How to Get More Bulk-Billing and Scheme Clients: A Guide for Australian Psychologists
Practical marketing for Australian psychology practices: reaching clients who need Medicare bulk billing, DVA, NDIS, WorkCover or TAC with no gap, which directories to list in, and what Ahpra allows.
By ClearAccess Psychology · 12 October 2026
The short answer: people who cannot pay a gap fee are already looking for a psychologist, but most places they search do not let them filter for "I will pay nothing". To reach them, make your billing unmistakable everywhere you appear (your own website, your Google Business Profile, every directory), stay in touch with the GPs and case managers who refer under each scheme, and be listed where those clients search by scheme. ClearAccess Psychology is a directory built for that one search, and listing is free for a limited time.
This guide is for psychologists and practice managers in Australia. It covers who is searching, which directories are worth your time, how listing with us works and what it costs, how our search ranks results, and the marketing that works whether you list with us or not.
Who is looking for a gap-free psychologist?
Your best-fit clients are people whose sessions are fully paid by a scheme, as long as they find a psychologist who bills that scheme directly with no gap. They include:
- Medicare clients with a Mental Health Treatment Plan who need you to bulk bill, because any gap at all means they will not book.
- Veterans and families with a DVA card, including people using Non-Liability Health Care.
- NDIS participants with psychology funded in their plan.
- Workers with an accepted WorkCover claim in any state or territory, and Commonwealth employees under Comcare.
- People injured in a transport accident, such as TAC clients in Victoria and CTP claimants in other states.
These clients search differently. They start with "who will bill my scheme with nothing to pay", then narrow by location, issue and fit. On ClearAccess Psychology a client enters a postcode (or chooses telehealth), selects their scheme, and can narrow by issue, therapy approach, client group and language. Each profile leads with what the client will pay, for example "$0 under Medicare, DVA or NDIS". A scheme you bill with conditions (say, bulk billing for concession card holders only) is shown as "conditions apply" with your note, never in the plain $0 line.
Which directories should an Australian psychology practice be listed in?
No single listing does everything. A sensible mix for most practices:
| Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Most local "psychologist near me" searches end on Google Maps. It is free, and the most important single listing you have. |
| Your professional association's directory (APS, AAPi), if you are a member | Trusted by GPs and by clients who know the associations. |
| General therapy directories | Broad reach. Fee and billing details are usually free text, so clients cannot reliably filter for "no gap". |
| Scheme provider registers, where they apply (for example the NDIS provider finder for registered NDIS providers) | Used by participants, plan managers and support coordinators. |
| ClearAccess Psychology | Built for clients who must pay nothing. Every listing names the schemes it bills directly, and clients filter by scheme first. |
As far as we know, ClearAccess Psychology is the only Australian directory that lists psychologists from many independent practices and lets clients filter by scheme across Medicare, DVA, NDIS, WorkCover, transport accident schemes and Comcare, showing only psychologists who bill that scheme directly.
How does listing on ClearAccess Psychology work?
- Create your listing at clearaccesspsychology.com.au/for-psychologists/signup. You need your name, practice name, AHPRA registration number and type, and an email address. It takes a few minutes.
- Add your schemes, issues and location from your dashboard. For each scheme you choose "no gap" or "conditions apply" with a short note. Then add your bio, photo, languages, therapy approaches, client groups and whether you offer telehealth.
- We check your AHPRA registration on the public register before your profile appears anywhere, on every plan.
- On the free plan, add our badge to your website (see below). Paid plans skip this step.
- Clients send inquiries through the form on your profile, and we email you each one. We ask that you reply within 5 business days.
We are a directory and referral service, not a booking platform. We take no commission and no referral fee on any booking. You keep 100% of your session fees.
What does the free listing include, and how long will it last?
Free listings are a limited-time offer. We may stop accepting new free listings at any time, but a free listing you already have stays free for as long as our badge stays on your website.
The free plan includes:
- A public profile with your photo, bio and services, and your scheme badges
- Client inquiries: we email you the client's name and message, and their contact details are in your dashboard
- An "accepting new clients" switch, languages and telehealth
- One practice location
- A Statistics tab showing how often you appeared in search, profile views, inquiries, and the postcodes and schemes clients searched for
The badge condition. Your dashboard gives you a small "As Seen On ClearAccess Psychology" badge to paste onto a page of your own website. It links to your profile. To count, the page must be on your practice's own domain (the domain of your website or your email address) and reachable from your homepage, and the link must be an ordinary followed link: not marked "nofollow", and not on a page hidden from search engines. We check it automatically each night. If three nightly checks in a row fail, your listing is paused and we email you the reason and the fix. It comes back as soon as the badge does.
Why a badge instead of a fee? That followed link helps your profile, and the directory as a whole, rank in search, which is what brings clients to everyone listed. The link is what keeps the free plan free.
What do the paid plans add?
| Essential | Growth | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.95 a month or $299.50 a year | $79.95 a month or $799.50 a year |
| Badge needed | No | No |
| Client's email, phone and postcode in every inquiry email, so you can reply from your inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Availability calendar and booking link on your profile | Yes | Yes |
| "Next available" shown in search results | Yes | Yes |
| Set your own working hours | Yes | Yes |
| Shown ahead of free listings a similar distance away | Yes | Yes |
| Shown ahead of Essential listings a similar distance away | No | Yes |
| Your phone, booking email and booking link released to a client once they send an inquiry | No | Yes |
| Lunch break blocking | No | Yes |
| Practice locations | Up to 2 | Up to 3 |
Prices are in Australian dollars, and a year costs the same as ten months. You can change plan, update your card or cancel from the Billing tab in your dashboard, and changes are pro-rated.
How does ClearAccess rank search results?
Distance comes first. Your plan only breaks ties.
Results are grouped into distance bands: 1 km bands within 5 km of the client, 2.5 km bands from 5 to 15 km, and 5 km bands beyond that. A psychologist in a closer band always appears above one in a further band, whatever either of them pays. Within the same band, Growth listings come first, then Essential, then free. Listings on the same plan in the same band are shuffled daily, so nobody sits permanently on top.
A paid listing is never shown above someone genuinely closer to the client. In telehealth searches, where distance does not apply, the plan order and the daily shuffle decide. Clients can also sort by name, or by next available appointment.
Marketing that works whether or not you list with us
Make your fees and billing impossible to miss
The most useful page on a practice website is a plain fees page. For each scheme, say whether you bill it directly, whether there is any out-of-pocket cost, and any conditions (concession card holders only, the first session excepted, a cap on bulk-billed places). Link to it from your homepage. Clients who cannot pay a gap look for this before anything else, and GPs refer with more confidence when they know what their patient will pay. Ahpra's advertising guidelines expect any price information you publish to be clear and not misleading, including its conditions.
Set up your Google Business Profile properly
- Choose "Psychologist" as the primary category.
- Use your real practice name. Google's guidelines do not allow extra keywords such as "bulk billing" in the business name, so put them in the description and services instead.
- Add your opening hours, telehealth availability and a link to your fees page.
- Keep it current when your hours, location or availability change.
Keep your name, address and phone number consistent
Search engines cross-check your practice details across the web. Use the same practice name, address and phone number on your website, your Google Business Profile and every directory listing, including ours. When you move or change number, update them all at once.
Build relationships with GPs and other referrers
Most Medicare clients reach you through a GP's Mental Health Treatment Plan, and many scheme clients through a case manager, support coordinator or rehabilitation provider. A short introduction to local GP practices, with a one-page sheet listing the schemes you bill with no gap, your areas of work and how to refer, goes a long way. Tell referrers promptly when your books open or close. Answering referrals quickly is the best marketing of all.
Reviews and testimonials: what Ahpra's rules mean
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law prohibits using testimonials in advertising a regulated health service, and Ahpra's Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service explain how this applies. In practice that means not quoting client feedback about clinical care on your website, social media or ads, and being careful about inviting reviews. Ahpra also explains when you are, and are not, responsible for reviews on sites you do not control. Read the guidance on Ahpra's advertising hub, and take professional advice if you are unsure. Nothing here is legal advice.
ClearAccess profiles do not carry client reviews or ratings.
Respond to inquiries quickly
Someone who has finally decided to see a psychologist often contacts several at once, and the first warm reply usually wins. If your books are full, say so, and switch "accepting new clients" off on every listing so nobody waits on you.
Track where clients come from
Ask new clients how they found you, and note it. On ClearAccess, your dashboard statistics show the postcodes and schemes clients searched when you appeared. Over a few months you will see which listings and referrers are worth your time.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a directory for psychologists who bulk bill or bill DVA, NDIS, WorkCover or TAC directly?
Yes. ClearAccess Psychology lists Australian psychologists who bill a client's scheme directly with no gap: Medicare bulk billing, DVA, NDIS, WorkCover in every state and territory, transport accident schemes including TAC, and Comcare. Clients search by postcode or telehealth and filter by scheme.
How much does it cost to list my psychology practice on ClearAccess?
The free plan costs nothing while our badge stays on your website, and is a limited-time offer. Essential is $29.95 a month and Growth is $79.95 a month, and a year of either costs the same as ten months. There is no commission on bookings.
How do I get more bulk-billing clients?
Say clearly on your website, Google Business Profile and directory listings that you bulk bill, and on what conditions. Tell local GPs, who write the Mental Health Treatment Plans. List where clients filter for "no gap", such as ClearAccess Psychology, and reply to inquiries quickly.
Will paying put me above psychologists who are closer to the client?
No. Results are ordered by distance first. Your plan only decides the order among psychologists a similar distance from the client.
How long before my listing appears in search?
Once we have checked your AHPRA registration on the public register and, on the free plan, your badge is verified on your website. You can add the badge and check it from your dashboard straight away.
Do I have to offer every scheme with no gap?
No. You choose which schemes to list, and mark each one "no gap" or "conditions apply" with a note explaining the conditions. Clients see exactly which schemes cost them nothing.
Can a practice manager list several psychologists?
Each psychologist has their own listing, created with their own AHPRA number. If your practice wants to manage many clinicians' listings together, get in touch.
Get listed while it is free
Create your free listing in a few minutes, or compare the plans first.