Telehealth or in-person for CTP psychology? How to choose in NSW
Both are valid ways to see a psychologist on a NSW motor accident claim, and CTP does not require one over the other. Here is how telehealth and in-person sessions compare, so you can make the call with your psychologist instead of guessing.
Short answer: telehealth and in-person sessions are both accepted ways to attend psychology appointments funded through a NSW CTP claim, and neither is the automatic right choice. What tends to decide it is practical: how far you would need to travel, how you feel about being in a clinic room so soon after a crash, and whether you have a private, quiet space at home for a video call. The comparison below sets out the trade-offs so you can talk it through with your psychologist rather than guess.
Telehealth vs in-person, side by side
| Feature | Telehealth | In-person |
|---|---|---|
| How you attend | Video call or phone, from wherever you are in NSW | At the psychologist's consulting rooms |
| Tends to suit | People who find travel difficult, live regionally, or feel anxious about driving after the accident | People who prefer face-to-face contact, or do not have a private space at home |
| What you need | A private, reasonably quiet space and a stable internet or phone connection | Time to travel to and from the appointment |
| Session content | Generally the same structure and approach as an in-person session | Same structure and approach; the psychologist is in the room with you |
| Choice of psychologist | Not limited to your local area, since telehealth removes distance as a factor | Limited to psychologists who see clients in or near where you live |
| CTP treatment and care | Can be included in an approved course of treatment; confirm with the psychologist and insurer | The default mode most claims are approved for |
None of these rows is a hard rule. A psychologist who mostly sees clients in person may still offer telehealth for a stretch where travel is not realistic, and one who works mainly by telehealth may suggest an in-person session for a particular reason. The table is a starting point for the conversation, not a fixed policy.
When telehealth tends to work well after a motor accident
Anxiety about driving, or about being a passenger, is one of the more common reactions after a motor accident, and it can make getting to a clinic in person genuinely harder in the weeks after a crash. Telehealth removes that step entirely: you attend from home, so travel anxiety is not a barrier to starting treatment. It also opens up your choice of psychologist beyond your immediate area, which matters if you live somewhere with few SIRA-experienced psychologists nearby, including regional and rural parts of NSW.
Privacy is the other common reason people choose telehealth. Some people find it easier to speak openly from a familiar space than in an unfamiliar waiting room, particularly in the early sessions when talking about the accident is still raw. If that is you, telehealth is a legitimate reason to choose it, not a lesser option.
When in-person tends to work well
Some people simply do better with a psychologist in the room: reading body language both ways, feeling less alone with a difficult topic, or having a clear, dedicated space that is separate from home. If your internet connection is unreliable, or you cannot find a private room at home for a video call, in-person removes that friction instead. A few trauma-focused approaches, such as EMDR, are also more commonly delivered in person, though this varies by practitioner and some do offer telehealth EMDR, so ask directly if that is a technique you are interested in.
Neither preference needs justifying to your insurer. Say what works for you when you first contact a psychologist, and check that they offer it.
Does CTP fund telehealth the same way as in-person sessions?
For an approved course of treatment, telehealth sessions are generally treated the same as in-person ones: the content and approach do not change, only the delivery method does. Confirm with the psychologist that they offer telehealth, and that your insurer's approval covers it, before you rely on it. CTP does not publish a fixed fee schedule the way workers compensation does, so the specific cost arrangement for a session is set between the psychologist and the insurer rather than a published telehealth rate.
Outside a CTP claim, Medicare's Better Access initiative treats individual telehealth and in-person psychology sessions as equivalent for funding purposes: the video item (91167) and the in-person item (80010) carry the same $175.30 fee and the same $149.05 benefit for a clinical psychologist session of at least 50 minutes. That is a Medicare rebate, not a CTP figure, and only relevant if you use Medicare instead of, or while waiting on, your CTP claim (see the cost guide), but it is a useful sign that telehealth is treated as a standard mode of delivery across the wider funded-psychology system, not a fallback option.
Making the call
There is no wrong answer here. Tell the psychologist what would make attending easier, whether that is a video link because driving still feels difficult, or an in-person room because you would rather not be at home for the conversation. What to bring and what to expect either way is covered in the first appointment guide, and the psychologists in telehealth across NSW are a starting point if telehealth is the direction you want to go. If you are not sure who to contact at all, find a psychologist is the place to start, and we can factor in your telehealth or in-person preference when we help.
This guide is general information, not legal, medical, or crisis advice. If you are struggling right now, you do not have to wait: Lifeline is on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue is on 1300 22 4636, 13YARN (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) is on 13 92 76, and in an emergency call 000.
Sources
Medicare Benefits Schedule, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care: item 80010, in-person individual psychological therapy service (https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=80010); item 91167, video individual psychological therapy service (https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=91167&qt=item). Both items current at the time of writing; fees and benefits are reviewed periodically, so confirm the current schedule at health.gov.au/mbs. CTP treatment and care rules are set out in the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (NSW) and administered by SIRA; sira.nsw.gov.au blocked automated verification at the time of writing, so this guide relies on facts already verified elsewhere on this site (see the guide on how CTP covers psychology) rather than re-citing unfetchable pages. Confirm current telehealth arrangements with SIRA, your insurer, or the psychologist.