Therapy when you’re under 18

You don’t have to wait until you’re 18 to talk to someone about how you’re going. If a parent, carer or another adult you trust can help, they can make a lot of it easier. If you’d rather start on your own, several places will talk to you without a 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 , and some without a parent there. This page covers both, along with what it costs, how 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 works when you’re under 18, and how to check what stays private before you share any details.

If you’re not safe right now

If someone is hurting you, or you don’t feel safe at home, you can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 any time, and you don’t have to give your name. In an emergency, call 000.

If a parent or carer can help

If there’s a parent, carer or another adult you feel comfortable asking for help, telling them what’s going on can make the practical side easier. They can:

Help you work out where to start, and make the call or booking for you.
Come with you to a 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 or a first appointment.
Help with the cost, and with getting 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 if you need one.

Even if a parent comes with you, you can ask for some time on your own with the GP or therapist. headspace A national youth mental health service for anyone aged 12 to 25, with centres around Australia and support online and by phone. It's free or close to it, you don't need a referral or a parent, and you can book it yourself. More in the jargon decoder also helps parents and carers who are supporting someone aged 12 to 25.

Places you can start

Kids Helpline. Free phone and online counselling for anyone aged 5 to 25, any time of day or night. You can call 1800 55 1800 or use web chat on their website. You don’t have to give your name, and calls from mobiles are free. Kids Helpline says it won’t tell anyone what you say. The only exception it gives is if you or someone else is in danger of serious harm, or if the law requires them to share information. It usually doesn’t show up on a phone bill, but Kids Helpline says it can’t promise that.
headspace. headspace is free or close to it for anyone aged 12 to 25. You don’t need a referral, you don’t have to bring a parent, and you can book it yourself. headspace and services for 12 to 25s covers what it offers and what happens when you go.
Your school. If your school has 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 or school 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 , they’re one place to start, and you can ask them what they keep private before you tell them anything.
A GP. You can ask to see the GP on your own, for some or all of the appointment. A GP can do a Mental Health Treatment Plan for you, the same plan adults use. It gives a Rebate The amount Medicare pays back towards a session. It comes back to you after you've paid, so what you pay yourself is the fee minus the rebate. More in the jargon decoder on sessions with a psychologist and some other professionals. How to get a Mental Health Treatment Plan explains the steps. Ask the practice whether it bulk bills. If a Paediatrician A medical specialist in children's and young people's health. If you already see one, they can refer you directly for rebated sessions with a psychologist, without a GP plan. More in the jargon decoder already sees you, they can refer you to a psychologist directly, without a GP plan.
A psychologist or counsellor directly. You can contact a practice yourself and book an appointment. Seeing a psychologist without a Mental Health Treatment Plan means paying the full fee. Who does what explains the difference between them, and free and low-cost options has other places to look.

When you’re ready to get in touch with a service, what to say when you book has words you can use on the phone or in a message.

Your own Medicare card

If you’re getting help on your own, it’s worth knowing what a parent can see. From 15, you can get your own Medicare card. It’s free. You can apply through myGov or the Express Plus Medicare app. If you can’t do it online, there’s a paper form, or you can go to a Services Australia service centre. The card arrives in about three to four weeks, and you can use a digital copy straight away.

What a parent can see depends on your age and whose card you’re on:

If you’re on a parent’s Medicare card, they can see in their Medicare account that you’ve had an appointment. They can’t see why, or what you talked about.
Once you turn 14, your parent can’t see your Medicare claims online any more.
Your own card from 15 keeps your appointments in your own account.

Medicare is only one way a parent could find out about an appointment, so don’t rely on it alone.

Asking about privacy before you start

Whether a GP, psychologist or counsellor will see you without a parent’s agreement varies. Ask when you book, before you give any details. You can ask any service, before you say anything else, what stays private and when they’d have to tell someone.

It’s fine to ask these questions on the phone or by message before you give your name. Services that work with young people are used to being asked.

Can I see someone without my parents knowing? goes through when a professional might have to tell someone, and other ways a parent might find out.

If you start on your own and later want a parent, carer or another adult you trust involved, a service can help you work out how to bring them in.

If it doesn’t feel right

How you get on with the person you see matters a lot, whatever Approach (modality) The kind of therapy someone uses, such as CBT or psychodynamic therapy. You'll also see it called a modality. More in the jargon decoder they use. If you feel misunderstood, judged or uneasy after a session, you don’t have to keep going back to that person. You can ask to see someone else, or look for a different service. Why who you see matters more than what they do explains why the fit matters so much.

Kids Helpline is on 1800 55 1800, any time, for anyone aged 5 to 25. Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and, if you’re 15 or over, the Suicide Call Back Service is on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000. Crisis and emergency support has the full list.