You know what needs doing. Getting started is the difficult part.
A task stays on your list for days, then becomes an urgent late-night effort. Appointments slip your mind. You spend hours absorbed in something interesting, while everyday administration feels unusually hard. From the outside, you may seem to be managing. Inside, keeping everything together takes considerable effort.
Perhaps you have started wondering whether ADHD could explain some of these experiences. Or you already have a diagnosis and want practical help with what comes next.
At In Health – Byron Bay Psychology, I offer ADHD assessment for adults and adolescents (14+), alongside ADHD coaching and psychological support. The aim is to help you understand your experiences and develop a useful, personalised way forward.
When is an ADHD assessment worth considering?
People seek an assessment for different reasons. Some have experienced difficulties with attention, organisation or impulsivity since childhood. Others begin asking questions when university, work, parenting or increasing school demands make their usual coping strategies harder to sustain.
You might recognise patterns such as:
· Difficulty starting tasks, prioritising or following through.
· Frequently losing track of time, belongings or commitments.
· Restlessness or difficulty switching between activities.
· Feeling overwhelmed by competing demands.
· Depending on urgency to get things finished.
These experiences can have several explanations. A thorough assessment considers your developmental history, everyday functioning and other factors that may be contributing. Recognising yourself in a checklist is a starting point for a conversation, rather than a diagnosis.
What does an ADHD assessment with Gerry involve?
My ADHD assessment service in Byron Bay brings together clinical interviews, validated rating scales and relevant background information.
We explore what is happening now, how difficulties have appeared over time, and their effects at school, work, home and in relationships. We also consider your strengths, existing coping strategies and the broader picture of your wellbeing.
The assessment package includes:
An assessment appointment. A one-hour face-to-face session to explore your concerns, experiences and developmental history, considered alongside rating scales and relevant background information.
A feedback appointment. A second session to explain the findings, discuss any diagnosis and ADHD presentation, and work through recommendations.
A written report. A summary of the assessment findings, any diagnosis and recommended next steps.
A practical action plan. Guidance tailored to your circumstances, including ADHD coaching strategies and relevant everyday supports.
The process also includes scoring, interpretation, report writing and case management, with liaison with your GP and other health professionals where appropriate.
An assessment may identify ADHD, another explanation for your difficulties, or a need for further investigation. Whatever the findings, the purpose is to develop a clearer understanding and appropriate next steps.
ADHD assessment costs and Medicare rebates
The complete assessment package costs $1,000, including both appointments, your written report and the associated scoring, interpretation and case management.
With a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) and GP referral, you may receive a Medicare rebate of $149.05 for each of the two eligible consultations, provided you have sufficient sessions remaining and both consultations meet Medicare requirements.
Assessment costs
Complete assessment package
$1,000.00
Medicare rebate: first eligible consultation
−$149.05
Medicare rebate: second eligible consultation
−$149.05
Total Medicare rebates
$298.10
Total out-of-pocket cost after both rebates
$701.90
Medicare rebates apply to eligible consultations. Scoring and report writing do not attract separate rebates.
Our reception team will check your referral and eligibility before booking. Without applicable Medicare rebates, the total out-of-pocket cost is $1,000. Please enquire separately about fees and any applicable rebates for ongoing ADHD coaching or psychological therapy.
ADHD coaching: putting understanding into practice
An assessment can help answer questions about what is happening. Coaching focuses on the situations you want help managing.
You may understand that organisation is difficult, yet still need a workable way to plan your week. You may know that a deadline matters, while finding it hard to begin until the pressure becomes uncomfortable.
ADHD coaching offers a collaborative space to identify these obstacles, try practical approaches and adjust them based on your experience.
Depending on your goals, this may include:
· Breaking a project into manageable steps and identifying where to begin.
· Developing planning systems, reminders and routines that suit you.
· Adjusting your environment to reduce distractions and make tasks easier to approach.
· Finding ways to manage competing priorities and transitions.
· Building realistic expectations and responding more constructively to setbacks.
For example, “get on top of my administration” might become one defined task, a short scheduled period and a reminder placed where you will notice it.
The approach needs to be realistic enough to use during an ordinary week.
The Australian ADHD guideline identifies coaching as an option that may be considered within a broader treatment plan. The evidence base is still developing, so goals and progress should be reviewed individually.
Bringing clinical psychology and coaching together
Practical difficulties can sit alongside anxiety, low mood, self-criticism or the effects of years spent feeling misunderstood.
As a clinical and coaching psychologist, I can consider these concerns alongside your day-to-day goals. Our work may involve practical strategies, psychological therapy or a combination, depending on your needs.
I bring more than a decade of experience across clinical settings and the Northern Rivers community. My approach is warm, collaborative and informed by evidence-based psychological therapies, with attention to your strengths, circumstances and priorities.
You can read more about my experience and approach on the In Health team page.
ADHD assessment and support for adolescents
For a teenager, assessment can help clarify difficulties affecting school, home life and growing independence.
Their own experience is central to the process. We explore what feels difficult, what is already helping and what they would like to change. Relevant information from parents, carers and school can contribute to understanding the pattern over time.
Practical support may focus on study routines, planning assignments, managing transitions and developing greater independence, with strategies suited to the young person’s stage of development.
Questions about ADHD assessment in Byron Bay
Can Gerry prescribe ADHD medication?
I provide psychological assessment and support. Where appropriate and with your consent, the assessment service includes a referral and warm handover to a local GP authorised to prescribe ADHD medication. The GP makes the medical assessment and prescribing decisions.
What if I already have an ADHD diagnosis?
You are welcome to enquire about coaching and psychological support. Let us know about any existing diagnosis or reports so we can discuss an appropriate starting point.
Does a Mental Health Treatment Plan cover the full assessment fee?
The package costs $1,000. If you have a valid MHTP referral, two eligible sessions remaining and both consultations qualify, the combined Medicare rebates are $298.10, leaving a total out-of-pocket cost of $701.90.
Enquire about ADHD assessment and coaching in Byron Bay
Whether you are exploring ADHD for the first time or seeking support after diagnosis, we can begin with what is happening in your life now.
My ADHD Assessment and Coaching Clinic at In Health – Byron Bay Psychology offers assessment and practical support tailored to you.
Call 02 6699 1444 or enquire through In Health- Byron Bay Psychology.
Location: Unit 23, 5 Easy Street, Habitat Byron Bay, NSW 2481.
Understand yourself. Find your way forward.
Gerry Bronn, Clinical & Coaching Psychologist at In Health - Byron Bay Psychology
