How Much Does a Psychologist Cost in Australia?

Standard Session Fees

For a 45-60 minute session with a psychologist in private practice, fees typically range between $150 to $250. Some may charge outside this range (for example, very experienced psychologists or those in major city centers might charge $280 or more).

Why such variation? It depends on factors like:

• The psychologist’s experience and qualifications (those with decades of experience or a specialty might charge more).
• The location (big cities often have higher fees than small towns due to higher overheads).
• The length of session (most are 50 minutes, but some practitioners offer longer sessions for a proportional fee).

It’s worth noting that the Australian Psychological Society (APS) publishes a recommended fee as a guideline for psychologists. For the 2024-2025 financial year, the APS’s suggested fee is $311 for a standard 46-60 minute session. This is a recommendation only – many psychologists charge less to remain accessible. For instance, Erin currently charges $235 per session, which she has set conscientiously below the APS rate to ease the financial burden on clients.

Medicare Rebates with a Mental Health Plan

Australia has a wonderful system to help cover mental health costs: Medicare’s Better Access scheme. Here’s how it works:

• You visit your GP and get a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) – basically a referral for psychology sessions (we cover the details of that in another post).
• With that referral, Medicare will rebate a significant portion of the session fee for up to 10 sessions per calendar year (this is the current cap as of now).
• The rebate amounts (at time of writing) are:
  • $89.65 per session if you see a registered psychologist (general).
  • $131.65 (or roughly $141.85, note: these rates get indexed occasionally) per session if you see a clinical psychologist.
• This difference is because clinical psychologists have additional training, and Medicare assigns a higher rebate to their services.

What does this mean in practice? Let’s use an example:

• Say a psychologist charges $180 for a session. If they are a general psychologist, Medicare might rebate about $89, so you would pay $91 gap.
• If a clinical psychologist charges $235 (like Erin), Medicare rebates $141.85, so you pay around $93 gap.
• Some psychologists charge exactly the Medicare rebate amount and bulk bill you (meaning you pay nothing out of pocket). Bulk billing psychologists are rare, but some do it for certain groups (e.g., people with concession cards). More on bulk billing below.

Medicare covers 10 individual sessions a year under a standard plan (and you can also get 10 group sessions if those are available for your issue). If you need more than 10, you’d be paying full fee for those unless the government extends the program (they did temporarily allow 20 sessions during COVID, but it reverted back to 10).

The Medicare rebate is typically processed immediately by the psychologist’s office. Often, you’ll pay the full fee via card, and within seconds the rebate is credited back into your account. It’s pretty seamless.

Private Health Insurance

If you have private health insurance with psychological services in your “extras” cover, you might use that to get some money back, particularly if:

• You don’t have a Medicare referral, or
• You’ve exhausted your Medicare-rebated sessions for the year, or
• You prefer not to go through Medicare/GP.

Private health rebates for psychology vary a lot by insurer and level of cover. Some pay a set amount per session (e.g., $50 or $80) up to an annual limit.

University Training Clinics

If you live near a university that has a psychology program, they often have clinics where interns (psychologists in training, in their final years of study) provide therapy under supervision of experienced clinicians. These sessions can be very low-cost or free. The trade-off is you’re working with a trainee, but they are usually very up-to-date with modern techniques and get a lot of supervision.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

If your employer has an EAP, you might be entitled to a few free counselling sessions (the company pays for them). These are often with registered psychologists or counsellors. They are typically short-term, solution-focused, but it’s free and confidential. Worth checking if you’re employed.

Online Programs

The Australian government and various organizations offer free or low-cost online mental health programs (like MIndSpot, This Way Up, etc.). While not a live psychologist, some of these come with occasional therapist support via email or phone and can be a good supplement or a starting point if cost is a major barrier.

Getting the Most Value from Therapy

Since you are investing money into therapy, here are a few tips to maximize its value:

• Consistency: If possible, attend regularly, especially at first. You’ll progress faster in five weekly/fortnightly sessions than spreading five sessions over a whole year.
• Apply what you learn: Between sessions, try to practice any techniques or homework. This makes your investment go further because you’re creating change in your daily life, not just in the therapy hour.
• Communicate: If you have financial constraints, let the psychologist know. Also, if something in therapy isn’t clicking for you, mention it. You want to make sure the time (and money) you spend is as effective as possible. Sometimes a tweak in approach can yield better results.
• Review: Check in after a few sessions to see if you’re getting what you need. Therapy can be a longer-term process, but you should feel something (hopeful, understood, a new perspective, etc.) after a handful of sessions. If not, discuss this with your psychologist. They will want you to get benefit from the service you’re paying for.

Is Therapy Worth It?

It’s a fair question – therapy can be expensive even with rebates. Consider the cost of not getting help: untreated mental health issues can lead to worse outcomes like job loss, relationship breakdown, or physical health problems. On the flip side, improving your mental health can enhance your productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life. Many people find that after therapy, they’re better able to handle life’s challenges, which can indirectly save money (fewer sick days, better decision-making, etc.).

If money is tight, even a short course of therapy (say 4-6 sessions) can give you tools to work with on your own. You can space sessions out or pause and come back later. Mental health is not a linear journey, and psychologists understand that finances play a role.

Remember, Australians are fortunate to have Medicare support for psychology. Take advantage of that if you need it. It exists because mental health is just as important as physical health. There’s no shame in using the rebate – that’s what it’s there for!