Fees and Rebates
How Fees Work at SHIPS
SHIPS fees are set to support safe, ethical, and high-quality sexual health psychology care.
This includes responsive administrative support and the people and infrastructure required to make your care possible. Our practitioners undertake extensive training, regular supervision, and ongoing professional development to meet the clinical demands of this work and to support our community with care and integrity.
What is a sexual health psychologist?
A Sexual Health Psychologist is registered with AHPRA as a psychologist or clinical psychologist and trained by the Institute of Sexual Health Psychology Australia (ISHPA) to support intimacy, relationships, gender, trauma and related areas. This means that :
They have received a minimum of 6 years training as a psychologist
Have ethical and legal requirements for your care a safety
Additional clinical skills, supervision, and ongoing professional development in sexual health psychology
A sexual health relationship therapist has received specific relationship therapy training.
Fees & Rebates
Individual Therapy
Effective 1 January 2026
| Title | Fee | Medicare Rebate* | Out-of-Pocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerging Sexual Health Psychologist | $260 | $98.95 | ~$161.05 |
| Established Sexual Health Psychologist (General registration) | $280 | $98.95 | ~$181.05 |
| Established Sexual Health Clinical Psychologist | $300 | $145.25 | ~$154.75 |
| Experienced Sexual Health Psychologist (General or Clinical registration) | $310 | Gen: $98.95 / Clin: $145.25 | ~$211.05 / Clin: $164.75 |
| Senior Sexual Health Psychologist (General or Clinical registration) | $320 | Gen: $98.95 / Clin: $145.25 | ~$221.05 / Clin: $174.75 |
Relationship Therapy (2+ People)
| Practitioner Type | Fee | Medicare Rebate |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Health Relationship Therapist | $330 | Not eligible |
| Sexual Health Relationship Psychologist | $350 | Not eligible |
Important information
After-hours appointments (from 5:00 pm) incur a 10% surcharge.
From 1 January 2026, all card payments (EFTPOS, debit, Mastercard, Visa) include a surcharge of up to 1.5%. There is no surcharge for cash payments.
Your fee may increase annually as part of SHIPS’ standard fee review.
Rebate Eligibility
* If you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate for individual therapy. Medicare rebates do not apply to relationship therapy sessions. For more information about MHCPs and how rebates work, please see the Mental Health Care Plan Information section below.
Information and advise on recommended fees for psychologists
Australia’s leading psychology membership bodies - the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. (AAPi) - publish recommended fee schedules for psychological services.
As of 2025, the APS recommended fee is $318, and the AAPi recommended fee is $330.
What is the difference between Emerging, Established, Experienced and Senior practitioners?
All SHIPS practitioners receive extensive support, supervision, and training by ISHPA. Emerging practitioners are registered psychologists, in the early stages of completing ISHPA training. Established, experienced and senior practitioners have completed ISHPA training and have progressively more experience in sexual health psychology. All clients receive an ethical, appropriate, and high-quality standard of care. These titles help us to be transparent about practitioners' levels of experience.
Funding & Reduced-Fee Options
At this time, we do not have the capacity to offer reduced-fee or bulk-billed appointments to new referrals; this includes third-party funded sessions (Worksafe, TAC, NDIA-managed or NDIS plan-managed). If you have any questions, please contact our administration team at info@shipspsychology.com.au or access our list of alternative services here.
Mental Heath Care Plan Information
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A mental health care plan (MHCP) is a support plan for someone to address mental health concerns.
Your GP prepares a MHCP with you in an appointment with treatment recommendations - this can include attending sessions with a psychologist.
Medicare (the government) funds a ‘rebate’ for psychology sessions. When you receive a MHCP you are eligible for a rebate.
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You need a MHCP to be eligible for rebate. Your MHCP will specify the number of sessions you will be able to receive a rebate for.
Once you have paid for and attended a session with a psychologist, you can then submit a request to Medicare for a rebate.
At SHIPS, we submit the request on your behalf.
Rebates are paid (by Medicare) into your nominated bank account.
This mean you will pay fee to SHIPS for the session, receive a rebate from Medicare, and you will only be ‘out of pocket’ for the difference between the full fee and the rebate (For example if the session is $260, and your receive a rebate for $98.95, the out of pocket fee will be $161.0).
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If your GP recommends psychological treatment, you can be eligible for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
The initial MHCP usually recommends 6 sessions (sometimes the GP will specify 10 total, however you will only be able to access a maximum of 6 at a time).
After you have completed 6 sessions, your psychologist will write a letter to the GP recommending additional sessions (if this is what is appropriate).
You can then attend another appointment with your GP to receive this treatment review.
The additional review usually recommends 4 further sessions.
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You can pay the full fee and not receive a rebate.
You can discuss a General Practitioner Management Plan (GPMP), Team Care Arrangement (TCA) with your GP which may give you access to additional rebated sessions.
Cancellation Policy
When you book an appointment, your practitioner sets aside the full hour just for you. We understand that life can be unpredictable, and we do our best to be flexible — while also ensuring others on our waiting list have the opportunity to access support.
Here’s how our cancellation policy works:
More than 48 hours’ notice: No charge
Between 24–48 hours’ notice: $100 fee
Less than 24 hours’ notice: 80% of the full session fee
Non-attendance (no notice): Full session fee applies
Thank you for your understanding and for helping us offer timely care to everyone who needs it. If you’re unsure about your ability to attend, please let us know as soon as possible — we’re here to support you.