Getting a diagnosis

Plenty of people recognise themselves in something they’ve read and want to know how you find out officially. Therapy itself doesn’t require a diagnosis. Medicare Australia's public health insurance scheme. For mental health, it gives rebates on sessions with psychologists and some other professionals, usually through a Mental Health Treatment Plan. More in the jargon decoder does. Here’s what a diagnosis opens up, who can make one, what an assessment involves, and what to weigh up before deciding.

What a diagnosis is for

A Mental Health Treatment Plan A document your GP writes with you. It makes you eligible for a Medicare rebate on up to ten individual sessions a calendar year: six, then a review with your GP, then the remaining four. The plan itself isn't therapy. More in the jargon decoder . Your GP (general practitioner) For most people, where getting help starts. A GP can write a Mental Health Treatment Plan, prescribe medication and refer you on, and some are trained to deliver a small number of structured therapy sessions themselves. More in the jargon decoder has to diagnose a mental disorder to write one, and judge that you need a moderate level of support. How to get a Mental Health Treatment Plan covers how that works.
Medication. Only a doctor can prescribe medication, so that route runs through a GP or a Psychiatrist A medical doctor who has specialised in mental health. Psychiatrists can diagnose, prescribe and do therapy, though many spend most of their time on medication and diagnosis rather than weekly sessions. More in the jargon decoder . Therapy and medication covers what’s known about the two together.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme, and adjustments at work or study. These usually need something in writing from a health professional.
Some services. A few programs take Referral A letter from a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician that you need for the Medicare rebate. You can see a psychologist without one if you pay the full fee. More in the jargon decoder only for particular diagnoses.

Plenty of help needs none of that. A Counsellor Someone trained to help people talk through and work on difficulties. The title isn't protected in Australia, so it's worth checking a counsellor's training and registration. Medicare doesn't give a rebate for counsellors. More in the jargon decoder needs no referral and no diagnosis, and neither does a Psychologist Someone trained to assess mental health problems and treat them with therapy. It takes at least six years of study and supervised practice, and they're registered with Ahpra, the national regulator. Psychologists can't prescribe medication. More in the jargon decoder you pay in full. Nor do community health services, workplace programs or university clinics. Would I benefit from therapy? covers that question without a label attached.

You don’t need a diagnosis for your difficulties to count, or to get help with them.

Who can diagnose

A GP can diagnose some mental health conditions, write a Mental Health Treatment Plan, prescribe medication and refer you on (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists). For most people this is where it starts.
A psychologist can diagnose mental health conditions, using structured interviews and questionnaires. Psychologists aren’t medical doctors and don’t prescribe medication.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can diagnose, prescribe medication and treat. This is the usual place to go when the picture is complicated or medication is central. You need a GP referral, and waits can be long.
A counsellor or Psychotherapist Someone trained in therapy, often for longer-standing patterns. Like counsellor, the title isn't protected in Australia, and Medicare doesn't give a rebate for psychotherapists. More in the jargon decoder usually doesn’t diagnose. They work with what you bring rather than putting a name to it, and they’ll refer you on if a diagnosis is what you need.

Accredited Mental health social worker A social worker with an extra mental health accreditation. They're trained in therapy, and in the practical things around it, such as housing, money, family services and the systems people get stuck in. More in the jargon decoder and Mental health occupational therapist An occupational therapist with a mental health endorsement. Their focus is on daily life, such as getting back to work, study and routine, alongside the therapy itself. More in the jargon decoder also treat mental health conditions. Who does what sets out the differences between these professions.

What an assessment involves

There’s no blood test or scan for a mental health diagnosis. An assessment is built from a long conversation about what’s going on now and what it’s been like over time. It usually also involves questionnaires or rating scales, and sometimes information from people who know you well. It can take one appointment or several.

Filling in a questionnaire online isn’t a diagnosis. If an online questionnaire seems to describe you, that’s a fair reason to ask your GP if it might make sense to conduct a more formal assessment.

Diagnoses change, too. A second opinion is a reasonable thing to ask for, and clinicians expect to be asked.

When it’s harder to get

For some conditions, an assessment is a bigger undertaking. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism are the usual examples. Researchers posing as patients found waits of up to a year and assessment costs well over a thousand dollars (University of Wollongong, 2026).

Who can assess, and who can prescribe medication afterwards, also differs between states and is changing. Your GP is the place to check what applies where you live.

If the cost is the obstacle, free and low-cost options covers university clinics and community services.

If you’re weighing it up

A diagnosis is a description clinicians use to talk to each other, to decide treatment, and to open the doors above. It describes a pattern, not a person. It also doesn’t tell you which therapy will suit you, since two people with the same diagnosis often need different things.

Insurance is one place where a diagnosis can matter. When you apply for life, income protection or total and permanent disability cover, you have to take reasonable care not to misrepresent your health. That includes mental health history. Insurers may respond with a higher premium, an exclusion, or a decision not to offer cover, and the law gives them some room to do that.

Not having a diagnosis doesn’t mean there’s nothing to disclose, though. Symptoms, counselling and medication can all be relevant, so putting off an assessment doesn’t settle the question. If you hold cover already, or you’re thinking of applying, it’s worth checking your own policy before you decide anything.

For a young person

For a young person, the place to start is a GP, who can refer to someone who assesses young people.

If things are difficult right now, Lifeline is on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service is on 1300 659 467, and Kids Helpline is on 1800 55 1800 for anyone aged 5 to 25. In an emergency, call 000. Crisis and emergency support has the full list.

Where next

Finding a therapist covers where to look, and what to ask once you’ve found someone.