Eating Disorder Psychologists Telehealth, anywhere in Australia

No. You can book your first session today without a referral. A referral only matters if you want a Medicare rebate, which needs a Mental Health Care Plan or an Eating Disorder Plan from your GP. If you already have one, email it to admin@biteintofreedom.com.au and we do the processing. If not, your psychologist can tell you which plan fits and what to ask your GP for.

We are accepting new clients. Live availability is shown on the booking page, so you can choose a time now rather than wait for a call back. If nothing on the calendar suits, speak with our teamcall 03 9001 9100 and we will look at what is opening up across the team.

Your first session is 50 minutes by video. It is a conversation, not a test: your psychologist asks what is going on for you and what you want to be different, then explains how they would work with you. There is no weighing and no diet talk. Before it, you complete an online intake form that is sent to your email automatically after booking, and your clinician sends a telehealth link the day before or the morning of your session.

No. Eating disorders occur at every body size, and many people we see have never been diagnosed. If food, eating or body image is taking over your life, that is enough to book.

If you live in Australia, yes. Our psychologists see clients by video, so you can work with an eating disorder psychologist from home, whether you are in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin or a regional town. There is no travel or waiting room, and Medicare rebates apply to telehealth sessions in the same way.

Yes. Tess Allen (psychologist) sees clients aged 12 and over, and Eliza Hartley (clinical psychologist) and Felicity Staedler (psychologist) see all ages, including children and teens. Please book under 16s with one of them. For under 12s, book with Eliza or Felicity. Jared, Ted, Deborah and Louise see clients aged 16 and over. Our dietitians Samantha Wright, Sarah Why and Gabriela Salant also see all ages, including carer and family support alongside treatment, so please book a dietitian for under 18s with one of them. Not sure where to start? Speak with our teamCall 03 9001 9100 and we will point you to the right place.

For most eating disorders, treatment guidelines recommend both, working together. The psychologist treats the thoughts, emotions and patterns that keep the eating disorder going. The dietitian restores regular, adequate eating, which therapy relies on. If you are unsure where to start, book either one. Your clinician can advise whether adding the other would help, and both are available under this practice.

A 50 minute session with a registered psychologist is $260, with a Medicare rebate of $101.55 and an out of pocket cost of $158.45. A 50 minute session with a clinical psychologist is $310, with a rebate of $149.05 and an out of pocket cost of $160.95.

A Mental Health Care Plan covers up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year. An Eating Disorder Plan covers up to 40 rebated psychology sessions in a 12 month period. Payment is taken from your stored card after the session and your Medicare rebate is processed automatically, so there is nothing for you to lodge. It is usually in your bank account within 1 to 3 business days. We do not bulk bill.

Make an appointment with your GP and tell them you would like support for an eating disorder. Your GP decides which plan you are eligible for: a Mental Health Care Plan covers up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year, and an Eating Disorder Plan covers up to 40 rebated psychology sessions in a 12 month period, with GP reviews along the way. Once you have it, email your plan and referral to admin@biteintofreedom.com.au and we handle the processing.

Both are fully AHPRA registered and both deliver evidence based therapy for eating disorders. A clinical psychologist holds an additional area of practice endorsement, which attracts a higher Medicare rebate and a higher fee. The out of pocket difference is $2.50 a session, so choose on availability and fit rather than title.

Some private health funds cover psychology under extras, and we give you an itemised receipt to claim with your fund. You cannot claim Medicare and private health for the same session, so check with your fund which option gives you more back.

Yes, if your plan is self managed or plan managed and includes funding for psychology. Check with your plan manager or support coordinator first, then use the NDIS psychology booking link so your session is set up under the right funding.

Therapy is matched to you and to the eating disorder you are dealing with. Our psychologists draw on evidence based approaches including CBT-E, the enhanced form of cognitive behavioural therapy developed for eating disorders, along with DBT skills for emotion regulation, ACT, and food exposure therapy where feared foods are part of the picture. Your psychologist will explain what they recommend, and why, in your first session.

Therapist and counsellor are general terms that anyone can use. A psychologist is an AHPRA registered health professional with at least six years of training. When you see an online eating disorder therapist (ED therapist) at Bite Into Freedom, you are seeing a registered or clinical psychologist who provides eating disorder counselling and therapy by video, and their sessions attract the Medicare rebates shown on this page.

An eating disorder psychologist is a good place to start. Therapy works on the triggers, shame and all or nothing thinking underneath loss of control eating, using evidence based approaches such as CBT-E. Our care is weight neutral: the focus is your relationship with food, not weight loss. You can also see one of our eating disorder dietitians alongside therapy. Read more about binge eating therapy.

Yes. Our psychologists support sensory, fear based and low interest eating in children, teens and adults, with a neurodiversity affirming approach. For children and teens under 16, book with Tess Allen (12 and over), Eliza Hartley or Felicity Staedler. Read more about ARFID therapy.

Yes. Research shows telehealth psychology for eating disorders performs comparably to in person care, and Medicare rebates apply to video sessions in the same way. Many people find the hard things easier to say from home, and the skills get practised in the place where the difficulties actually happen. We see clients by video anywhere in Australia, from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to regional and remote areas.

No diets, ever. Your psychologist works on thoughts, emotions and behaviours, not a number. If your physical health needs monitoring, that sits with your GP, and with your consent we coordinate with them.

There is no fixed number. Some people come for a few months, others for longer, and sessions are often weekly or fortnightly to begin with. Medicare's Eating Disorder Plan allows up to 40 psychology sessions in 12 months, which reflects that recovery takes time. Your psychologist will talk through what to expect in your first session and review progress with you regularly.

Yes, if you want them there. With your consent, a support person can join part or all of a session. For children and teens, parents or carers are usually part of treatment. Our eating disorder dietitians also offer dedicated carer and family support.

Tell us. Fit matters in therapy, and it is normal to try more than one psychologist. Speak with our teamCall 03 9001 9100 and we will move you to someone else in the team, without judgement.

Our psychologists provide outpatient treatment by telehealth. If you need more support than regular sessions, such as a day program or hospital care, your psychologist will work with you and your GP to find the right level of care.

Yes. Sessions are private video calls and your information is handled under Australian privacy law and the psychology code of ethics. Your psychologist will explain the limits of confidentiality, such as serious risk of harm, in your first session. Outside those limits, we only contact your GP, dietitian or family with your consent.

We are not a crisis service and cannot respond urgently. In an emergency call 000. For support right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673.