One of the most common questions I’m asked is: “How does Medicare work when it comes to seeing a psychologist?”

The system feels confusing and at times it really is, unfortunately, I frequently meet people who delay seeking support because they believe therapy is either unaffordable, inaccessible, or that it’s just too hard. The reality is that many Australians are eligible for Medicare-rebated psychology sessions under the Better Access initiative — including via Telehealth.

What Is Medicare Better Access?

The Medicare Better Access initiative is a national program that allows eligible Australians to access subsidised mental health care, including sessions with a registered psychologist.

Under this scheme, Medicare provides a rebate for psychology appointments, significantly reducing the out-of-pocket cost of treatment.

Who Is Eligible for Medicare-Rebated Psychology?

You may be eligible for Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions if you:

·       Are eligible for Medicare

·       Are experiencing a symptoms of a mental health condition, such as: Anxiety disorders, Depression, Trauma-related difficulties, Adjustment disorders, Other clinically significant mental health concerns

How Do You Get a Mental Health Treatment Plan?

The process is usually straightforward:

Step 1: Book a Longer GP Appointment

Ask your GP for a longer consultation to discuss your mental health and request a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

Step 2: Mental Health Assessment

Your GP will ask about your symptoms, history, and current functioning. This helps determine whether a treatment plan is appropriate.

Step 3: Psychologist Referral

If eligible, your GP will prepare the Mental Health Treatment Plan and provide a referral to a registered psychologist.

You can request that the referral be sent directly to your chosen practice, such as Midway Psychology.

How Many Psychology Sessions Are Available?

Under the Better Access initiative, eligible clients can currently access:

·       Up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year, subsidised by Medicare

These sessions are typically structured as:

·       An initial block of sessions, typically 6, followed by

·       A review process to determine whether further sessions are clinically appropriate

Medicare rebates apply to both in-person and Telehealth psychology sessions, making support more accessible regardless of location.

Treatment Cycle and Review Process

Medicare psychology care operates within a treatment cycle designed to ensure therapy remains purposeful and effective.

Initial Sessions

The first sessions focus on:

·       Understanding your concerns

·       Developing treatment goals

·       Beginning evidence-based therapy

Review with your psychologist

·       As you reach the end of your allocated sessions your psychologist will conduct a review with you to decide if further sessions are warranted

·       A letter will be sent to your GP to request more rebated sessions.

Review with Your GP

After the initial sessions, you will need to see your GP to complete a review if you wish to continue with rebated psychology sessions. This review will:

·       Assess progress

·       Determine whether additional sessions are required

·       Complete re-referral paperwork

If appropriate, further sessions can be approved within the annual session limit (10 sessions).

How Medicare Rebates Are Processed

For Medicare-rebated psychology sessions, payment of the full session fee is required on the day of your appointment. Midway Psychology will then process your rebate for you. Once processed, the rebate is typically deposited directly into your nominated bank account within 1–2 business days.

Telehealth and Medicare: What You Should Know

Mental Health Treatment Plans can be used for Telehealth psychology sessions, meaning you do not need to attend in person to receive Medicare-rebated care.

Telehealth can be particularly helpful if you:

·       Live in a regional or remote area

·       Have mobility or health limitations

·       Have a busy schedule

·       Prefer the comfort and privacy of home

Research consistently shows that online psychology is as effective as face-to-face therapy for many mental health concerns.

Why This Matters

I often meet people who put off seeking help because they assume therapy will be too expensive or complicated. In reality, Medicare Better Access exists to make mental health care more affordable, accessible, and timely.

If you’re struggling — whether with anxiety, low mood, stress, or feeling overwhelmed — support may be closer and more affordable than you realise.

Medicare Psychology Sessions at Midway Psychology

At Midway Psychology, I provide Medicare-rebated Telehealth psychology sessions for adults across Melbourne and Australia.

If you already have a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you’re welcome to get in touch to arrange an appointment. If you’re unsure how to get started, I’m also happy to help you understand the process.

Support is available — and you don’t have to navigate the system alone.

Over the years, I’ve noticed something deeply concerning in my work with my fellow veterans: too many people are paying out of pocket for mental health care they are actually entitled to receive for free!

Often this isn’t because they’re ineligible — it’s because they simply don’t know the support exists, or they’ve been given the wrong info along the way.

If you’ve served in the Australian Defence Force, even briefly, there is a strong chance you are eligible for fully funded mental health care with a registered psychologist through the Department of Veterans' Affairs under what’s known as Non-Liability Health Care (NLHC).

What Is DVA Non-Liability Health Care?

NLHC is a DVA initiative that allows eligible veterans to access treatment for specific mental health conditions without needing to prove that the condition is service-related.

In practical terms, this means:

• You do not need an accepted DVA claim

• You do not need an existing diagnosis

• You do not need to establish liability

• You can receive care quickly, with no out-of-pocket cost

This scheme was introduced to reduce barriers to mental health care and encourage earlier support for veterans who may otherwise delay treatment.

Who Is Eligible?

You may be eligible for DVA NLHC for mental health if:

• You have served at least one day in the full-time Australian Defence Force, or

• You are or were a reservist who has completed at least one day of continuous full-time service

• You are or were a reservist who provided Disaster Relief Service, Border Protection Service; or were involved in a serious service-related training incident.

Importantly, length of service, rank, or deployment history does not exclude you.

If you’ve ever worn the uniform, it is worth checking your eligibility.

What Mental Health Conditions Are Covered?

Under NLHC, DVA provides treatment for all mental health conditions, including (but not limited to):

• posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• depressive disorder

• anxiety disorder

• alcohol use disorder

• substance use disorder

• phobias

• adjustment disorders

• bipolar disorder.

You do not need to prove that these conditions were caused by your service. You do not need an existing diagnosis. If you have symptoms, you can receive care!

What Does the Scheme Cover?

For mental health care, the scheme can cover:

• Psychology sessions

• Psychiatry

• GP mental health care

• Certain allied health services

• Telehealth appointments

At Midway Psychology, I regularly see veterans under this scheme for fully funded psychology sessions, delivered via secure Telehealth — meaning no gap fees and no out-of-pocket expenses (ITS FREE)

How Do You Access Mental Health Care Under the Scheme?

The process is often simpler than people expect as there is no need for a prolonged DVA application.

Step 1: Apply for a DVA White Card (if you don’t already have one)

You can apply through DVA online or with support from an advocate or GP.

Step 2: Obtain a GP Referral

Your GP completes a referral for psychology under DVA NLHC for mental health.

Step 3: Choose a DVA-Registered Psychologist

Your psychologist must be able to bill DVA directly. At Midway Psychology, this is done on your behalf — you don’t need to manage the billing.

Step 4: Commence Treatment

Once the referral is in place, you can begin sessions without delay.

Step 5: Review

At the conclusion of your allocated sessions, you and I will sit down and collaboratively determine if there is a need for additional sessions and if so a request will be sent to your GP to request more sessions be made available

Understanding the Allied Health Treatment Cycle

Psychology treatment typically operates within an allied health treatment cycle.

This usually involves:

• An initial referral from your GP

• A defined number of approved sessions (up to 12)

• Progress reviews as required

• Ongoing care where clinically indicated

• There is no specific limit to how many sessions you can receive so long as they are clinically justified.

I will collaboratively with your GP and DVA processes to ensure continuity of care, appropriate reporting, and minimal administrative burden for you.

Why This Matters

Many veterans delay seeking help because they believe:

• They arent “entitled”

• Their service “wasn’t enough”

• They’d have to fight a long claims battle

• They’d have to pay out of pocket (or they already were!)

In many cases, none of that was true.

If you’re a veteran and you’re struggling, even quietly, support is available, and it may already be funded.

Mental Health Support for Veterans at Midway Psychology

At Midway Psychology, I provide trauma-informed, evidence-based psychological care for veterans, including support under DVA NLHC.

Sessions are available via Telehealth, offering flexible access across Melbourne and Australia-wide from our home base in Frankston Victoria.

If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible, or you’d like to talk through your options, you’re welcome to get in touch.

You served. Support is available. You don’t have to navigate this alone.

Starting therapy can feel like a big step. For many people, the first psychology session comes with a mix of hope, nerves, uncertainty, and questions about what will actually happen once the session begins.

I want to take some of the mystery out of that process and explain what you can generally expect from a first session with me at Midway Psychology.

The First Moments

Before we begin the work, we need to ensure that you have provided me informed consent to begin treating you. In this phase I will check your understanding of the consent form that you will have received and review our commitment to your confidentiality.

The First Session Is Mostly About Understanding You

For the most part, the first psychology session is an assessment session. My primary aim is to understand what’s been going on for you, what’s brought you to therapy now, and how I might be able to help.

You don’t need to have everything perfectly articulated and in reality, most people describe feeling like they’re bouncing around all over the place as they start to explain their situation. This is completely normal and it’s my job to make sense of things for you! We’ll talk through your current concerns, relevant history, and anything you feel is important for me to know. This might include stressors, symptoms, patterns you’ve noticed, or past experiences with therapy.

I often explain it this way: you are the expert in yourself and I’m just visiting. My role is to listen carefully, ask questions, and take what you tell me and apply it to psychological frameworks and evidence-based models. Together, we begin forming a shared understanding of what’s happening beneath the surface.

Building Rapport and Seeing If We’re a Good Fit

An important part of the first few sessions is rapport building. Therapy works best when you feel safe, understood, and able to speak openly.

It’s also important to say this clearly: not every psychologist is the right fit for every person and that’s okay. Fit can be influenced by many things, including communication style, personality, therapeutic approach, lived experience, or simply how comfortable you feel in the space.

In the early sessions, we’re not only exploring what you’re struggling with — we’re also working out whether I’m the right psychologist for you. If at any point it becomes clear that another type of support or a different clinician may be a better fit, I will talk that through with you and assist with re-referral options where appropriate.

Research consistently shows that the therapeutic alliance — the collaborative relationship between client and psychologist — is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in therapy. Feeling understood, respected, and aligned in goals genuinely matters.

Moving From Assessment to Action

Whilst a thorough assessment is critical, my intention is always to move through this phase as efficiently as possible so we can begin addressing your primary concerns.

Therapy is a collaborative process, and much of the meaningful change actually happens between sessions, in the small, real-world moments where new insights, skills, or perspectives are put into practice. My role is to help identify practical, evidence-based avenues for change, and your role is to experiment with what fits for you in your everyday life.

I’ll regularly check in with you to see whether my understanding feels accurate and whether the language or explanations I’m using reflect your experience. I genuinely value your input during this phase, because the clearer our shared understanding, the better I can tailor a treatment approach that is grounded in psychological science and designed to support lasting change in your life.

What the Session Will Wrap Up With

Toward the end of the session, I’ll usually provide a summary of key points we’ve discussed. This helps ensure we’re on the same page and highlights what feels most important to focus on moving forward.

Depending on the session, there may also be simple tasks or reflections for you to consider between appointments. These are never about homework for the sake of it, (I HATE HOMEWORK) they’re chosen to support insight, momentum, or skill development in a manageable way.

We’ll also discuss next steps, including whether follow-up sessions would be helpful and how frequently they might be scheduled. Therapy is flexible, and decisions are made collaboratively rather than locked into a rigid structure.

A Final Thought

Starting therapy isn’t about having the right words or knowing exactly what you need. It’s about showing up as you are and allowing space to explore things together.

My role is to walk alongside you offering structure, curiosity, and evidence-based guidance while respecting that your experience is your own. The first session is simply the beginning of that process.

If you’re considering reaching out, you don’t need to have it all figured out. We’ll start where you are.

If you’re living with ongoing gut symptoms: pain, bloating, urgency, nausea, or unpredictable digestion - you may have reached a point where you feel stuck. Many people I work with have undergone extensive medical testing, changed their diet multiple times, tried medications, and followed every recommendation, only to be told that there is “nothing wrong.”

While this can be reassuring from a medical safety perspective, it is often deeply invalidating. You’re still experiencing real symptoms, and being told everything looks “normal” doesn’t make those symptoms disappear.

Understanding the gut–brain axis can help make sense of why this happens.

What Is the Gut–Brain Axis?

The gut–brain axis is the constant, two-way communication system between your brain and your digestive system. Your gut is not just a passive digestive tube — it contains its own complex nervous system, often referred to as the enteric nervous system.

This system communicates with the brain through:

• Nerves (including the vagus nerve)

• Hormones and neurotransmitters

• Immune and inflammatory pathways

Because of this, the gut and brain are in ongoing conversation, influencing digestion, sensitivity, movement, and even how sensations are interpreted.

Why Symptoms Can Exist Without Structural Damage

In many gut conditions, particularly functional gut disorders, symptoms arise not from visible damage, but from how the nervous system is regulating gut function.

This can involve:

• Increased sensitivity to normal gut sensations

• Changes in gut motility (how fast or slow things move)

• Heightened responsiveness to stress or anticipation

• A nervous system that is stuck in “threat detection” mode

When this system becomes dysregulated, symptoms can be intense and disruptive, even when scans, blood tests, and scopes look normal.

This does not mean the symptoms are imagined. It means the issue is functional rather than structural.

How Thoughts and Attention Can Worsen Symptoms (Without You Meaning To)

One of the most misunderstood aspects of gut symptoms is the role of thoughts and attention. This is not about blame or “thinking your way into symptoms.” It’s about how the brain naturally works when something feels unpredictable or threatening.

When gut symptoms begin to interfere with daily life, it’s very common for people to:

• Monitor sensations closely

• Scan for early signs of discomfort

• Worry about flare-ups occurring in public

• Change routines to avoid potential triggers

From the brain’s perspective, this makes sense, it’s trying to protect you. But increased attention to gut sensations can actually amplifies the signals, making them feel stronger, more urgent, or more distressing.

Over time, the brain may learn to associate certain foods, places, emotions, or situations with danger, even when no physical harm is present.

The Role of Behaviour in the Gut–Brain Axis

Behavioural changes often happen quietly and gradually. People may avoid eating before going out, stop travelling, restrict food choices, or withdraw from social situations.

While these changes can offer short-term relief, they can unintentionally reinforce the gut–brain alarm system by confirming the brain’s belief that the gut is fragile or unsafe.

This creates a self-perpetuating loop:

1. Symptoms occur

2. The brain becomes alert and protective

3. Attention and avoidance increase

4. Sensitivity and distress rise

5. Symptoms feel worse or more frequent

Again, this is not a failure of willpower. It’s a nervous system doing its best with the information it has.

Why Being Told “Nothing Is Wrong” Can Feel So Invalidating

Many people tell me that the hardest part of their journey was feeling dismissed. When tests come back normal, it can sound like the symptoms are being minimised or explained away.

In reality, the absence of structural disease does not equal the absence of suffering.

Understanding the gut–brain axis offers a more compassionate explanation: your body is responding to perceived threat, not because it’s broken, but because it has learned to be overly protective.

A More Helpful Reframe

Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with my gut?” It can be more helpful to ask, “How has my gut–brain system learned to respond? and can that response be changed?”

That question opens the door to recovery-focused treatment, which is where psychology plays an important role.

“I don’t think things are bad enough to see a psychologist.”

“People out there have it worse than me”

“I don’t want to waste their time with my rubbish”

There’s often a belief that therapy is only for people who are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or completely overwhelmed. While psychology absolutely supports people in those situations, that’s only a small part of what therapy is for.

In reality, many people benefit from support long before things reach that point.

You Don’t Have to Be in Crisis to Reach Out

You don’t need to be at breaking point to see a psychologist.

In fact, reaching out earlier can often make things easier to work through. Therapy isn’t just about managing crises, it’s also about:

• Understanding yourself more clearly

• Learning practical ways to respond to stress

• Breaking patterns that no longer serve you

• Improving your overall quality of life

If something has been weighing on you for a while, that in itself is often enough reason to talk to someone.

Common Signs It Might Be Time to Seek Support

Everyone’s experience is different, but some common signs that psychological support could be helpful include:

• Feeling anxious, on edge, or constantly worried

• Low mood, loss of motivation, or lack of enjoyment

• Difficulty sleeping or switching off

• Irritability, frustration, or anger that feels hard to manage

• Feeling overwhelmed by day-to-day responsibilities

• Changes in appetite, energy, or concentration

• Avoiding situations that used to feel manageable

• Ongoing stress that doesn’t seem to ease

• Physical symptoms linked to stress (including gut issues, headaches, or fatigue)

• Feeling stuck, flat, or unsure about direction in life

These experiences don’t need to be extreme to matter. If they’re impacting your day-to-day life, they’re worth paying attention to.

Life Doesn’t Have to Be “Falling Apart” to Get Support

Sometimes people seek therapy not because something is clearly wrong, but because something doesn’t feel quite right.

This might include:

• Navigating a major life transition (career change, parenthood, relationship changes)

• Adjusting to increased stress at work

• Processing past experiences that still have an impact

• Wanting to improve relationships or communication

• Feeling disconnected from yourself or others

These are all valid reasons to reach out. Therapy can be a space to slow down, reflect, and gain clarity, not just a place to manage problems.

“Is It Bad Enough?” Is Often the Wrong Question

A more helpful question might be: “Is this affecting my life in a way I’d like to change?”

If the answer is yes, then it’s worth considering support.

You don’t need to justify your experience or compare it to anyone else’s. What matters is how things are affecting you.

The Cost Question (and an Honest Reflection)

It’s important to acknowledge something that many people are already thinking: psychology can be expensive.

Even with Medicare rebates, there is often still an out-of-pocket cost, and for many people, that’s a real barrier.

But there’s another side to that question that’s worth sitting with:

If nothing changes, what does that cost you over time?

That might be:

• Ongoing stress and burnout

• Strain on relationships

• Reduced enjoyment in life

• Missed opportunities

• Continued physical symptoms or fatigue

Therapy isn’t just an expense it can be an investment in your wellbeing, your relationships, and your future.

Taking the First Step

Reaching out can feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re used to managing things on your own. That’s completely normal.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting. The first session is simply a place to begin to talk things through, gain some perspective, and explore what support might look like for you.

If You Need Immediate Support

If you are in crisis or need immediate support, it’s important to reach out to a service that can provide urgent care:

• Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7)

• Lifeline Online Chat — www.lifeline.org.au

• Emergency Services — 000

A Final Thought

You don’t have to wait until things feel unmanageable to seek support.

If something has been weighing on you, even quietly, that matters. And it’s okay to get help with it.

It can be incredibly difficult to watch someone you care about change.

Sometimes the shift is obvious. They seem overwhelmed, withdrawn or not coping in the way they usually would. Other times it’s more subtle. They might seem flatter, more irritable or just not quite themselves. You may not be able to point to one clear thing, but something feels off.

That feeling is often where support begins.

People don’t always say when they’re struggling. In fact, many become very good at hiding it. They might keep functioning on the outside while feeling exhausted, disconnected or overwhelmed underneath. Changes in sleep, energy, mood or engagement with others can all be quiet signals that something deeper is going on.

If you’re noticing these shifts, one of the most helpful things you can do is gently open the door to conversation.

This doesn’t need to be a big or perfectly timed moment. Often, a simple check-in is enough. Letting them know you’ve noticed something has changed and that you care can create a sense of safety. It’s less about saying the right thing and more about creating an opportunity for them to respond if they feel ready.

If they do begin to open up, your role is not to fix the problem. It’s to be present with them in it.

Listening can feel surprisingly difficult, especially when you care deeply. There can be a strong urge to offer advice, find solutions or try to make things better quickly. But what most people need first is to feel understood. Taking the time to really hear them, without rushing to respond, can be far more powerful than any immediate solution.

Well-intentioned advice can sometimes land in a way that feels dismissive, even when that’s not the intent. Slowing down and focusing on understanding their experience helps build trust and keeps the conversation open.

At some point, you may begin to wonder whether professional support could help. This can feel like a delicate step, and it often is. Gently introducing the idea of speaking with a psychologist can be useful, particularly if it’s framed as support rather than a solution. People are far more likely to consider help when they feel it’s their choice, not something being pushed onto them.

There may also be times where they are not ready to talk or seek help at all. This can be one of the more frustrating and harder parts of caring for someone. In these moments, it’s important to respect their autonomy while continuing to show that you are there. Consistent, low-pressure support often has a greater impact over time than a single intense conversation.

It’s also important to recognize the effect this can have on you. Supporting someone who is struggling can be emotionally taxing, particularly if you feel responsible for their wellbeing. You can care deeply without needing to carry everything. Looking after your own energy, boundaries, and support systems allows you to stay present in a sustainable way.

If at any point you become concerned about someone’s immediate safety, it’s important to seek additional support. In Australia, services like Lifeline (13 11 14) are available 24/7, and emergency services can be contacted on 000.

You don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference. Often, the most meaningful support comes from noticing, reaching out, and staying present. These small, consistent moments of connection can create the space someone needs to begin opening up, and in time, moving toward support.

If you’re concerned about someone in your life, or even noticing similar signs in yourself, speaking with a psychologist can help provide clarity and direction. You don’t need to wait until things become overwhelming before reaching out.