Melbourne’s low- and no-cost mental health services

If you’re going through a difficult circumstance, or consistently feel that your mood is down and your mental health isn’t in its best shape, it can often feel like you’re alone, or that it would be too hard or too expensive to access professional help.

Finding mental health services in your area might feel daunting, especially if your difficult circumstances are compounded or caused by financial issues and the costs of private care are outside your current budget – but there are low-cost options available. 

Medicare rebates for mental health services

Accessing mental health care in Australia isn’t as inaccessible as you might think. If you’re eligible for Medicare’s “Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative”, you become eligible to receive a rebate between $93.35 and $137.05 for 10 individual sessions and 10 group treatment sessions per year.

To become eligible for the initiative, you have to be deemed eligible by your GP, who will then give you a Mental Health Treatment Plan that you use to claim your rebate.

Ten sessions average out to less than one a month, if you’re using them consistently. That means that these rebated sessions might be more useful if you use them more frequently during emergency periods, or temporary times of life when things are particularly hard. Alternatively, meeting with a therapist once every five weeks could be a positive consistency if you’re just feeling generally down and need non-emergency care.

During COVID, these 10 rebated sessions were increased to 20, but those measures were temporary and have unfortunately been scaled back.

Additionally, most psychology sessions will cost more than the rebated amount, meaning that there will be some out-of-pocket costs. However, some professionals will do bulk-billed treatment, meaning that if you are eligible under certain parameters (e.g., you’re a carer, or you hold a Health Care Card), then your sessions could also be free.

At the end of the day, as anyone with a Graduate Diploma in Psychology will understand, accessing mental health care when you need it is so important, and often overlooked due to a sense of difficulty or barriers. While the Australian system isn’t perfect, there is support in place, and together with your GP, you can sort out your options and consider where the next best move is for your individual needs.

Search for a bulk-billed psychologist

While your GP can help you with this too, searching for a bulk-billed psychologist in a Melbourne area accessible to you will be your best option for affordable mental health care, as it essentially allows you up to 10 free sessions per calendar year, no out-of-pocket cost.

You search directories like Psychology Today, or use a matching service like My Mirror, where you are matched directly with a psychologist who matches your needs and also accepts bulk billing. 

Explore services outside of psychological therapy

There are a range of services, many of them non-profit organisations, in inner Melbourne that provide care in various forms for people who need it most, especially those in immediate or temporary need. Many of these services are low-cost or free healthcare providers and can help you out depending on your specific needs.

Berry Street

Berry Street is one of the largest family care organisations in the country and provides care to more than 35,000 people every year, including children, parents, young people and families.

The organisation has a strong focus on family support, including people suffering from domestic violence, people who have suffered traumatic family situations, children who need foster parents or access to education, and more. 

Cohealth

Cohealth offers free general individual counselling to those who live in the Cities of Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Moonee Valley & Yarra, provided you hold a Health Care Card, or qualify as a low-income to medium-income earner.

The organisation also offers free counselling of other types including relationship counselling, parent and family counselling, and counselling for people experiencing domestic violence. All of these services are accessible to people who live in varying locations of Melbourne, typically Maribyrnong and Yarra.

Drummond Street Services

Drummond Street Services is a not-for-profit community organisation that offers support services of all different kinds for varying members of the community, from abuse and trauma survivors, to young people, to parents, to marginalised communities such as LGBTQIA+ people and asylum seekers.

For example, Drummond Street Services has established a “Queerspace”, an “LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing support service established in 2009 by LGBTIQ+ communities for LGBTIQ+ communities”.

At Queerspace, you can access free counselling, and support services with other peers, as well as professional development and training for other organisations and professionals who want to work with LGBTIQ+ people and their families.

Many of these programs focus on connecting queer people with other queer people, building strong support networks, and making sure that everyone feels that they have a home and a safe space where they belong and feel welcome.

Headspace

Headspace is an initiative funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and is focussed specifically on providing mental health services for young people between the ages of 12 and 25.

The organisation provides support specifically for issues that young people face, including anxiety or depression around study and work, or things like dealing with social media and body-image issues, something that disproportionately affects young people.

For example, Headspace offers free online counselling with a Headspace clinician, 9am to 1am, seven days a week. Plus, the organisation focuses on connecting young people, especially vulnerable and isolated groups, with other young people, to build support networks and safe spaces for discussion, conversation and fulfilling social connection.

Beyond counselling support, Headspace also offers career mentoring, to help young people who are looking to find a job or make decisions about what career to take as they step into the next chapter of their life.

To sum up

Reaching out for mental health support can feel intimidating, but you’re not alone – and help is often more accessible than you might think. Whether you qualify for Medicare rebates, need a bulk-billed psychologist, or want to connect with community organizations like Berry Street, cohealth, Drummond Street Services, or Headspace, there are options in Melbourne that fit a range of budgets and needs. If you’re unsure where to start, talking to a GP you trust can be a great first step.

By seeking help, you’re not only taking care of your own well-being – you’re also helping to break the stigma around mental health and letting others know they don’t have to face their challenges alone.