Booking without a referral
Psychology is not a referral-gated profession in Australia. You can contact a practice, describe what is going on, and be given an appointment — no GP visit, no paperwork, no permission required. Many people book this way, particularly when they want to start quickly or would rather their GP not be involved yet.
At this practice, no referral is needed to begin. You can book a first session and decide about Medicare afterwards, including partway through a course of treatment.
What the referral is actually for
A referral exists so that Medicare will pay a benefit towards the session. Under the Better Access initiative, Medicare rebates individual psychology sessions only where the client has a Mental Health Care Plan prepared by their GP and a valid referral naming the psychologist or practice.
Two documents, not one. The plan is the clinical document your GP writes after assessing you; the referral is the instruction that sends you to a psychologist. People are frequently told they have "a plan" and arrive without a referral, and the session is then not claimable.
Who can refer you
A GP is the usual route, and the only one that involves a Mental Health Care Plan. A psychiatrist or a paediatrician can also refer for Better Access sessions, using a referral letter rather than a plan.
No one else can. A referral from a physiotherapist, a school, an employer, a lawyer or a specialist in another field does not create Medicare eligibility, however sensible the suggestion behind it.
When going direct makes sense
Three situations in particular. When the wait for a GP appointment is longer than the wait for a psychologist. When the problem is specific and time-limited — a work conflict, a relationship decision, performance anxiety before an event — and a diagnosed condition is not the frame you want. And when you are seeing a psychologist for something Medicare does not fund at all, such as couples therapy, coaching or clinical supervision.
You can also start privately and add a rebate later. If your GP prepares a plan and referral partway through, sessions from the date of the referral onwards become claimable. Earlier sessions do not become claimable retrospectively.
Funding that does need a referral
Beyond Medicare, several funding paths have their own referral or approval requirements — NDIS plans, WorkCover and TAC claims, and some employer assistance programs. Each has its own paperwork and its own limits on which sessions are covered. If you are using one of these, tell us when you book so the right process is followed from the first appointment rather than corrected afterwards.
Private health extras cover is the exception that proves the rule: most funds pay a benefit on psychology without any referral at all. You cannot claim a Medicare rebate and a private health benefit for the same session.