Fees & Rebates
How much does it cost to see a psychologist? What rebates are available? What about NDIS and WorkCover? Answers to all your psychology fees and rebates questions below.
Psychology Fees for Individual Sessions
As the practitioners at The READ Clinic are all independent contractors, they can set their own fees for appointments, therefore fees vary by practitioner.
The fees below are given as a guide – when you call our Client Care Team to make your first appointment they will be able to give you specific information relating to your practitioner.
| Practitioner Category | Session Fee (50 min session) | Medicare rebate (MHTP)* | Out of Pocket (after Medicare rebate*) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Senior Clinical Psychologist / Director |
from $270 |
$136.65 |
from $133.35 |
|
Clinical Psychologist |
from $250 |
$136.65 |
from $123.35 |
|
Senior General Psychologist |
from $240 |
$92.90 |
from $147.10 |
|
General Psychologist |
from $220 |
$92.90 |
from $127.10 |
|
Intern Psychologist |
from $115 |
No Medicare rebate available |
No Medicare rebate available |
|
Credentialed Mental Health Nurse |
from $170 |
$58.00 |
from $112.00 |
|
Couples / Relationship Therapy |
from $395 (90 minute session) |
No Medicare rebate available |
No Medicare rebate available |
* Medicare Rebates (MHTP) are the rebates available if you are referred under a Mental Health Treatment Plan. For more information about Medicare rebates and other funding options for psychology services, see below.
Note higher fees apply for initial consultations (first appointments).
An additional after hours fee of $15 is applicable to all appointments at or before 8:00am and after 5:00pm on weekdays, and all appointments on Saturdays.
The recommended fees for psychologists at the READ Clinic are lower than the Australian Psychological Society National Schedule of Recommended Fees for a standard consultation of $300 for 2023-2024.
Funding Options for Psychology Services
What funding is available to help with the cost of psychology services? How do you access funding, and useful links for finding out more information.
You may be able to access Medicare rebates for your psychology appointments if:
- You have a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) also known as a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and valid referral from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician (up to 10 sessions per calendar year); or
- You have a chronic medical condition and have been provided with a GP Management Plan (GPMP) and valid referral from your GP (up to 5 psychology sessions per calendar year); or
- You have an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP) from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician (up to 20 sessions per calendar year).
Your GP will need you to book a “long consultation” to prepare a MHTP, EDP, or GPMP, and accompanying referral letter to READ Clinic.
Medicare rebates are processed at the end of each session and you should receive your rebate from Medicare within 24 hours.
Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be able to have both a MHTP and a GPMP in the same calendar year.
For more information about Medicare see Services Australia.
Note Medicare rebates are not available for appointments with Provisional Psychologists or Couples Therapy.
Medicare Safety Net
Once you have spent more than your Medicare Safety Net threshold for the calendar year, your Medicare rebate will increase.
To check your Medicare Safety Net status, visit the Medicare app and click on Safety Net.
For more information about the Safety Net, including how to register as a family or couple, visit Services Australia.
Depending on your funding allocation and plan goals, you may be able to claim the cost of your appointments through your NDIS plan. Your NDIS plan will need to contain funding for Improved Daily Living in the Capacity Building budget, and your goals must align with the proposed supports. You can discuss this with our admin team prior to booking an initial appointment.
Please note practitioners at the READ Clinic are only able to accept NDIS participants who are plan-managed or self-managed. For more information about NDIS funding for psychology visit our NDIS page.
Fees for NDIS clients vary, please check with the administration team when booking your first appointment for more information.
You may be able to access private health rebates for your psychology appointments if all of the following circumstances apply:
your private health insurance policy covers appointments with your practitioner
you do not intend to claim a Medicare rebate for your appointments
You are responsible for contacting your private health insurer to determine if your policy covers the services you intend to claim. Your insurer may require your practitioner’s provider number to determine whether the service will be covered, which you can request from our friendly admin team.
Your private health insurer may require your practitioner to use specific billing codes relevant to the services provided. You will need to seek out this information and provide it to our admin team, if applicable.
Appointments with Provisional Psychologists are not eligible for rebates under private health insurance.
Your employer may offer to pay for psychology sessions under an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Many employers will have a specific psychology practice that they have links with, but others may enable you to attend any psychologist of your choice. EAPs usually include up to 4 sessions per calendar year.
You may be able to use worker’s compensation funding to pay for your appointments at HMC if all of the following circumstances apply:
- You have a made a workers’ compensation claim
- You are eligible to access therapy services under your workers’ compensation claim
There are practitioners at The READ Clinic who provide WorkCover psychology services on the Central Coast. Fees for WorkCover vary, please check with the administration team when booking your first appointment for more information.
Fees for private clients are as per the schedule above. If you are a private-paying client, you do not need a referral to see a psychologist.
Payment Policies
Cancellation Policy
A cancellation policy applies to all appointments with practitioners at The READ Clinic.
If you cancel your appointment between 24 and 48 business hours before your appointment, a fee of $150 is charged. If you cancel within 24 business hours of your appointment, or fail to attend your appointment, then the full fee is charged as a cancellation fee.
Payment Methods
We accept payment by Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card only. Your card details are securely stored, and appointment fees are automatically charged at the time of your appointment. Please note card payments incur a merchant fee of 1.11%.
For more information about how we keep your credit/debit card information safe, please see the FAQ.
As all registered practitioners are independent contractors, your payment goes directly to your practitioner. The READ Clinic provides administrative support to all practitioners, therefore invoices issued by your practitioner will display The READ Clinic logo, and any queries regarding your invoice or payments should be directed to The READ Clinic accounts team via email accounts@thereadclinic.com
Have Questions?
Starting therapy can be a little bit daunting. We have put together a list of FAQ that we hope will help you understand more about your therapy journey with a practitioner at The READ Clinic, and and answer any other questions you may have.
When you are ready to book your first appointment, please call our Client Care Team team on (02) 4363 6600 and they will be able to assist you.
