessler-10) or DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), which are tools used to measure the level of psychological distress. The GP may also give you a provisional or formal diagnosis. This information is included in the MHTP.

4. You may ask the GP to refer specifically to me for counselling support. The referral can then be addressed to:
   Natasha Hau
   Red Earth Counselling
   0456 668 649
   tash@redearthcounselling.com.au

5. Email the MHTP and referral letter to me at tash@redearthcounselling.com.au

The Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral entitles you to claim Medicare rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. The initial referral will be for 6 sessions, and a GP review is required for further sessions. If approved, an additional 4 sessions may be granted, totalling 10 sessions per calendar year.

Referrals addressed to another clinician are also valid — you don’t need to revisit the GP to get the addressee changed.

The first session is really about getting the full picture rather than jumping straight into intervention. I’ll ask about what’s brought you in, but also about you as a whole person — your values, experiences, and what’s been helpful (or unhelpful) in the past. If you’ve worked with other counsellors, we’ll talk about what worked and what didn’t. And if you’re new to this, that’s totally okay, we’ll figure it out together.

After our first meeting, I take some time to pull together what you’ve shared and make sense of the bigger picture. From there, I can suggest some treatment options, and we’ll decide together on a plan that feels realistic and supportive.

If, at some point during our work together, you tell me you have suicidal thoughts, I won’t automatically panic or send you to hospital, but I will want to talk with you about them. Many people experience suicidal thoughts without any intention to act on them, and therapy can be a safe place to talk about them openly. My approach to talking about suicide is generally frank but also serious. We can work together to understand them, manage them and reduce their impact.

Hospitalisation only becomes necessary if you are in immediate danger. For example, if you have serious (or even some) intent, a specific plan and/or accessible means, and you are unable to keep yourself safe, then yes, hospitalisation would be necessary. In that case, I will support you in accessing the care you need, including preparing you for what the process might be like. I have also listed some support services on my page for those in crisis now.

Going to hospital doesn’t always mean being restrained or admitted to a psychiatric ward. Sometimes it involves an assessment, short-term observation, or connecting you to more intensive community supports. My aim is to handle these situations with transparency, respect and compassion.