Life Psychology AustraliaA practical guide
Can I Use NDIS Funding for Psychology?
Yes — if your plan includes therapy supports funding (usually Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living) and your funding is self-managed or plan-managed.
No GP referral needed. Sessions are $252.99 from your plan budget, delivered by secure telehealth anywhere in Australia. Here is exactly how it works.
Who can use it
It depends on how your plan is managed
The NDIS has three ways of managing plan funding, and they decide which providers you can use — not what support you can receive.
Self-managed
Can book with usYou can use any provider you choose — registered or unregistered — and the NDIA notes self-managers can even negotiate prices. You pay at booking and claim reimbursement through the my NDIS app or portal.
Plan-managed
Can book with usYou can use registered or unregistered providers — your plan manager (who must themselves be registered) pays us directly from your plan. Nothing to pay at booking; we invoice your plan manager after each session.
NDIA-managed (agency-managed)
NDIS-registered providers onlyNDIA-managed funding can only be spent with NDIS-registered providers, and we are an unregistered provider. You are still welcome to see us privately or through Medicare if eligible.
The NDIA explains provider choice and responsibilities for self-managed funding, plan-managed funding and NDIA-managed funding.
The rate
What an NDIS session costs
per session — claimed from your plan’s therapy supports budget
- This is the NDIA’s national maximum for psychologist therapy supports under the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 — we charge exactly the schedule rate, no more.
- Telehealth has its own support item — Therapy - Psychologist - Telehealth (15_054_0128_1_3_TH) — priced identically to in-person delivery.
- Sessions run for 60 minutes over secure video.
Figures from the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, last reviewed 8 August 2026. The NDIA republishes its pricing each July — current schedule at ndis.gov.au. The psychologist telehealth item is in Schedule 4, Table 27 (PDF, page 41).
How payment works
Two paths, both simple
Self-managed
- Book your session — $252.99 is charged when you book.
- Attend your telehealth session.
- We issue a paid receipt with the support item number, ABN and the details the NDIA asks for when you claim.
- Claim reimbursement in the my NDIS app or participant portal — the NDIA says payments usually arrive within about 2 business days.
Plan-managed
- Book your session — nothing is charged at booking.
- Attend your telehealth session.
- We invoice your plan manager directly (14-day terms), quoting the telehealth support item.
- Your plan manager pays us from your plan budget and it appears in your monthly statement.
For the NDIA’s instructions on reimbursement, receipts and the participant portals, see how to pay for your NDIS supports.
The fine print
Worth knowing
- NDIS psychology is capacity-building work — building and maintaining skills, independence and participation. The NDIA is explicit that clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions sit with the health system (Medicare and private), not the NDIS.
- No GP referral or mental health treatment plan is needed — those belong to the Medicare pathway. You need an NDIS plan with relevant therapy supports funding.
- You can use the NDIS and Medicare for different needs at the same time, but the same session can never be claimed from both, and NDIS funds cannot pay a Medicare gap fee.
- Telehealth delivery has its own support item in the current pricing schedule, priced the same as the standard in-person rate — and our fee is the same wherever in Australia you are.
- Our psychologist is AHPRA-registered — the NDIS requirement for therapy supports. The practice is an unregistered NDIS provider, which only matters if your plan is NDIA-managed.
- We see adults (18+) only — we do not provide services for anyone under 18.
- Since October 2024, NDIS funding may only be spent on recognised NDIS supports that relate to your disability and your plan — therapy supports like psychology are on the list.
The NDIA’s psychology supports and mental health guidance (PDF) explains the distinction between functional capacity supports and clinical treatment, with examples of how NDIS funding and Medicare can be used for separate services.
Common questions
NDIS funding questions, answered
Do I need a GP referral to use NDIS funding for psychology?
No. To use NDIS funding you need an NDIS plan with relevant funding — usually therapy supports under Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living — not a referral or mental health treatment plan. Referrals and treatment plans belong to the separate Medicare Better Access pathway.
How do I know if my plan covers psychology?
Look for therapy supports funding in your plan — most commonly under Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living. Psychology is a recognised NDIS therapy support when it builds or maintains your functional capacity and relates to your disability and plan goals. If you are unsure, your plan manager, support coordinator or planner can confirm how your funding can be used.
Can I see you if my plan is NDIA-managed (agency-managed)?
Not with NDIS funding — NDIA-managed funding can only be spent with NDIS-registered providers, and we are an unregistered provider. Our psychologist is AHPRA-registered, which is what the NDIS requires of the professional delivering therapy supports, but the practice itself is not registered with the NDIS Commission. You are still welcome to book privately or through Medicare if eligible.
What does an NDIS psychology session cost?
$252.99 per session — the NDIA's national maximum for psychologist therapy supports under the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (last reviewed 8 August 2026; the NDIA republishes its pricing each July). It is claimed from your plan's therapy budget: plan-managed participants pay nothing directly, and self-managed participants pay at booking and claim reimbursement from the NDIA.
Are telehealth sessions covered by the NDIS?
Yes. The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 has a dedicated telehealth support item for psychologist therapy (15_054_0128_1_3_TH), priced identically to in-person delivery. Our sessions run over secure video, and our invoices use this telehealth item.
Can I use both NDIS funding and Medicare?
For different needs, yes — the NDIA itself gives the example of a participant receiving clinical treatment through the health system while the NDIS funds separate capacity-building psychology. But the same session can never be claimed from both systems, and NDIS funding cannot be used to cover a Medicare gap fee.
How do I pay if I am self-managed?
You pay when you book and receive a paid receipt with everything the NDIA needs. You then claim reimbursement through the my NDIS app or participant portal — the NDIA says reimbursements usually arrive within about two business days.
Your next step
When you’re ready
Get to know Zoe, explore fees and funding options, or find a time for your first session.