FAQ’s

Western Australia’s State of Emergency and the Public Health State of Emergency came to an end at 12:01am Friday, 4 November 2022. The Perth Brain Centre continues to take the health and well-being of our patients and staff very seriously, and we thank you for your help, co-operation and understanding.

Face Masks - All staff are required to wear face masks in clinic. We also strongly encourage all patients to wear face masks in clinic.

“Face masks are a simple and effective way to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. By wearing a face mask, you can help protect yourself and those around you. Face masks can stop viruses spreading in the air when you talk, cough, sneeze and laugh. A well-fitted mask lowers your risk of spreading and catching viruses. In Western Australia, you may be required to wear a mask for entry to high-risk settings. High-risk settings include hospitals, healthcare services, residential aged care and disability care facilities. Mask-wearing is also strongly encouraged in crowded indoor settings and where physical distancing is not possible.” (https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus)

Hand Hygiene and Cleaning - Hand hygiene and room cleaning practices at the clinic continue to be strictly performed before and after each patient contact. We also provide and encourage the use of hand sanitiser for all patients throughout the clinic.

Physical Distancing - We encourage all patients and staff to continue physical distancing wherever possible. This specifically includes limiting the number of patients and staff in clinic. We request that all patients keep the number of companions in clinic to a maximum of one. We understand that a parent will need to accompany their child into clinic, however we request that parents do not bring other siblings into the clinic.

Sneeze Guards - Sneeze Guards have been fitted at the Reception desk and in all rooms.

HEPA Air Filters - HEPA Air Filters have been placed in Reception and in all rooms.

Telehealth Video Consultations - Whilst we understand that some people may prefer face-to-face appointments, as part of our Risk Reduction Programme all Initial Consultations and Report of Findings Appointments will continue to be conducted via Video Telehealth to keep the number of people in clinic to a minimum.

Symptoms of cough, headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever or shortness of breath - We would remind patients not to enter the clinic if feeling unwell.

What to do if you have COVID-19 - “If you have COVID-19, please stay home if you have COVID-19 until your symptoms have resolved to protect our community. This could take up to 10 days or more and a minimum of 5 day is a good guide. To protect those most at risk from COVID-19, for 7 days after testing positive for COVID-19 you should not visit or work in high-risk settings including hospitals, disability, mental health and aged care residential facilities and other healthcare settings (e.g., ambulance services, GP clinics, physiotherapy).” (https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus)

What to do if you are a close contact with someone with COVID-19 - "You should take precautions if you have had close contact with someone who has developed COVID-19. The COVID-19 infectious period is taken from 48 hours before onset of symptoms, or 48 hours before the positive test result if there are no symptoms. To protect those most at risk from COVID-19, for 7 days after having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive you should not visit or work in high-risk settings including hospitals, disability, mental health and aged care residential facilities and other healthcare settings (e.g., ambulance services, GP clinics, physiotherapy).” (https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus)

The fees for “getting started” are as follows: Initial Consultation - $185.00, QEEG Brain Scan - $290.00, Report of Findings Appointment - $125.00

For further information about fees please see: Clinic Fees

Yes. In some cases patients may be able to claim through Private Health Insurance, and in other cases patients may be eligible for rebates through Medicare. Please contact The Reception Team on 08 65003277 and we will be happy to provide more detailed information based upon your individual circumstances.

No. Whilst we do see a lot of people that are referred to us by their GP or Specialist, you do not need a referral to make an appointment. The easier and fastest way to get started is to contact The Reception Team on 08 65003277 who will be happy to help.

Diagnostic “labels” (eg. ADHD, Autism or Anxiety etc.) provide no information about the underlying problem(s) in the brain so you do not need a diagnosis before coming to The Perth Brain Centre.

No, not in the traditional sense. The results from QEEG Brain Scans (such as patterns of under-activity or over-activity in different parts of the brain) cannot be used to provide a diagnosis of conditions such as ADHD, Autism or Anxiety. This is because the diagnosis of these, and other conditions, is usually based upon symptoms and other information provided to a paediatrician or psychiatrist, such as from interviews and questionnaires from the patient and their parents, partner or teachers. The Perth Brain Centre does not provide this type of traditional diagnostic service. Instead, QEEG Brain Scans are used to identify areas of the brain that are not working normally. This unique information about brain activity can be used to help understand why someone is acting, feeling or thinking the way they are (such as difficulties wth attention or emotional regulation) and can also be used to help direct drug-free therapies to help “re-wire’ or “re-train” the brain.

MRI and CT Scans are commonly used to look at the brain and provide detailed information about brain structure. These types of scans however do not provide any information about how someone’s brain is working. Quantitative Electro-Encephalogram (QEEG) assesses brain activity directly, and provides detailed information about how an individual’s brain is functioning, typically providing information about areas of under or over-activity. Please click here to visit our QEEG page.

QEEG Brain Scans are extremely safe. There is no radiation or loud noise. During the scans people sit comfortably whilst wearing a special “electrode cap” containing sensors connected to specialised medical equipment that simply mesaure and record brain actvity. The scans take about 30 minutes to perform, and are suitable for people of almost all ages. Please click here to visit our QEEG page.

Neuroplasticity, the amazing ability of our brain to change its own structure and function, has no age limits. However in practice it can sometimes be very difficult to perform a QEEG Brain Scan and some of the therapies with very young children. For this reason we are unable to see children less than 3 years old. Please click here to visit our Neuroplasticity page for more information.

No. It is very important that patients continue taking medication as prescribed and to keep us informed of any changes.

Every case is different and there is no “one-size-fits-all” treatment approach. Some people may only need treatment for a couple of weeks and others may benefit from several months of care. Whilst there are often some “general rules of thumb”, it is only during your Report of Findings Appointment that we are able to provide more detailed answers to questions about expected costs and duration of care.

No clinic can offer a 100% guarantee because no treatment works for everyone all the time, and of course brain-based therapies are no different. However, The Perth Brain Centre has built a reputation by helping thousands of people over more than 16 years using evidence-based therapies delivered by a team of healthcare professionals. You are making the right choice by choosing The Perth Brain Centre.

Absolutely! We run regular Clinic Information Sessions, see our News and Events page to find out more. Please click here for more information.

Getting started at The Perth Brain Centre is easy, just contact the team at Reception on (08) 6500 3277 or click Getting Started for more information.