How to book a psychologist appointment in Sydney

Your First Step: Understanding payment options.

The first step to consider is the options for paying for therapy. At Heart and Hound Psychology, we accept all the following options.

Privately Paying Therapy:

For most people seeking psychological services they opt for paying privately, with the assistance of Medicare’s Mental Health Treatment Plan. The first step for accessing this involves going to see your General Practitioner (GP) to discuss the Mental Health Treatment Plan (also commonly referred to as a Mental Health Care Plan). Your GP may ask questions about your mental health history and current life circumstances.

A Mental Health Treatment Plan can provide access to Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual psychology sessions within a calendar year. This means a portion of your session fee will be reimbursed by Medicare, making affordable psychology more accessible. The specific rebate amount you receive per session will depend on the type of psychologist you consult (e.g., Clinical Psychologist vs. Registered Psychologist). We offer a transparent overview of our fees and associated Medicare rebates in the Fee’s part of our website.

You do not have to get a Mental Health Treatment Plan; you can always choose to pay the full fee out of pocket. This option might be preferred if you do not meet the Medicare criteria, wish to maintain complete privacy, or simply prefer not to involve your GP.

Private Health Insurance for counselling:

Many private health insurance plans offer coverage for mental health services under their "extras" policies. The level of cover and the rebate amount will vary significantly depending on your specific policy and provider.

Important Note: It's crucial to contact your private health insurance provider directly to understand your individual "extras" limit and what your policy covers for psychology sessions. Typically, private health insurance may only cover a limited number of sessions or a portion of the fee, so it's wise to be aware of your entitlements before you book. We recommend asking:

• "Does my policy cover psychology sessions?"

• "What is my annual limit for psychological services?"

• "Is there an excess or waiting period?"

• "Do I need a referral to claim?"

Workers Compensation Claims for Psychological Support:

If you are seeking psychological support due to a work-related injury or illness and have an active Workers Compensation case, you have likely already received paperwork with preliminary approval to see a psychologist.

If this is the case, please email us with any relevant paperwork, including your claim number, insurer details, and the name of your case manager. We will be able to help you navigate the process and coordinate with your insurer to facilitate your psychology sessions under Workers Compensation.

NDIS Funding for Psychology Sessions:

NDIS participants can receive psychological services from their plans, provided that these services have been adequately factored into the plan’s goals and there is sufficient funding allocated.

We can only work with NDIS participants if their plan is plan-managed or self-managed. We do not offer agency-managed services.

Before booking your initial appointment, it is essential to contact us and inform us that you are planning to pay via NDIS. We will then discuss your plan details, goals, and funding to ensure we can provide the appropriate support. Please have your NDIS plan details ready when you contact us.

Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA):

If you are an ex-services member, you may be able to access therapy services through the DVA. If you see your GP they will be able to provide you with the referral documentation needed to access this service.

BUPA Open Arms / Australian Defence Force:

If you are a current serving member or have a family member currently serving, you may be eligible to access therapy services through BUPA OP/ADF. You can call Bupa to find out more information about how to access this service.