Dr Clair Lawson

18/04/2026

A must watch for all psychologists

A new pathway for becoming a psychologist

08/03/2026

Many psychologists are feeling uncertain right now about Medicare and the Better Access Initiative.

Since the November 2025 changes, I have had countless conversations with clinicians who are confused about referrals, session limits, claiming rules, and what actually applies in day to day practice. The information circulating is often inconsistent, incomplete, or simply wrong.

To address this, I am running an updated live webinar on Navigating Medicare and the Better Access Initiative.

This session has been fully revised to reflect all changes introduced in November 2025 and focuses on practical application, not theory. The aim is to help you feel confident, compliant, and clear about how Medicare applies to your work with clients.

Webinar details
Date: Thursday 12 March 2026
Time: 7.00 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time
Cost: $98 plus GST
Format: Live webinar with recording available to all registrants
Presenter: Dr Clair Lawson, Clinical Psychologist, Practice Owner and Business Coach

What we will cover
• What has actually changed under the Better Access Initiative
• Common areas of confusion and where psychologists are getting caught out
• How to apply the rules correctly in everyday clinical practice
• Practical examples and clarifications to reduce risk and stress

The webinar will be recorded, and everyone who registers will receive access to the recording after the event.

If you have purchased my current Medicare course within the past six months, you will be given free access to the updated content.

This session is designed to save you time, reduce uncertainty, and help you practise with confidence in a shifting Medicare landscape.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_28EQ_13wT0OcuFwlwLvz-g

A webinar for psychologists seeking clarity on Medicare compliance, MBS requirements, and recent Better Access changes. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Better Access to Psychological Therapies initiative are central to psychological practice in Australia — yet recent reforms have created ...

06/03/2026

When did Better Access start becoming worse access?

I have been reflecting on the direction of the Better Access initiative over the past 20 years, and something doesn’t quite add up.

When the program was introduced by the Coalition government in 2006, the structure looked like this:
• 6 sessions initially
• another 6 sessions after GP review
• up to 6 additional sessions in exceptional circumstances

So in practice some clients could receive rebates for up to 18 individual sessions per year if clinically needed.

Clients could also access rebates for 12 group therapy sessions in addition to this.

In 2011, the Labor government reduced the number of available rebates to 10 individual sessions and 10 group therapy sessions per year.

In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, the Coalition government introduced an additional 10 sessions, allowing clients to access up to 20 individual sessions per calendar year.

In 2022, the Labor government removed the additional sessions introduced during the pandemic.

>>Fast forward to today.
The system now allows 10 individual session rebates per year and 10 group therapy session rebates.

A recent Better Access redesign introduced in November 2025 was intended to reduce administrative burden, but in reality, it has added new administrative hurdles and barriers for clients, such as:
• second referrals are being limited to the remaining sessions within the annual cap
• referrals expected to come from a patient’s regular GP
• tighter rules around telehealth Mental Health Treatment Plans

At the same time, the program's focus has shifted toward people with moderate mental illness, without increasing the number of treatment sessions available.

Which raises a question I think the profession needs to discuss.
If the program is increasingly targeting people with more complex mental health needs…
why are we progressively reducing access to psychological treatment?

I don’t know whether this trajectory is intentional policy or a consequence of policymakers not fully understanding how psychological treatment works in real clinical practice.

But the practical consequences are becoming increasingly visible in clinics.
• More administrative complexity
• More GP appointments are required just to access treatment
• More disruption to continuity of care
• More hurdles for clients to jump over to access psychological treatment

I would be really interested to hear what other psychologists are seeing in their practices.

Are you seeing the recent Better Access changes making things simpler for patients, or more complicated?

20/01/2026

Are your policies and procedures compliant with the new code of conduct?
If you’ve been meaning to update your practice policies but never seem to find the time, this is for you.

After five years of development, we’ve released Practice Policy Pro - 14 bundles of policies, procedures, forms, letter templates, and checklists covering key areas of private practice management.

Each bundle has been written to meet both the APS Private Practice Management Standards and the new Psychology Board Code of Conduct.

Topics include:

• Obtaining informed consent from clients

• Using AI in clinical practice

• Triage and quality assurance

• Social media and privacy

• Continuity of care

• Client information management

• Appointment scheduling and management

• Child and vulnerable person safety

• Record keeping

These policies are designed specifically for practice owners at all stages, whether you’re just starting out or managing a large group.

They’ll help you:

- Improve compliance

- Reduce risk

- Be proactive rather than reactive

- Save hours of your precious time

- Streamline your systems and processes

Each policy pack is carefully crafted, up-to-date, and compliant.

Take the guesswork out of compliance and streamline your systems with "ready-to-use" templates and policies.

Explore our first release here:

Additional topics will be released in the coming months

https://lawson-consulting-research.mykajabi.com/