What If I Can’t Afford Therapy?

If you can’t afford therapy, there are still options for you.

Hello there – I’m Rachel, one of the Rough Patch counsellors. Strap in for a long blog post, as I’ve gathered some info and options for seeking free counselling. This is just a snapshot of the services currently on offer in Australia (with a focus on NSW) – there’s more out there! Stay tuned for the next blog post about solo practices to explore if you can’t afford therapy.

 

It is our hope at Rough Patch that every person who wishes to access mental health and wellbeing support is able to find some kind of support that fits their needs. We know, however, that finding the right support for you isn’t always easy. One barrier to accessing care is finances. Rough Patch offers a wide sliding scale to offer counselling to folks who may not be able to access full-fee private therapies, but if you are in a spot where paying for therapy is not possible, then where can you go for support?

 

This blog aims to offer some starting places for seeking free or very-low-cost counselling, peer support and mental health care. In Australia, we also have several crisis lines for immediate or out-of-hours support.

 

Crisis lines for immediate support

 

Check if your workplace or school offers counselling

EAP stands for ‘Employee Assistance Program’. As an employee, your workplace may have already made arrangements with an EAP provider to support a limited number of free counselling sessions for their staff. Each workplace EAP arrangement will be different – some are flexible, some have a solution-focus, some have options to continue with your counsellor as a private client after you’ve completed the funded sessions.

 

If you’re a high school, TAFE, college or University student – check in to see if your school offers counselling and wellbeing support. This may mean looking through your school’s website, or reaching out to a wellbeing officer or reception staff to ask about how to arrange a session.

 

Learn about phone and webchat options

Several services in Australia operate phone lines where the public can call to receive supportive care over the phone. One example is Kids Helpline, a 24/7 helpline for kids and young adults (up to 25 years of age) where you can call for FREE (yes, even from a mobile) and speak to a confidential, supportive counsellor. If you’d like to call again and speak with the same counsellor, that’s possible! Just let them know and they can help you figure that out.

Another example is Carers Gateway, where the phone counselling service operates from 8am-6pm on weekdays.If you give Carer’s Gateway a call, they can also check if they offer one-to-one counselling or group counselling in your area.

 

Research free services

Across Australia, there are organisations that provide counselling services at no cost. Sometimes these services offer short-term counselling, or counselling focused on a particular issue. There may be eligibility requirements such as age, gender, location and household income. Free counselling services sometimes have a waitlist, and may have a cap on the number of sessions you can have. If you’re interested, it’s best to reach out ASAP and ask about how long current wait times to begin counselling might be.

Here are some options amongst many:

• Head to Health is an Australia-wide federally funded service that can match you to free supports in your area or online. Start by taking the quiz on their website, and they’ll suggest options that might include enrolling in an online CBT program with support from a virtual therapist, or visiting one of the Head to Health mental health centres.
• ACON offers free counselling support for folks living with HIV, and LGBTQIA+ folks seeking support with substances (drugs, alcohol).
• SANE Australia offers a 14 week guided service program for complex mental health, combining counselling, peer support and mental health recovery groups – this program is location-based, so check their website to see if you are eligible.
• Headspace offers bulk-billed psychology sessions to young people aged up to 25 years old at centres across Australia. Headspace also runs a fantastic support program called ‘Work and Study Support‘, and some centres offer support for early psychosis.
• Organisations such as Women’s Centres in NSW offer free counselling, and many have expertise in working with Family and Domestic Violence.
• If you have been the victim of a crime and are a NSW resident, you may be eligible for services and redress payments via the Victims Support Scheme.
• Butterfly Foundation offers free online support groups and programs for people recovering from eating disorders and their carers.

 

Bulk-billing psychology via Medicare

In Australia, if you qualify for Medicare then you can speak to a General Practitioner (GP) about accessing rebated sessions with a psychologist or Mental Health Social Worker through the ‘Better Help Access Scheme’ – commonly referred to as getting a ‘Mental Health Care Plan‘. This gives you access to up to 6 psychology sessions in a calendar year, then after a review with your GP you may be eligible for a further 4 sessions. Most psychologists will charge a session fee that is higher than the rebate amount, so you will end up paying a ‘gap fee’ out of pocket. If you are able to work with a bulk-billing psychologist, then there is no gap fee and no costs to you.

• If seeing a psychologist is your preferred avenue for mental health and wellbeing support, then your next steps are to see a GP for a Mental Health Care Plan, and to find a bulk-billing psychologist with availability.
• If you live in an eligible area, your local PHN (Primary Health Network) may offer a PSS (Psychological Support Scheme), for mild-to-moderate mental health concerns that could benefit from time-limited psychology sessions. For example, the Central and Eastern Sydney PSS accepts GP referrals and arranges bulk-billed psychology through Lilly Pilly Counselling. Several other mental health services operate through the Central and Eastern Sydney PNH – check them out here.

 

 

Get support from a peer worker

Peer support involves people supporting one another based on shared experiences of mental health challenges – read more about peer support here.

Some peer support options:

• Reach Out offers text-based chat with peer workers for folks aged 18-25.
• SANE Australia offers free weekly group chats (online) with peer support. 
• ACON runs a peer work program focused on suicide prevention and Trans mental health and wellbeing.

 

Free online mental health supports

Online programs such as MoodGym receive funding to offer free online mental health programs. These usually utilise a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) framework to promote wellbeing. These courses combine educational videos, quizzes and reflective prompts to promote wellbeing and behaviour change.

• Bite Back (for young people ared 13-16, from Black Dog Institute)
• MindSpot (from Macquarie University)
• eCentreClinic (from Macquarie University)
• Mental Health Online (from Swinburne University)
• This Way Up (from St Vincent’s and UNSW, free if prescribed by a GP or therapist)
• MyCompass (from Black Dog Institute)

If you’d like help finding a service that works for you, Rough Patch offers a single-session referral service, where you can meet with a Rough Patch counsellor who will help you navigate these options. Your first session with a Rough Patch counsellor is a flat fee of $70 – the lowest fee on our sliding scale.

You can learn more about it here.

You can connect with a counsellor here.

 

Phew, that’s a lot of options to explore – and understandably might feel overwhelming. No matter what your mental health concern is, or your current situation, you are deserving of care. Pick an option that feels like it *might* be a good fit for you, and just start there. If it turns out that the service isn’t a match for you, come back to this list and find the next thing that sounds OK and give them a go. Hopefully along the way you’ll get some supportive nudges towards other good options for you.