Clinically reviewed by Bülent Ada, BSc.(Psychol.)(Hons.), MAPS · Updated July 2025

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds a wide range of supports for Australians with disability — but navigating what it covers, and how to access it, can feel overwhelming.

Psychology is one of the supports that can be funded under the NDIS. For many participants, psychological support is central to building skills, managing mental health, and achieving the goals in their plan. Understanding how to access this funding is an important step in getting the support you need.

This article provides a practical overview. Please note that NDIS rules and pricing arrangements change periodically — always verify current details with your NDIS planner or support coordinator, or on the NDIS website (ndis.gov.au).

Does the NDIS Fund Psychology?

Yes — psychology can be funded through the NDIS, but it’s important to understand that NDIS funding for psychology is primarily aimed at building functional capacity, not at treating a primary mental health condition.

The key distinction: if you have a primary psychiatric disability (such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder as your primary NDIS-qualifying disability), you may access different funding pathways. For most NDIS participants, however, psychology is funded to help them build the skills and capacity to participate in daily life.

Which NDIS Support Category Covers Psychology?

Psychology services are most commonly funded under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living (Support Category 15). This category funds supports that help you build independence, skills, and capacity.

Under this category, a registered or approved NDIS provider psychologist can provide:

• Therapeutic support (individual therapy sessions)
• Assessment and report writing
• Behaviour support
• Functional capacity assessments
• Group-based therapeutic programmes

Some participants may also access psychology under Support Coordination (if their psychologist assists with coordinating supports) or Improved Relationships funding (where therapeutic work focuses specifically on relationships and social participation).

How Many Psychology Sessions Can the NDIS Fund?

There is no fixed number of psychology sessions per NDIS plan. The number of funded sessions depends on:

• Your individual goals as outlined in your NDIS plan
• The amount allocated to the Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living category in your plan
• Whether you are plan-managed, agency-managed, or self-managed (see below)

A typical initial allocation might fund somewhere between 10 and 40 sessions per year, depending on assessed need. If your needs are greater, your psychologist can write a progress report supporting a review or increased allocation.

What Reports Are Needed?

Psychologists play an important role in supporting NDIS participants through assessment and report writing. Common reports include:

Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) — a comprehensive assessment of how your disability affects your daily functioning, participation, and goals. This is often used at NDIS plan reviews or appeals to support funding requests.

Support Letters / Progress Reports — shorter documents updating the NDIS on your progress toward goals and your ongoing support needs.

Behaviour Support Assessments — for participants whose behaviour presents challenges to themselves or others, a behaviour support practitioner (who may be a psychologist) assesses the function of the behaviour and develops a positive behaviour support plan.

If you are seeking NDIS funding for psychology for the first time, your GP or psychiatrist may also need to provide supporting documentation outlining your diagnosis and functional impacts.

Plan Management: Agency, Plan-Managed, or Self-Managed?

How your NDIS plan is managed affects which providers you can access.

• Agency-managed (NDIA-managed): You can only use registered NDIS providers. Not all psychologists are NDIS-registered — ask when booking.
• Plan-managed: A registered plan manager handles invoicing. You can use both registered and unregistered providers.
• Self-managed: You manage your own funding and can use any provider. You pay directly and claim reimbursement through the myplace portal.

If flexibility of provider choice is important to you, raising this with your NDIS planner at your next plan meeting is worthwhile.

How to Access NDIS-Funded Psychology

Step 1: Check your plan

Look at your current plan budget under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living. If there is funding in this category, you can use it to engage a psychologist.

If there is no funding, or you feel your needs are not adequately covered, speak with your support coordinator or NDIS Local Area Coordinator (LAC) about requesting a plan review.

Step 2: Find a suitable psychologist

Contact psychologists in your area or via telehealth who work with NDIS participants. Check whether they are:

• NDIS-registered (required if you are agency-managed)
• Experienced in working with your specific disability or presentation
• Available for NDIS-funded sessions

Step 3: Initial appointment

Bring your NDIS plan details, including your plan number and the specific goals you want to work on. Your psychologist will want to understand your diagnosis, your goals, and what you hope psychological support will help you achieve.

Step 4: Service Agreement

You and your psychologist will typically sign a Service Agreement outlining the number and frequency of sessions, the type of support to be provided, the cost per session (at the NDIS pricing arrangement rate), and cancellation terms.

Step 5: Invoicing

Depending on your plan management, invoices are either submitted directly to the NDIA (agency-managed), to your plan manager, or claimed by you (self-managed).

NDIS and Medicare: Can You Use Both?

In general, NDIS funding and Medicare rebates are not used for the same service at the same time. NDIS participants are expected to access psychological support through their NDIS plan rather than through Medicare’s Better Access initiative — with some specific exceptions.

There are limited circumstances where both can be accessed, but this requires careful navigation. Your psychologist and GP can advise on your specific situation.

What to Bring to Your First NDIS Psychology Appointment

• Your NDIS plan (or the relevant sections)
• A list of your current NDIS goals
• Any previous psychological or psychiatric reports (if available)
• Information about your current support network
• A sense of what you’re hoping to work on or achieve

Getting More Help

• NDIS website: ndis.gov.au — current pricing, registered providers, and plan information
• NDIS National Call Centre: 1800 800 110
• Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA): dana.org.au — if you need advocacy support

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the NDIS fund psychology?

Yes, the NDIS can fund psychology, but primarily to build your functional capacity to participate in daily life rather than to treat a primary mental health condition. Funding is usually provided under Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living. Whether it appears in your plan depends on whether it is considered reasonable and necessary in relation to your disability support needs.

How many psychology sessions does the NDIS fund?

There is no fixed number of sessions. The amount depends on your individual goals, the funding allocated to the Improved Daily Living category, and how your plan is managed. A typical initial allocation might fund somewhere between 10 and 40 sessions a year, depending on assessed need. If your needs are greater, your psychologist can write a report supporting a review.

What is the difference between agency, plan and self-managed NDIS plans?

Agency-managed (NDIA-managed) plans can only use registered NDIS providers, and not all psychologists are registered. Plan-managed plans use a plan manager for invoicing and allow both registered and unregistered providers. Self-managed plans let you use any provider, paying directly and claiming reimbursement. If provider choice matters to you, raise it with your planner at your next plan meeting.

Can I use the NDIS and Medicare together for psychology?

Generally no. NDIS participants are expected to access psychological support through their NDIS plan rather than Medicare’s Better Access initiative, and the two are not usually used for the same service at the same time. There are limited exceptions that require careful navigation, so your psychologist and GP can advise on your specific situation.

What reports can a psychologist provide for the NDIS?

Psychologists commonly provide Functional Capacity Assessments, which detail how your disability affects daily functioning and goals, as well as shorter support letters or progress reports, and behaviour support assessments. These can support plan reviews, appeals or funding requests. If applying for the first time, your GP or psychiatrist may also need to provide documentation of diagnosis and functional impacts.

Related reading

• NDIS psychology services
• What a psychological assessment involves
• How much psychology costs

About the author: Bülent Ada is the Principal Psychologist and Founding Director of Mind Health Associates in Parramatta, Sydney. Mind Health Associates works with NDIS participants across a range of presentations. Learn more about Bülent.

This article is for informational purposes only. NDIS rules and pricing arrangements change. Please verify current information on ndis.gov.au or with your NDIS planner.

Questions about NDIS-funded psychology? Contact Mind Health Associates to discuss your situation and how we may be able to support you.