Between nothing and about $330 a session, and the spread is the reason this question is so hard to answer briefly.
Here is what actually determines the number.
The suggested fee is not the market price
The Australian Psychological Society publishes a schedule of suggested fees — currently around $330 for a standard 46-to-60-minute consultation. It is worth knowing that figure exists, because it anchors a lot of published advice. It is also worth knowing that a great many practitioners charge well below it.
For comparison, the practitioners currently listed on groundpath publish fees between $100 and $130 a session. That is a small sample and a local one, not a national survey — but it is a real one, and it shows the size of the gap between a suggested fee and what people actually pay.
Where a Medicare rebate applies, and where it does not
If a GP writes you a Mental Health Treatment Plan under the federal Better Access initiative, you can claim a rebate on a set number of sessions each calendar year — currently up to ten individual sessions.
The rebate applies to sessions with:
Psychologists , general and clinical, at different rebate levels
Accredited Mental Health Social Workers — social workers holding that specific AASW credential
Occupational therapists with the equivalent mental health accreditation
It does not apply to counsellors or psychotherapists as a general category.
Rebate amounts change on 1 July each year , and they differ by provider type and session length. Rather than print a figure that will be wrong within a year, the current amounts are on the Services Australia website, and any practitioner should tell you theirs when you ask.
The gap is the number that matters
A rebate is not the price. What you actually pay is the gap — the fee minus the rebate — and that is the figure worth asking about directly, because it is the one that leaves your account.
Two practitioners can quote the same fee and leave you paying very different amounts, depending on their provider type and whether they bulk bill. Some practitioners bulk bill for some clients, meaning no gap at all. It is a fair and ordinary question to ask before booking.
If there is no rebate available
Counselling without a Medicare rebate is not automatically more expensive; it is just funded differently.
Private health extras cover counselling under many policies. Whether yours does, and how much per session, is one phone call to your fund.
Employee Assistance Programs — if you or a partner work somewhere with an EAP, that is typically a few free sessions, arranged confidentially and without going through your employer.
Sliding scale. Some practitioners reduce their fee for people on low incomes or concession cards. It is not always advertised. Asking is normal and most practitioners would rather you asked than quietly did not book.
What is genuinely free
Beyond Blue and Lifeline offer counselling by phone and online at no cost, with no referral and no plan.
Medicare Mental Health centres are free to walk into and need no referral or diagnosis.
Head to Health and community health services vary by area but are often free or very low cost.
Free services are real services. They are not a lesser option you settle for.
The practical version
Before you book anything, three questions settle almost all of this:
What is your fee for a standard session?
Is a Medicare rebate or private fund rebate available for seeing you, and what would my gap be?
Do you have any reduced-fee places?
Any practitioner who is comfortable answering those plainly is showing you something useful about how they work. On groundpath, the fee is published on the profile before you book, precisely so the first question is already answered.
This content is for general information only and does not constitute professional advice. Please consult a qualified practitioner.
If you are in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 , or 000 in an emergency. groundpath is not a crisis service.