If you have concerns about your mental health, you can also contact one of the free counselling services such as: Lifeline (for anyone having a personal crisis) — call 13 11 14 or chat online. Beyond Blue (for support and information about mental health) — call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.
Community centers, hospitals, schools, and places of worship sometimes offer free or low-cost counseling. Many community organizations also host peer-support groups (groups run by people facing the same issues) and recovery groups which can provide additional care.
If you are in a public hospital, care is free. If you are in a private hospital, you will be charged. If you have private health insurance, that will cover some of the costs.
Health professionals set their own fees, so we may only cover some of the cost. Ask how much you'll pay and what you'll get back from us when you make your appointment. If they bulk bill, you won't have to pay anything. If you have private health insurance, you may be able to get some money back.
Being able to access the ten free psychology sessions per calendar year can make psychological services more accessible (Australian Association of Psychologists, 2021).
Counsellors are not currently covered by Medicare for counselling sessions.
Currently, the Medicare rebate is $131.65 per session with a Clinical Psychologist for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. Therefore with the rebate, your out of pocket expense or “gap payment” for the initial consultation is $78.35 and then $68.35 per subsequent consultations.
When you have an appointment with one of our associated psychologists you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate of approximately $84 (if you see a Registered Psychologist) and approximately $124 (if you see a Clinical Psychologist), per session.
The Australian Psychological Association recommended rate for Clinical Psychology in 2022 – 2023 is $280 for a 50-minute psychology session with the initial assessment fee of $406 for an 80-minute session.
No, you do not need a referral. You can book an appointment with a psychologist without a referral from your GP or a psychiatrist. If you decide to do this you will need to pay the full amount for your sessions out of your own pocket.
You might be eligible for DES if you're: living with a mental health condition, treated illness, injury or disability that makes it difficult to find and keep a job. This includes living with anxiety or depression, a physical or intellectual disability, learning difficulties, visual or hearing impairment.
The Australian public accesses care within the public health system for free or at a lower cost through Medicare (funded by tax). The private system includes health service providers that are owned and managed privately, such as private hospitals, specialist medical and allied health, and pharmacies.
The $3 billion of spending on public sector specialised mental health hospital services during 2020–21 equates to an average cost per patient day of $1,306.
“There are several options to consider when you can't afford therapy. Asking a therapist for a sliding scale or pro bono services, applying for services at a local community center, checking if your employer offers an employee assistance program, and checking online services are some of the options.”
How do you know if you should talk to a therapist? If you feel overwhelmed or burned out by life's stressors, or are unsure how to move toward a important goal, then therapy can be useful for you. You don't have to be experiencing particular mental health challenges or symptoms to benefit from therapy.
As of 2022, if you have an eligible Mental Health Plan, the government will provide you with a rebate or pay part of the costs for accessing psychological services: If you see a Registered Psychologist, you will get back $89.65. If you see a Clinical Psychologist, you will get back $131.65.
Most psychologists working in a private practice operate as 'sole traders' – that is, they get are not an employee but a contractor who gets paid a fixed rate per session, and they operate as their own 'business' and pay their own business expenses from this fee.
Tiemans et al. (2019) recommend attending for a minimum of one session per week based on their findings, particularly during the first three months of therapy. Erekson et al. (2015) reported that clinically significant gains were achieved faster for those attending weekly sessions compared with fortnightly sessions.
It gets tricky fast. But for the purposes of medicare, you need to know that Counsellors, Psychotherapists, and Relationship Counsellors are not Psychologists. And since only Psychologists (and some social workers) are able to take medicare you'll need to select a psychologist.
The Better Access initiative gives Medicare rebates to eligible people, so they can access the mental health services they need. Support is available from eligible general practitioners (GPs) and other medical practitioners, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists.
Eligible people can receive: • Up to 10 individual sessions in a calendar year. Your referring doctor will assess your progress after the first six sessions. Up to 10 group therapy sessions in a calendar year where such services are available and seen as appropriate by your referring doctor and the psychologist.