Referrals

 
 

To refer yourself or someone else to Tanya Breen Consultant Clinical Psychologist, please email us the name and contact details of the person being referred, the reason for the referral and any other relevant information.   We will endeavor to respond to your request as soon as possible.  Alternatively, phone the practice.


See below for further reading that may be useful.  Our article ‘The Process of Arranging Psychological Services’ explains the general process you can expect from our practice.  For information on constructive things individuals, parents, caregivers and support people can do while waiting to see us, see below for our article ‘Tips While Waiting For Psychological Support’.

The Process of Arranging Psychological Services for

Individuals, Children and Families, Agencies and Organisations

  1. 1.Make a referral by phoning or emailing us.

  2. 2.Wait for initial contact.  We will be in contact as soon as possible to gather the information we need to develop a quote.

  3. 3.Be proactive while waiting.  See our article ‘Tips While Waiting For Psychological Support’ (below) for more information.

  4. 4.Receiving and accepting the quote.  We will develop a quote and email/fax/send it to you as soon as possible.  Our quotes are valid for one month.  Let us know as soon as you decide to go ahead as this will result in the most prompt delivery of our services.

  5. 5.Follow the appropriate steps below according to your situation:

Individuals, Children and Families

Agencies and Organisations

  1. 6.Liaison with Agency/Organisation.  After our quote is approved, and order for services received, we will make contact with you.  We will request information about the individual being referred, such as a case summary and historical documentation.  We will also request contact information for the individual and their support people, and other people it may be necessary to make contact with or involve in the assessment or intervention.

  2. 7.Reporting Requirements.  Please inform us of the reporting requirements of your agency/organisation, for example, whether we are required to send assessment results to you directly, or whether we are required to send regular progress reports. 

  3. 8.Contact with Client.  When we have all of the background and contact information we require, we will make contact with the client and/or their support people to arrange an appointment. 

  4. 9.Consent.  During our first meeting with the client, we will explain our therapy agreement, and obtain consent from the client to fulfill the reporting requirements of the agency and to involve all of the necessary people.

  5. 10.Psychological Assessment/Intervention. After obtaining consent, we will conduct the assessment or intervention as quoted, and fulfill all reporting requirements.  See the FAQ page for more information on psychological assessment and intervention.

  6. 11.Payment.  See T&Cs for information on fees, payment options and requirements.

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Prior to Consultation with a Psychologist


  1. 1.Try to identify or eliminate any possible physical or medical causes of the behaviour of concern, by arranging for assessment by health professionals such as your doctor or dentist.

Making a Referral


  1. 2.When making a referral, describe the behaviour of concern in detail.  This will allow the psychologist to determine the staff member who is most suited to taking on the referral, and will allow the psychologist to have an idea of the work involved and enable them to quote accurately.

  2. 3.Provide names and contact information of all individuals and organisations who support the individual, e.g., family, school, health and educational professionals.

Preparing for your Appointment


  1. 4.Record and encourage others to record the following information about the individual:

    1. a.Developmental milestones (e.g., pregnancy and birth details, when first crawled, walked, first words and sentences, diagnoses, etc).

    2. b.Key life events (e.g., illnesses, moving house or school, bereavements, etc).

    3. c.Descriptions of the problem behaviour, in enough detail that someone could visualise it happening.  Alternatively, video the behaviour.

    4. d.The strategies that have been used to manage the behaviour and how effective the strategies were.

    5. e.How often the behaviour occurs.  You could mark this in a diary or on a calendar.

  2. 5.Gather historical reports, letters and documents that may be useful, for example, psychologists, doctors, school, preschool, support agencies, etc.

  3. 6.Be willing to make changes.  Prepare the family and support people for the likelihood of therapy or an intervention, as it may be that their behaviour, routines and environments have to change in order to best help the individual.

During your Appointment


  1. 7.Expect a thorough assessment that involves interviews with or observations of the individual, interviews with significant others, review of historical information, behavioural recording, etc.

  2. 8.Be open and honest so that the psychologist can develop an accurate understanding of the problem behaviour.

  3. 9.If you have any questions, ask.

  4. 10.Don’t expect to get immediate feedback - a good psychologist will take some time to integrate all of the assessment findings, and determine the underlying cause of the problem behaviour so it can be treated effectively.

  5. 11.Don’t expect the problem to be solved overnight - if you are enlisting the help of a psychologist, it is likely that the problem has a significant impact on your life and the life of the individual.  It will take time for the psychologist to understand the problem, to develop an intervention, and then to manage the problem, especially if the problem has been ongoing.

After your Appointment


  1. 12.Accept feedback on the problem.

  2. 13.Request copies of assessment reports, interventions, treatment handouts, and progress reports.

  3. 14.Question the rationale and supporting data for interventions, especially if the interventions do not appear to be making any positive progress.

  4. 15.Follow all of the steps in an intervention, and complete all homework tasks - the success of any intervention largely depends on effective implementation by significant others.

Tips While Waiting for Psychological Support

(for individuals, parents, caregivers and support people)

  1. 6.First Session.  Typical sessions are approximately an hour, however the first session may be longer.  We will tell you how much time to set aside to see us.  Please arrive on time and bring all requested documentation with you.  During the session you will be given information about your next contact with us.

  2. 7.Psychological Assessment.  The first session(s) typically involve an assessment of what help is likely to be needed.  Depending on the problem, assessment might be very quick and simple, or longer and more in-depth.  We can explain why a certain level of assessment is required.  After the assessment, we will best know how to help you and can provide further quotes for treatment and intervention services.  See the FAQ page for more information on the assessment process.

  3. 8.After Assessment.  Findings from the assessment may suggest any of the following (or any combination of the following):

  4. •Further assessment.

  5. •Data collection/behavioural recording

  6. •Therapy sessions

  7. •Behaviour management plan

  8. •Assessment by other professionals

  9. •Referral to support services

  10. •Other recommendations

  11. •See the FAQ page for more information on the above.

  12. 9.Payment.  See T&Cs for information on fees, payment options and requirements.