Question 1

What is a Provisional Psychologist?

Accepted Answer

Provisional psychologists are completing their final year of training to become a registered psychologist.  At Milestones, our provisional psychologists have completed at least five years of prior training at university, including a Master of Professional Psychology (MPP).  Our lead psychologist, Dr Jade Bogdanovs, is the primary supervisor for each of our provisional psychologists.  She oversees their training, assists in planning of assessments and intervention strategies, spends one-on-one time each week discussing client needs, and reviews and co-signs all reports.

Question 2

Why should I consider seeing a provisional psychologist?

Accepted Answer

Provisional psychologists provide a cost-effective option, as their fees are lower than for registered or senior psychologists, even when rebates are factored in.

Appointments are often available with little or no wait time.

Cases are discussed with supervisors, who provide their experience and oversight.

All reports and diagnostic results are reviewed and reports co-signed by Dr Bogdanovs, and any diagnoses have the same standing as those provided by registered psychologists.

Provisional psychologists are registered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and are subject to the same ethical and legal standards as all psychologists.

You will be helping our provisional psychologists gain the clinical hours required for their registration.

At Milestones, our clinicians are enthusiastic about working with children and families at all stages of development, and this includes our provisional psychologists!

Question 3

Are there any potential downsides to seeing a provisional psychologist?

Accepted Answer

Provisional psychologists are subject to a higher level of oversight than their registered colleagues.  This means that you may be observed or recorded during sessions for the purposes of reflection and skill building.  Observation is done unobtrusively through secure video link (the same as we use for telehealth sessions), and only the provisional psychologist and their supervisor have access to these.  Once a recording has been viewed and discussed, these are deleted.

Our provisional psychologists are still developing their skills, and their reports go through a review and editing process in collaboration with their supervisor, so these may take longer to finalise than other reports.

Provisional Psychologist FAQ's