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NDIS Counselling Providers

NDIS counselling is a type of therapy support that may be funded through your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan. It gives you a safe space to talk through your emotions, build resilience, communicate more confidently and work towards clear goals. The funding comes from the Capacity Building part of your plan.

Here, you'll learn who NDIS counselling is for, how the funding works, what it doesn't cover and how to find a provider who has availability.

Ready to look at your options? Tell us what's important to you, and we'll help you find counselling providers that fit your goals.

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What Is NDIS Counselling?

Counselling is a talk-based therapy. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) includes it among the therapy supports it may fund. Your counsellor works with you on the goals that matter to you and helps you build practical skills for everyday life.

NDIS counselling services may help you:

  • Explore and understand your emotions
  • Build resilience through life changes
  • Develop skills to communicate positively with others
  • Set clear goals and plan steps towards them
  • Practise strategies you can use at home, school, work or in the community

To deliver NDIS counselling, a counsellor must be one of the following:

  • A member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
  • Registered with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
  • A provisionally registered psychologist working towards full registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

Rehabilitation and vocational counselling is a different therapy support. It's aimed more specifically at goals related to work, study and living in the community.

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Who Can Get NDIS Counselling?

If you're an NDIS participant aged 9 or over, counselling may be funded in your plan. It needs to help you build or maintain skills and independence related to your disability, and it must meet the NDIS funding criteria.

You may choose counselling if you want support to:

  • Understand and express your emotions
  • Build resilience for changes like starting school, a new job or a new home
  • Communicate more confidently with family, friends or workmates
  • Build and keep positive relationships
  • Set goals and work towards them step by step
  • Feel more confident taking part in community life

What matters most is what you want to achieve, rather than your diagnosis.

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What Does NDIS Counselling Look Like?

Your counselling sessions are built around your goals. The first few appointments are usually about getting to know each other and agreeing on what you'd like to work on.

A counsellor may:

  • Talk through what matters to you and what you'd like to change
  • Help you notice patterns in how you feel and respond
  • Practise communication skills through conversation or role play
  • Use creative or activity-based approaches where these suit you
  • Share strategies to try between sessions
  • Work with your support team, with your permission

You can choose between individual and group sessions, as well as regular appointments or a more intensive block, unless your plan says otherwise.

How Is NDIS Counselling Funded?

The NDIA treats therapy supports as a stated support under Improved Daily Living Skills. You'll find this in the Capacity Building part of your plan.

Because it's a stated support, that funding can only be used for therapy. You can't move it to another type of Capacity Building support.

Your plan might not name a particular therapy. If it doesn't, you can choose the therapy (or combination of therapies) that best meets your needs.

If you'd like counselling included in your plan, you'll need an assessment or report from a therapist. The NDIA will then consider your request against the NDIS funding criteria.

The NDIA sets price limits for therapy supports. Check the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits on ndis.gov.au. You can find full details in the NDIA's Therapy supports guideline.

What NDIS Counselling Doesn't Cover

The NDIS may fund counselling when it helps you build skills and independence related to your disability. Other types of support are covered by different government systems.

The NDIS doesn't fund:

  • Mental health diagnosis or treatment, which is the responsibility of the health system
  • Supports the education system is responsible for, such as help to learn and study
  • Alternative therapies without evidence of good functional outcomes
  • General wellness coaching
  • Social group programs that aren't therapy

If you're looking for mental health support, your GP can talk you through the options available through the health system.

How Does NDIS Counselling Work for Children?

Counselling may be included in NDIS plans as a therapy support for children aged 9 and over. It can give children and young people a safe way to explore their feelings, build confidence and strengthen connections with family and friends.

Parents and carers are often involved too. With your child's needs and goals in mind, the counsellor may suggest practical strategies you can use at home.

Children under 9 are usually supported through the NDIS early childhood approach, which brings a team together around their development and participation. Once your child turns 9, their plan may include individual therapy supports instead.

How Care Decisions Helps You Find NDIS Counselling Providers

Care Decisions is a free, independent service that can help you find NDIS counselling providers who currently have availability.

We're not a support coordinator or part of the NDIA, and we don't provide counselling or make decisions about your plan. Our role is simply to help you explore your options, so you can make your own choice.

One of our trained NDIS specialists will ask about your goals, where you live and how your plan is managed. We'll then send you an Options Report with up to 5 counselling providers matched to what you're looking for.

The service is free, and there's no pressure to choose any of the providers we suggest. If you already have a support coordinator, we'll work alongside them. The final decision is always yours.

How It Works

Our service is free for participants, families and carers. Here's what to expect.

Step 1

Tell Us What Matters to You

Start by telling a trained NDIS specialist about your goals, location, support needs and preferences. We listen first, so the options we find reflect what's genuinely important to you.

Step 2

Get Your Counselling Options Report

We'll send you an Options Report with up to 5 NDIS counselling providers who have current availability. Each provider is matched to your needs, location and plan management type.

Step 3

Choose the Provider That Suits You

The providers will receive your details at the same time and get in touch with you. You can compare their pricing, approach and availability, then decide which one feels like the best fit.

Common Questions About NDIS Counselling

What is the difference between a counsellor and a psychologist under the NDIS?

Both can provide therapy supports under the NDIS, but their qualifications are different. Psychologists must be registered with AHPRA. Counsellors must be ACA members, registered with PACFA or provisionally registered psychologists. The best choice comes down to your goals and the kind of support you need, so it's worth talking it through with your therapist or support coordinator.

The NDIS doesn't cover mental health diagnosis or treatment, as these sit with the health system. NDIS counselling is different: it focuses on building skills and independence related to your disability and goals. Your GP can help you understand the mental health supports available to you.

That depends on how your plan is managed. If it's NDIA-managed, you'll need to use a registered NDIS provider. If it's self-managed or plan-managed, you can choose a registered or unregistered provider. Either way, make sure the counsellor meets the NDIA's qualification requirements and follows the NDIS Code of Conduct.

Yes. The NDIA lets you choose individual or group sessions for therapy supports, unless your plan says otherwise.

You'll need an assessment or report from a therapist to support your request. Your local area coordinator or support coordinator can talk you through the process. If you disagree with a funding decision, you can ask for an internal review within 3 months of receiving your plan.

You can ask your support coordinator, local area coordinator or health professional for recommendations. Care Decisions can also help you find counselling providers near you who currently have availability.

Yes, as long as you give permission. Counsellors often work with psychologists, occupational therapists, support workers and support coordinators, which can make it easier to keep strategies consistent across your support team.