If you’re looking for professional help to work through your own mental health journey, your family doctor (GP) is a great place to start. 

They will be able to provide support themselves or help refer you to a specialist in the area. At any stage during a consultation with a health professional, feel free to ask them to clarify a point they have made or ask for a longer consultation for the next appointment. 

• All of the information that you provide to your doctor is considered confidential.
• Unless you later agree to it, the discussion you have with a health professional will remain private.
• This can give you peace of mind to open up about how you’re feeling and understand the coping strategies to support it. 

Once you have seen your doctor about any of your mental health concerns, they may refer you to gain additional support from a psychologist. If you have been concerned about your mental health, be clear with your doctor that you would like to access additional support through a mental health care plan. 

If your doctor has discussed and assessed you to have a mental health condition, you will be referred on to see a psychologist who specialises in this space. They can help navigate issues that you face in life.

A mental health treatment plan lets you claim up to 10 sessions with a mental health professional each calendar year.  

If you are someone who lives in a rural or regional area discussing your mental health with a doctor or psychologist is now made easier via telehealth video consultations. You can still claim these telehealth sessions through the same mental health treatment plan process. 

See Mental Health in Australia- Accessing services for more information.