Both psychotherapists and psychologists provide talk therapy - the difference comes down to training pathway, regulation, and how you access them.
Psychologists are registered with AHPRA and, with a GP-issued Mental Health Care Plan, can offer Medicare-rebated sessions (typically part of an annual 10-session cap). This can make sessions cheaper out-of-pocket, but it usually means a GP visit first, a documented diagnosis, a capped number of sessions per year, and often a multi-week wait for an appointment.
Psychotherapists, like the practitioners at New Tide, are registered with PACFA, Australia's peak body for counselling and psychotherapy, and follow their own rigorous training, supervision, and ethical standards. Sessions aren't Medicare -rebated, but that trade-off comes with real advantages:
No GP referral or mental health care plan required - book directly, today.
No session cap - stay in therapy as long as it's useful to you, not as long as Medicare allows.
No formal diagnosis needed - you don't have to fit a clinical label to get support.
Faster access - skip the weeks-long waitlists common with rebated psychologists.
Transparent, flat pricing - $80 per 55-minute session, no surprise gaps
Many people come to New Tide because they've hit their Medicare session limit for the year, are on a psychologist waitlist and want support in the meantime, or simply want to start therapy without the paperwork. Others come because they've never needed a formal diagnosis to know they'd benefit from talking to someone.
If your concerns are complex, longstanding, or you think you may need a formal diagnosis or psychiatric input, a psychologist or GP referral may be the better starting point - and we're always happy to point you in the right direction if that's the case.