Other Services

We aim firmly for assessment results to be within 4 weeks from the first appointment. For our ADHD clinic, if you have booked the psychiatry treatment package in advance we aim firmly for your appointment to be within 3 weeks of you receiving your results. On rare occasions there are delays due to external factors outside of our control: The most common reason being when we are waiting for your friends or family to provide us with your collateral information.

For our organisation clients, please refer to the referral instructions you have been provided by us which include information on response and appointment time-frames. For our ADHD and autism assessments, we have worked hard to offer nationwide, high-quality assessments via telehealth without long waits. You can view our current availability on our online booking page. If you are referring yourself for privately-funded individual sessions, such as executive coaching or psychologist sessions, our wait times are usually 2 to 3 weeks maximum. Sometimes we can get appointments within a couple of days.

Yes. We operate nationwide. All of our appointments are via telehealth allowing for improved convenience and access to our NZ leading clinicians.

No. MindMatters Clinic only works with adults aged 18 or above.

We want all New Zealanders to be able to access high-quality clinical support, when they need it. By providing appointments online, we have been able to create a convenient, high-quality service delivered by NZ leading clinicians that can reach many more Kiwis than an in-person clinic. For more, including a summary of research on telehealth, see our telehealth statement.

The information gathered throughout the assessment process is your private health information and is kept in strict confidence and in accordance with our ethical and legal standards as registered clinicians. The final assessment report belongs to the person seeking the assessment. This gives the person the choice to share it with others as they see fit. We note that individuals who contribute collateral information are not automatically granted access to the assessment results. Please refer to the consent form for more information about privacy, confidentiality and limits. Our privacy statement also contains more general privacy information about our practice.

No. We do not require a GP referral. However, if you have one, you are welcome to email this to us at the time of making your booking and we can attach this to your file. If your GP has sent this to us directly, please mention this when making your booking.

Have a look at the relevant information sheet, as we describe this in some detail. For individual sessions, you choose the cadence of your appointment usually weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. For ADHD and autism assessments, the process is usually four weeks in total for the assessment, with one week between the first and second appointment, and two weeks between the second appointment and diagnosis results. For the ADHD Clinic specifically; Providing you have purchased the Assessment and Psychiatrist Treatment Package in advance, there is approximately 3 weeks between receiving your assessment results and the medication appointment if you proceed to our psychiatrist. Usually, the psychiatrist also sees you a couple of weeks later for a medical review, which is included in the psychiatry treatment package. If you’re in Canterbury and get referred through the publicly funded (free) ADHD medication route via your GP, the wait is usually 4-6 weeks or so for your GP to hear back from the public health psychiatrists. Please note that you don’t meet with the psychiatrist, they simply review our report, advise your GP, and provide the special authority for ADHD medications if they agree to prescribe these for you.

You can make an appointment for when you turn 18.

You will need to check this with your insurer directly. MindMattters are happy to provide the required documentation for your insurance application upon request. Please note that full payment is required upfront to confirm your booking. If your health insurer requires pre-approval, please email accounts@mindmatters.clinic to request a quote and obtain approval from your insurer BEFORE making your appointment.

Payments for our private assessments or sessions need to be made in full upfront for our services. You will receive the invoice within 1 business day of making your booking.

No. We currently require invoices to be paid in full and upfront at the time of booking. We accept payment via internet banking or credit card.

On occasions, individuals have been able to access funding or partial funding, for example by applying for a special grant or speaking with WINZ. However, MindMatters Clinic has no information or visibility over this so we cannot provide further information or advice. If you are able to secure funding, MindMatters will provide documentation you require such as a quote, just let us know. We are an approved supplier for individuals applying for WINZ Hardship support. Please note, adult ADHD diagnosis and adult autism diagnosis are almost never funded by our public health system. This means that most people have to self-fund their assessment.

We are NZ leading clinicians so there are some cheaper providers out there. For our assessments, these are a fixed price based on the length of time it takes for our specialist clinicians to complete a gold-standard and comprehensive diagnostic assessment. This includes all appointments, reviewing documentation including psychometrics, obtaining required collateral information, and documenting a clinical report for your records. There are varied approaches out there to diagnostic assessments in Aotearoa New Zealand. We recommend checking what an assessment involves before paying for it.

Yes! We love partnering with organisations to deliver funded assessments and have a good process for this. Please get in touch.

Yes. We operate nationwide. All of our appointments are via telehealth allowing for improved convenience and access to our NZ leading clinicians. Our assessments are available to any adults located in New Zealand.

ADHD medications require a Special Authority prescription from a psychiatrist so if you want medications then yes, you should book the Assessment and Psychiatrist Treatment package. The only exception is if you live in the Canterbury region. If you live in Canterbury, even if you want medication, you do not need to see our psychiatrist and can book the assessment-only option. This is because those in the Canterbury region will likely be eligible for free prescriptions via their GP. GPs in the Canterbury region have access to a public sector psychiatry service that can provide them with Special Authority prescriptions. If you purchase the Assessment and Psychiatrist Treatment package and by the end of your assessment you do not wish to proceed to see the psychiatrist for any reason (e.g., if you do not receive a diagnosis of ADHD) then we can refund you for the psychiatry treatment component. If you book the Assessment Only option with us and afterwards would like to book the psychiatrist package separately, you can do so but you will have a longer wait time to see the psychiatrist. This is because paying upfront via the Assessment and Psychiatrist Treatment Package means that we can secure your appointment in advance, i.e., streamlining the process for you.

We can never guarantee what other clinicians' opinions of our assessments will be, but our assessments have an excellent reputation among health services in New Zealand with extremely low query rates. This is because of our gold-standard, comprehensive approach including robust quality assurance processes. Here is an example of our quality assurance processes: For more complex assessments, for example with multiple co-existing mental or physical health difficulties, the assessing clinician may query whether making an ADHD diagnosis is appropriate. If this is the case for you, they will discuss this openly with you as early as possible. They are also likely to seek a second opinion from another experienced clinician, and can even take your case to a specialist group of ADHD assessment clinicians to seek a consensus opinion. Your assessing clinician would always seek your consent before doing this, but it can be useful in rare cases where for some reason your assessment is particularly complex. It is our robust processes like these that increase other health professionals' confidence in our assessments!

Our assessments are completed via telehealth by registered New Zealand psychologists. Our clinicians are some of the best our country has to offer and are located across Aotearoa New Zealand from Northland through to Otago. All of our clinicians have received specialist training.

You can make an appointment for when you turn 18.

Have a look at our information sheet as we describe this in some detail. The process is usually 4 weeks in total for the assessment, with one week between the first and second appointment, and two weeks between the second appointment and diagnosis results. Providing you have purchased the Assessment and Psychiatrist Treatment Package in advance, there is then approximately 3 weeks between results and the medication appointment if you proceed to our psychiatrist. Usually the psychiatrist also sees you a couple of weeks later for a medical review, which is included in the psychiatry treatment package. If you’re in Canterbury and get referred through the publicly funded (free) ADHD medication route via your GP, the wait is usually 4-6 weeks or so for your GP to hear back from the public health psychiatrists. Please note that you don’t meet with the psychiatrist, they simply review our report, advise your GP, and provide the special authority for ADHD medications if they agree to prescribe these for you.

No. We do not require a GP referral for ADHD assessments. Please note, however, that you must be registered with a GP clinic in New Zealand to access ADHD medications. If you have a GP referral, you are welcome to email this to us at the time of making your booking and we can attach this to your file. If your GP has sent the referral to us directly, please mention this when making your booking.

When you are making your booking, you will be prompted to complete our online consent form. You can also head to the online consent form link and follow the instructions. To sign, you are given the option to digitally draw your signature, or simply type your full name into the form. When you submit this form to us, we are automatically sent a copy. It's that easy!

Yes. Our assessments are completed by New Zealand registered clinicians in accordance with best practice guidelines for ADHD diagnostic assessment. We use the diagnostic classification system recognised in New Zealand; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). As part of your assessment, MindMatters Clinic also provides you with a comprehensive diagnostic assessment report for your records.

No. MindMatters Clinic only works with adults aged 18 or above.

Yes. For a formal diagnostic assessment for autism, you will need to book an autism diagnostic assessment see here for more info. Our ADHD assessments do not include a formal diagnostic assessment of autism. We can screen for autism as part of our ADHD assessments but for a formal diagnostic assessment for autism you will need to book a separate assessment.

No. If you have booked the diagnostic assessment and psychiatry treatment package, then following your results 3 to 4 weeks is the typical wait. Having this time is sensible as it allows you to digest the diagnosis, note down questions that come up before your psychiatry appointment, and get any routine screening tests at your local GP clinic or pharmacy that the psychiatrist requires before you see them e.g., blood pressure check. Please note, that if you do not purchase the Assessment and Psychiatrist Treatment Package, then wait times to see our psychiatrist can be significantly longer, often several weeks or more.

We want all New Zealanders to be able to access high-quality clinical support, when they need it. By providing appointments online, we have been able to create a convenient, high-quality service delivered by NZ leading clinicians that can reach many more Kiwis than an in-person clinic. For more, including a summary of research on telehealth, see our telehealth statement.

Each country can vary in terms of its requirements for people to access ADHD medications. Having a comprehensive report like the one we provide can make a big difference. If you are already prescribed ADHD medication in New Zealand, you can usually get a maximum of one month's medication supply at any time. If you are relocating overseas or going overseas for more than one month, you will need to be prepared in advance to have consistent access to your usual medication. The best way to try and ensure access ADHD medications overseas is: To already be on an established ADHD medication treatment before arriving in the new country; To have arranged a medical appointment in the new country in advance, with a view to continuing your existing ADHD medication treatment; To have provided the new medical clinic with a copy of your comprehensive assessment report and any follow-up medical notes from the psychiatrist in advance; It can also be worth checking in advance that your current medications are available in that country, and if the new medical clinic requires any further information. Like New Zealand, long wait times are not uncommon overseas so advance planning is key. Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice from a health care professional.

Our psychiatrist only sees people who have had their ADHD assessment completed by MindMatters Clinic. If you have received your diagnosis elsewhere, we suggest you check the ADHD New Zealand directory where other psychiatrists specialising in ADHD are listed. Note that if you received your diagnosis in childhood and are looking for medication that was not simply carried over from childhood, you may need to be reassessed now as an adult before you can access ADHD medication treatment in New Zealand.

It means that you cannot receive a diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood from us. Without the childhood information, you can still choose to have an assessment, which could determine if you meet all of the other criteria and provide you with tailored recommendations. However, to access medication treatment for ADHD, which is the first line of recommended treatment, you do require a formal diagnosis. Without a formal diagnosis, you can still access behavioural treatments for ADHD which are also recommended in best practice guidelines and known to be effective in the management of ADHD symptoms. We have psychologists who can provide this treatment. We understand that this requirement unfortunately means some people cannot access a diagnosis with us, even if they are experiencing significant current ADHD-like symptoms. You could enquire with other clinics to see if any provide diagnoses without this information.

Yes. We operate nationwide. All of our appointments are via telehealth allowing for improved convenience and access to our NZ leading clinicians. Our assessments are available to any adults located in New Zealand.

It's not uncommon to feel nervous about the assessment beforehand. However, we get very positive feedback from our clients, with an average satisfaction rating of over 9 out of 10. Many report finding the process helpful, respectful and validating. Our clinicians are kind, non-judgemental and respectful and will work to make the experience comfortable for you. During your appointments, please feel comfortable being yourself. There is no need to mask any autistic traits. We have created a process that is as clear as possible, which can also help to reduce some feelings of uncertainty about the assessment. As a telehealth clinic, you can also attend from wherever you feel the most comfortable, e.g., at home. You are welcome to use sensory supports during your appointments and take breaks as you need to. You must have your camera on for the clinical interview (second) appointment and the other two appointments are completed over the phone.

Yes. Our assessments are completed by New Zealand registered clinicians in accordance with best practice guidelines for autism diagnostic assessment. We use the diagnostic classification system recognised in New Zealand; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). As part of your assessment, MindMatters Clinic also provides you with a comprehensive diagnostic assessment report for your records. It is important to note that telehealth autism assessments are only an option for those who are unlikely to be eligible for, or who do not want, government support. This is because autism diagnoses received via telehealth are not currently recognised by government-funded social services. Therefore, if you would like to be able to be considered for government-funded social services, you should not get a telehealth assessment and instead seek an in-person assessment. You could enquire with other providers listed on the Autism New Zealand website. Our position is that the decision to exclude telehealth assessments is based on outdated research and ignores the preferences many autistic people have for online options. For more information on why we choose to offer telehealth services, see our telehealth statement.

Have a look at the information sheet, as we describe this in some detail. The process is usually four weeks in total for the assessment, with one week between the first and second appointment, and two weeks between the second appointment and diagnosis results.

No specific preparation is required for the assessment other than completing the psychometric questionnaires when these are sent out to you. It is not required, but it can be helpful to also review school reports, photographs, writings, or other historical documentation that you have to remind yourself about your early life. You can email copies of these to us to attach to your file for the assessing clinician to review as part of the assessment. If you prefer to wait until after your first appointment before sharing these this is ok too.

We want all New Zealanders to be able to access high-quality clinical support, when they need it. By providing appointments online, we have been able to create a convenient, high-quality service delivered by NZ leading clinicians that can reach many more Kiwis than an in-person clinic. For more, including a summary of research on telehealth, see our telehealth statement.

Childhood documents, like school reports, assessment reports, and photos of family occasions, can be helpful but are not compulsory for autism assessments.

Yes. Many people seeking an assessment will have a long history of "masking" autistic traits. They are often employed, have meaningful relationships, and can make eye contact. Their autistic traits may be less apparent to an observer. It may be that only the individual themselves are aware of their internal struggle to live in a predominantly non-autistic world. A thorough assessment involves looking at both observable characteristics and experiences that may be internal or that may only occur within private environments.

When you are making your booking, you will be prompted to complete our online consent form. You can also head to the online consent form link and follow the instructions. To sign, you are given the option to digitally draw your signature, or simply type your full name into the form. When you submit this form to us, we are automatically sent a copy. It's that easy!

No. MindMatters Clinic only works with adults aged 18 or above.

This appointment is essentially a long sit-down conversation between the assessing clinician and the person seeking the assessment about their adult experiences and recollections from childhood and adolescence. This will include questions about their experiences with social interactions, nonverbal communication, interests, any idiosyncratic behaviours, flexibility, sensory sensitivities, and other attributes. There are also questions about the person's education, work history, physical and mental health, and other aspects of their background. We do not use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

Input from a parent or caregiver from childhood, and from someone who knows you well now (can be the same person, a partner, or close friend) is useful but not required for autism assessments. You can choose to do an autism assessment without involving anyone close to you.

No. If you would like to be assessed for ADHD and autism you would need to book one assessment (ADHD or autism) with us first, then go on to book the other assessment once you have completed the first one. There are some providers out there who offer combined assessments. You could enquire with providers listed on the Autism New Zealand website or the ADHD New Zealand website.

You can make an appointment for when you turn 18.

Our assessments are completed via telehealth by registered New Zealand psychologists. Our clinicians are some of the best our country has to offer and are located across Aotearoa New Zealand from Northland through to Otago. All of our clinicians have received specialist training. You can learn more about the team here.

Yes. For a formal diagnostic assessment for ADHD, you will need to book an ADHD diagnostic assessment. See here for more info. Our autism assessments do not include a formal diagnostic assessment of ADHD but we can screen for ADHD as part of our autism assessments. For a formal diagnostic assessment for ADHD, you will need to book a separate assessment.

No. We do not require a GP referral for an autism assessment. If you have a GP referral though, it is not required but you are welcome to email this to us at the time of making your booking and we can attach this to your file. If your GP has sent the referral to us directly, please mention this when making your booking.