Support for the mind after a car accident in NSW

If a NSW motor accident has affected your mental health, learn how CTP-funded psychology works and ask us to help find a SIRA-experienced psychologist.

SIRA-experienced psychologists, NSW CTP scheme · checked July 2026

Find a psychologist after a car accident

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Answer 3 quick questions about your accident and your claim, and get a plain-language next step, whether that is seeing your GP, contacting a psychologist, or getting free help with a disputed claim.

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After a car accident, the injury is not always physical

Anxiety about driving, trouble sleeping, flashbacks, low mood, or feeling on edge are common after a motor vehicle accident. These reactions are treatable, and in NSW the cost of psychological treatment is often covered.

If you were injured in a motor accident in NSW, treatment and care (including seeing a psychologist) can be funded through the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme, which is regulated by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) under the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017. For the first 52 weeks after the accident these benefits are generally available regardless of who was at fault.

Motor Accident Psychology NSW is independent. It does not provide treatment and it is not a substitute for advice from your GP, your psychologist, or your CTP insurer. Its job is to explain the scheme in plain language and, when you are ready, to help you find a SIRA-experienced psychologist in NSW.

NSW CTP psychology statistics

Compiled CTP scheme claim data and Australian research on psychological outcomes after a motor accident, with every figure sourced.

See the data

Guides and resources

How CTP insurance covers psychological treatment in NSW

If you were injured in a motor accident in NSW, the cost of seeing a psychologist is often covered through CTP insurance. Here is how that works, in plain language.

The NSW Motor Accident Injuries scheme, explained

Who runs the CTP scheme, which law it sits under, and what statutory benefits and threshold injuries mean, without the jargon.

Do you need a referral to see a psychologist after a car accident?

How referrals work under a CTP claim, the role of your GP, and whether you can start before your claim is fully sorted.

How long does a CTP claim take? The NSW timeline

The key dates that matter after a motor accident in NSW, from the 28-day and 3-month notice periods to the insurer's time to decide.

What to do if your CTP treatment request is disputed

A full walkthrough of what counts as a dispute, why insurers decline psychology treatment requests, what evidence helps, the actual Personal Injury Commission review path for CTP claims, and when a medico-legal assessment happens.

How much does CTP-funded psychology actually cost?

There is no SIRA-set price list for CTP psychology, unlike workers compensation. Here is what that means for your out-of-pocket cost, plus what Medicare costs if you use it as an interim option.

What happens in your first appointment with a CTP psychologist

What to bring, what the Allied Health Treatment Request is, roughly how long the session runs, and what happens after, so the first visit is less of an unknown.

How the CTP psychology referral and approval process works in NSW

Step by step: from notifying the insurer to getting funded psychology sessions under a NSW motor accident (CTP) claim, in plain language.

CTP or workers compensation? How to tell which scheme covers psychology in NSW

Whether CTP insurance or workers compensation funds your psychology sessions depends on how you were injured. Motor accident on a NSW road means CTP. Injury at work means workers compensation. Here is how the two schemes compare, and what to do if you are not sure.

See all 12 guides