How to Get More GP Referrals as a Psychologist: A Practical Guide for Australian Practices

The short answer: GPs refer to psychologists they know, who have availability, who make it clear what their patient will pay, and who report back promptly. Introduce yourself to the GP practices near you with a one-page referral sheet (schemes you bill with no gap, issues you treat, availability, how to refer), keep them updated when your books open or close, and send short, useful reports. GPs also search directories when their usual psychologists are full, so a ClearAccess listing that shows your schemes and "accepting new clients" status is a second front door to the same referrers.

Part of our marketing series for Australian psychologists.

Why GP referrals matter so much

Most clients reach a psychologist through a GP. Under Medicare Better Access, a GP usually writes the Mental Health Treatment Plan. Under DVA, the client's usual GP writes the referral and renews it every treatment cycle of up to 12 sessions or a year. Many WorkCover, TAC and NDIS clients also arrive via their GP. Each GP who trusts you can send many clients over the years.

You already know how much a good referrer is worth. The question is how to become one GP's first thought.

What GPs want from a psychologist

Ask a GP and you'll usually hear the same four things:

1. Availability. "Can my patient be seen in the next few weeks?"
2. Cost clarity. "Will they pay anything?" A GP who refers a patient on a pension to someone who charges a gap rarely does it twice.
3. Fit. "Do you treat this?" PTSD, eating disorders, children, couples, and so on.
4. Communication. A brief letter after the first session and at the end of treatment, without having to chase it.

The one-page referral sheet

Keep it to a single page, and make it easy to scan:

• Your name, qualifications and AHPRA registration type (and any area of practice endorsement)
• Schemes you bill, and the cost to the patient for each: "Medicare – bulk billed for concession card holders"; "DVA – no gap"; "NDIS – self- and plan-managed"; "WorkCover Vic – no gap"
• Issues and groups you work with, and any you don't
• Telehealth availability
• Current wait time, and how to check it
• How to refer: fax or secure messaging details, email, and what to include
• A link to your profile, such as your ClearAccess listing, which always shows your current schemes and whether you're accepting new clients

Check the sheet against Ahpra's advertising rules: no testimonials, no claims you can't support. Our Ahpra checklist has the detail.

How to introduce yourself

• Start close. The five to ten GP practices within a few kilometres of your rooms.
• Ask the practice manager how they prefer to receive information: a drop-in, an email, a lunchtime talk, or a letter to each GP.
• Offer something useful: a short in-service on a topic GPs find hard (assessing PTSD in veterans, or what DVA's treatment cycle means for their referrals).
• Follow up with your referral sheet and a clear line: "I have availability for new DVA and bulk-billed Medicare clients in the next two weeks."

Reporting back keeps the referrals coming

• After the assessment: a short letter confirming you've seen the patient, your formulation, and the plan.
• At the end of a DVA treatment cycle: DVA requires an end-of-cycle report to the GP; make it useful, with progress against goals and whether you recommend another cycle.
• At the end of Medicare sessions: a summary and recommendations, so the GP can review the plan.

A GP who gets clear, timely letters from you will think of you first.

Tell referrers when your availability changes

Nothing erodes a referral relationship faster than a GP referring patients you can't see. When you're full, tell your referrers, and switch "accepting new clients" off on every listing. When you have space, tell them that too: it's the moment they're most likely to send someone.

Where ClearAccess fits

When a GP's usual psychologists are full, or a patient needs someone who bills a specific scheme with no gap, GPs and practice nurses search. Your ClearAccess profile shows your schemes, the issues you treat, telehealth, and whether you're accepting new clients, and leads with what the patient will pay, such as "$0 under Medicare, DVA or NDIS". Many psychologists put their profile link on their referral sheet and email signature, so referrers always see current details.

On a paid plan you can add an availability calendar and "Next available" in search results, which answers a GP's first question before they ask it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get GPs to refer to my psychology practice?

Introduce yourself to nearby GP practices with a one-page sheet listing the schemes you bill (and the cost to patients), the issues you treat, your availability and how to refer. Report back promptly after the first session and at the end of treatment, and tell referrers when your availability changes.

What should a psychologist include in a letter to a GP?

Your qualifications and registration type, the schemes you bill and the cost to patients, the issues you treat, telehealth availability, current wait time, how to refer, and a link to a profile that stays up to date.

Do DVA clients need a new GP referral?

Yes. A DVA referral to a psychologist covers a treatment cycle of up to 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first. The psychologist sends an end-of-cycle report to the GP, who can write a new referral if more treatment is needed.

Can GPs find psychologists who bulk bill or bill DVA on ClearAccess?

Yes. Anyone can search ClearAccess Psychology by postcode or telehealth and filter by scheme, issue, therapy approach, client group and language. Every profile shows which schemes the psychologist bills directly with no gap.

Give referrers a profile that's always current

Create your free listing and add the link to your referral sheet, or see what the paid plans add.