Life Psychology AustraliaA practical guide
Do You Need a Referral to See a Psychologist?
No — you can book a psychologist directly, with no referral and no paperwork. Medicare rebates require an eligible referral — commonly from a GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Psychiatrist and paediatrician referral pathways may also qualify.
Here is how the three paths — private, Medicare and NDIS — actually work, and how to get a referral if you want one.
The three paths
A referral is about funding, not access
Whether you need a referral depends entirely on how you want to fund your sessions — it never decides whether a psychologist can see you.
Booking privately
No referral neededPsychologists are direct-access practitioners — you can simply book. No GP visit, no diagnosis, no paperwork, and no Medicare claim involved. You pay the full session fee yourself.
Using Medicare rebates
Eligible Medicare referralMedicare Better Access rebates require an eligible referral. A GP referral under a Mental Health Treatment Plan is a common pathway; psychiatrist and paediatrician referral pathways may also qualify. Rebates cover up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year — couples sessions are not covered.
Using NDIS funding
No referral neededNDIS funding works through your plan, not through referrals — you need therapy supports funding in a self-managed or plan-managed plan. Our NDIS funding guide walks through exactly how it works.
Costs for each path — including a personalised calculator — are on our Fees & Funding page. NDIS details are in the NDIS funding guide.
If you want the rebate
Getting a GP referral — four steps
These steps describe the GP pathway. Services Australia sets out the eligible referral pathways, referral requirements and session limits for Medicare Better Access, including specialist referrals.
Book a longer appointment with your regular GP
Ask for a mental health appointment when you book — preparing a Mental Health Treatment Plan takes longer than a standard consult. Medicare expects the plan to come from the practice you usually attend, and many GPs can do it by video under the same rules.
Talk through how you have been going
Your GP asks about what has been happening — mood, sleep, stress, how daily life is going. This conversation is confidential, and it is how your GP assesses whether a plan is right for you.
Leave with a plan and a referral
The Mental Health Treatment Plan — you may also hear it called a Mental Health Care Plan — is the document Medicare needs; the referral is your GP sending you to a psychologist. The referral may name a psychologist or practice, but you are free to choose your own — including a telehealth practice anywhere in Australia.
Book your psychology session
With the referral and plan in place, book a time. Sessions with us run for 60 minutes over secure video, and Medicare is national — the rebate works wherever in Australia you are.
The fine print
Worth knowing
- The referral does not lock you in. You can take it to any psychologist, and you can change psychologists partway through without a new referral.
- Your GP usually refers an initial course of up to six sessions, then reviews how things are going before referring more — up to the yearly maximum of 10 individual rebated sessions.
- A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not expire. Once you have one, it keeps working — your GP reviews it as you go rather than starting over.
- The 10-session count resets each calendar year. Sessions you paid for privately do not count against it.
- Medicare rebates individual sessions — the type we offer. Couples and relationship counselling are never rebatable, by telehealth or in person.
- You can start privately today and get the referral later — earlier sessions simply are not rebated. Waiting for a GP appointment does not have to delay starting.
- NDIS and Medicare are separate systems — the same session can never be funded by both.
- We see adults (18+) only — we do not provide services for anyone under 18.
A plan and a referral have different rules. Services Australia explains when an existing Mental Health Treatment Plan can be used or reviewed.
Common questions
Referral questions, answered
Can I see a psychologist without a referral in Australia?
Yes. You can book a psychologist directly — no referral, no diagnosis and no paperwork — and start as soon as an appointment is available. Medicare rebates require an eligible referral; a GP referral under a Mental Health Treatment Plan is a common pathway, and specialist referral pathways may also qualify.
What do I need for a Medicare rebate on psychology sessions?
For Medicare Better Access, you need an eligible referral. This can come from a GP or prescribed medical practitioner under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, a psychiatrist under a psychiatrist assessment and management plan, or directly from a psychiatrist or paediatrician. Eligible individual services can receive rebates for up to 10 sessions each calendar year. Couples and relationship counselling are not covered by Medicare.
Can I get the referral and plan through a telehealth GP appointment?
Often, yes. Many GPs prepare Mental Health Treatment Plans by video. Since November 2025, Medicare requires this to be your regular practice — one you are registered with through MyMedicare, or your usual GP, generally with a face-to-face visit in the last 12 months — so start by asking the practice you normally attend.
Does the referral have to name a specific psychologist?
No. Your GP may address the referral to a particular psychologist or practice, but you are free to take it to any psychologist you choose — and you can change psychologists during a course of treatment without going back for a new referral.
How many sessions does a referral cover?
Your GP usually refers an initial course of up to six sessions, then reviews how you are going before referring further sessions — up to the Medicare maximum of 10 individual sessions per calendar year.
Do NDIS participants need a referral or Mental Health Treatment Plan?
No. NDIS funding works through your plan, not through referrals — you need therapy supports funding in a self-managed or plan-managed plan. Referrals and treatment plans belong to the separate Medicare pathway, and the two systems cannot fund the same session.
What does seeing a psychologist cost with and without a referral?
The session fee is the same either way — the referral changes who helps pay it. Without one, you pay privately. With an eligible referral, Medicare can pay a rebate on eligible individual sessions. Our pricing page has current fees and a calculator that shows what you would actually pay.
Your next step
When you’re ready
Get to know Zoe, explore fees and funding options, or find a time for your first session.