Referrals
You can come to us directly, without a referral or seeing anyone else first. If you’d like to claim a Medicare rebate, you’ll need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, or a referral from a paediatrician or psychiatrist.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book with us directly, without seeing anyone else first.
A referral only matters if you want to claim a Medicare rebate on your sessions. To do that you’ll need either a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, or a referral from a paediatrician or psychiatrist.
Getting a Mental Health Treatment Plan
- Book a longer appointment with your GP and say you’d like to discuss a Mental Health Treatment Plan. These take more than a standard consult, and booking a long appointment makes it far more likely you’ll leave with one.
- Your GP will talk through what’s going on and decide whether you meet the criteria.
- If you do, they’ll write the plan and a referral, usually naming a psychologist or addressed “to whom it may concern”.
- Bring it to your first session, or email it ahead to info@northsidepsychology.com.au.
- Register your bank details with us so we can process your rebate through Medicare on the day.
Other ways to fund your sessions
We also see clients through:
- Private health insurance — check your level of cover with your fund
- Self-managed and plan-managed NDIS
- Workers’ compensation and CTP insurance
- Employer-funded sessions, where these have been pre-approved
- Private payment, with no referral or paperwork at all
You can’t claim a Medicare rebate and a private health rebate for the same session — you’ll need to choose one.
We are not a bulk billing practice. There is an out-of-pocket cost for every session, including where a rebate applies.
Referrals for assessments
Assessments don’t need a referral either, though it’s useful if you already have one. A limited Medicare rebate may be available for autism assessments for clients under 25 under the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders Scheme, with a referral from a medical practitioner.
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