If you’ve landed here wondering what Rough Patch is and whether it might be right for you, this is the place to start. We’ll cover what we do, how we’re different from most counselling services, how the fees work, and how to get started.
What Is Rough Patch?
Rough Patch is an online counselling service available to anyone in Australia. We offer individual and couples counselling via telehealth, which means sessions happen over video call from wherever you are — your living room, your parked car or your lunch break.
We’re a social enterprise, which means we don’t receive any government funding and we’re structured around a social mission, not profit. That mission is simple: quality counselling should be available to people regardless of their income.
Who Are the Counsellors?
Rough Patch counsellors are qualified, experienced practitioners registered with Australia’s peak counselling bodies. They bring a range of specialisations and backgrounds, and they’re supported by an active Community of Practice, regular training, and clinical oversight.
This isn’t a platform where counsellors are left to figure it out alone. Rough Patch has a genuine organisational culture built around ethical, justice-oriented practice — meaning our counsellors are thinking not just about your presenting concerns, but about the broader context of your life.
How Is Rough Patch Different from Other Counselling Services?
Most private counselling in Australia costs between $150 and $300 per session. The Australian government only allows Medicare rebates to be available through psychologists, not counsellors, which means a lot of people are either paying full price or going without.
Rough Patch exists because we want to help alleviate that problem.
A few things set us apart:
We use a sliding scale fee model. Sessions are priced between $70 and $160 for individuals, and $80 to $170 for couples. You pay based on what you can genuinely afford — more on how that works below.
No GP referral required. You don’t need a Mental Health Care Plan, a diagnosis, or anyone’s permission to access support. You can book directly.
We’re fully online. Rough Patch operates via telehealth nationally. Whether you’re in Sydney, regional Queensland, or rural Western Australia, you can access the same service.
We’re not a corporate platform. Rough Patch is grassroots and community-driven. Our counsellors choose to work here because they believe in the mission.
How Does Sliding Scale Counselling Work?
Sliding scale means the fee for your session is based on your financial situation, not a fixed price that everyone pays regardless of income.
The idea comes from a straightforward belief: people who earn more can pay more, and people who earn less should pay less. This isn’t charity — it’s a structural response to the fact that mental health care in Australia is inaccessible for a significant portion of the population.
At Rough Patch, individual sessions are $70 to $160. Couples sessions are $80 to $170. When you enquire, you’ll have an honest conversation about where you sit on that scale with your counsellor. There’s no income verification process, no means testing, and no paperwork. We trust you to reflect honestly on what you can afford.
Do You Need a Referral or a Diagnosis?
No. Rough Patch is a self-referral service. You don’t need a GP, a Mental Health Care Plan, or a diagnosis of any kind to access counselling here.
This matters because a lot of people who need support don’t meet the threshold for a clinical diagnosis, or haven’t been to a GP, or simply don’t want to navigate that system to get help. Rough Patch is designed to be accessible at the point where you decide you need support — not after a series of gatekeeping steps.
What Can You Bring to Counselling at Rough Patch?
Counselling at Rough Patch isn’t limited to crisis or clinical presentations. People come with relationship difficulties, grief, work stress, identity questions, anxiety, depression, life transitions, family conflict, trauma, and everything in between.
If you’re unsure whether what you’re dealing with is “enough” to bring to counselling — it is.
How Do You Get Started?
Getting started is straightforward. You can enquire through the Rough Patch website, and you’ll be matched with a counsellor whose availability and approach fits your needs. From there, you’ll have an initial conversation to make sure it’s a good fit before committing to ongoing sessions.
A Note on What Rough Patch Is Not
Rough Patch is not a crisis service. If you’re in immediate distress, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Rough Patch also doesn’t offer bulk-billed psychology or psychiatric services. We are a counselling service, and our practitioners are counsellors — not psychologists or psychiatrists. If you’re unsure whether counselling or psychology is right for you, we’re happy to help you think that through.
Why “Rough Patch”
Because that’s often what brings people to counselling. Not necessarily a crisis, not necessarily a diagnosis. Just a rough patch — a stretch of life that feels hard to navigate alone.
The name reflects our belief that counselling doesn’t have to be reserved for the most acute moments. Support is useful at any point on that spectrum.
Rough Patch offers sliding scale online counselling to individuals and couples across Australia. To enquire about working with one of our counsellors, visit roughpatchcounselling.com.
