Knowledge hub
Psychology questions, answered properly
Nine plain-English guides to the parts of getting help that are genuinely confusing: how a Mental Health Care Plan works, what Medicare pays, how many sessions treatment takes, and what the therapies actually involve. Every factual claim is sourced to MBS Online, the Psychology Board of Australia, the World Health Organization or Australia's national clinical guidelines.
Medicare & funding
6 min read
How a Mental Health Care Plan works, start to finish
The plan, the referral, the six-session review and the calendar-year cap — what each one actually is, and the order they happen in.
5 min read
What Medicare pays for psychology, and what you pay
Rebate amounts, how the gap is worked out, what the safety net does, and why you cannot use Medicare and private health cover on the same session.
Getting started
4 min read
How many therapy sessions will I need?
Three things set the number: what your referral covers, the calendar-year limit, and clinical need. Only the third one is about you.
4 min read
What actually happens in a first psychology session
Fifty minutes, no couch, and nothing you have to disclose before you are ready. Here is the shape of it.
5 min read
Clinical psychologist or registered psychologist?
The difference is a Psychology Board endorsement and a different Medicare item — not a licence to do better work.
4 min read
Psychologist or psychiatrist — which one do you need?
One prescribes, one does not. That single difference explains most of the others, including how you get an appointment.
Therapy explained
5 min read
EMDR explained, without the jargon
What eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing actually involves, what the guidelines say about it, and who it suits.
5 min read
Burnout or depression? Why the distinction matters
The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. That has practical consequences — including for your Medicare rebate.
5 min read
CBT, ACT and schema therapy — how they differ
Three approaches you will see named on psychology websites, what each one actually asks of you, and how a clinician chooses.
Quick answers
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist?
No. You can book directly with us. A GP referral and Mental Health Care Plan are needed only if you want to claim a Medicare rebate.
How many sessions does Medicare cover?
Up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions per calendar year, with a maximum of six individual sessions on an initial referral before your GP reviews the plan.
Is telehealth rebated the same as in person?
Yes. The video and phone items mirror the in-person items and pay the same Medicare benefit. Telehealth mental health items are permanent.
Can I use Medicare and private health together?
Not on the same session. Private health extras cannot top up a Medicare benefit, but can fund further sessions once your Medicare-funded sessions for the year are used.
Does my Mental Health Care Plan expire?
No. The plan does not expire and should not be rewritten each year. What you usually need after a break is a new referral, not a new plan.
What can a psychiatrist do that a psychologist cannot?
Prescribe. Psychiatrists are medical doctors; psychologists are not, and provide assessment and psychological therapy instead. Seeing both is common.
Still not sure what you need?
Call us and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit, what a plan would involve, and what it would cost — before you book anything.