Workers' Compensation Psychology
Psychological support after a workplace injury, wherever you are in Australia
Navigating a workers' compensation claim while you're also trying to recover is a lot. We make the psychology side of it straightforward — so you can focus on what actually matters.
Workplace injuries are not only physical.
Many people experience significant psychological harm after a specific incident, or as the result of sustained stress, bullying, harassment, burnout, or a gradual erosion of their wellbeing over time. In some cases, there is no single event. The injury is the accumulation.
Each Australian state and territory has its own workers' compensation scheme, with its own rules about what is covered, how treatment is approved, and how providers are funded. The Liminal Clinic works within each of these frameworks — so you can access psychology that fits your claim, not the other way around.
You don't need to wait until your claim is fully approved to contact us.
We're happy to hear from you at any point - before you lodge, while you're waiting on a decision, or once treatment has been formally approved. We can help you understand how the process might work for your situation and what to expect.
That said, we’re generally not involved in the claims process itself. Lodging your claim, providing supporting information to your insurer, and obtaining approval for psychological treatment are generally steps you complete with your employer, insurer, or compensation authority.
In some jurisdictions, we are required to submit a form requesting approval for treatment, but we can let you know as part of the intake process. Generally though, once treatment is approved, that's when we step in.
Note: Some schemes allow initial sessions before full approval is required.
When can you get in touch with us?
It’s easy to get started
You can get started today by either submitting a new client query or scheduling a 15 min call with our client experience officer (CEO).
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This is between you, your employer, and your workers' compensation insurer or authority. Your GP or treating doctor will often be involved at this stage. We're generally not part of this process, but we're happy to answer questions about what psychological treatment approval might involve.
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Most schemes require your insurer or claims manager to approve psychological treatment before funded sessions can begin. In some jurisdictions, a limited number of initial sessions may be available before full approval - ask us if this might apply to your claim.
Note: Some schemes allow initial sessions before full approval is required. -
Once we’ve received your query, we’ll ask for you to provide some information or schedule an online call to gather some information as a new client.
We then use a clinical matching process (not just first-available) to connect you with a psychologist whose skills, experience, interests and availability fits both your needs and your compensation scheme requirements. -
Our approach is grounded in the Clinical Framework for the Delivery of Health Services, which guides best-practice care across Australian compensation schemes.
That means goal-oriented, evidence-based support focused on real-world functioning and wellbeing, not just symptom checklists (although we do also use psychological questionnaires).
All new clients at The Liminal Clinic are screened for neurodivergency and trauma — regardless of the reason they've come to see us. This isn't a box-ticking exercise. It's because good treatment needs to work with your brain, not against it.
How we approach your care
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Every new client is screened for ADHD, Autism, and other neurodivergent profiles at intake. Neurodivergent people often experience and process workplace harm differently, and therapy that doesn't account for that can miss the mark entirely.
From a neuropsychological approach, Understanding your neurotype helps inform how we work with you from the start.
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Workplace injury, whether physical or psychological, is a trauma.
Our approach is trauma-informed throughout, meaning we work at a pace that feels safe, we don't push you to re-tell your story unnecessarily, and we pay attention to how distress shows up in the body as well as the mind.
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Workplace harm doesn't happen in isolation from identity.
We provide inclusive, affirming care for neurodivergent people, LGBTIQA+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse clients, people with disability, and those who've experienced discrimination or exclusion inside and out of the workplace.
EMDR treatment where it's clinically appropriate
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that can be highly effective for trauma, including workplace trauma and PTSD. Within our team, we have EMDR-trained psychologists who can provide targeted EMDR sessions where this is a clinically appropriate part of your recovery.
In practice, this means you'll have a core treating psychologist who leads your ongoing care. Where EMDR is recommended, we may be able to arrange focused sessions with one of our EMDR-trained psychologists alongside your regular treatment — bringing specialist input in without disrupting the continuity of your care relationship.
EMDR sessions are generally 90 minutes and are conducted by a senior or principal psychologist. Because of this, they may require separate prior approval from your insurer or case manager before they can be funded under your claim.
Jurisdictions we work with
We provide telehealth psychology services across Australia. Victorian clients can also access in-person appointments, subject to clinician availability.
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Victoria's scheduled funding rates for psychology are comparatively lower than other jurisdictions, so a gap payment is more common here than elsewhere. We offer both telehealth and in-person appointments for Victorian clients.
We can invoice WorkSafe Victoria or your authorised agent directly where eligible.
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NSW's State Insurance Regulatory Authority sets the fee framework.
For many accepted claims, SIRA schedules are sufficient to fully cover treatment costs. Direct billing is available for iCare-managed claims.
Funding coverage varies depending on your specific approvals and claim status.
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WorkCover Queensland generally funds psychological treatment at levels that cover costs for many approved claims.
We support Queensland clients via telehealth and can generally invoice the scheme directly.
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South Australia's ReturnToWork scheme funds psychological treatment for accepted claims.
Many clients access fully funded care depending on claim status and insurer approvals. We can liaise with RTWSA directly once funding has been approved.
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Many approved WorkCover WA claims fund psychological treatment fully.
We provide telehealth services statewide and can discuss billing arrangements before your first session.
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WorkSafe Tasmania doesn't publish standardised psychology fee schedules, so funding is determined by your insurer and claims manager and can vary between claims.
We'll need to clarify what to expect before you begin.
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The ACT scheme is managed through private insurers under WorkSafe ACT. Funding for psychological treatment is determined on a claim-by-claim basis.
We'll help you understand your options before you start.
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The Northern Territory scheme operates through NT WorkSafe and private insurers.
Published psychology fee schedules are not available, so funding is arranged directly with your insurer. Once your claim is approved, you’ll have a better idea as to your coverage.
We support NT clients via telehealth.
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Comcare covers Australian Government employees and certain licensed employers. Many approved claims are funded in line with scheme requirements, and we can often invoice directly or submit invoices online.
If you work for a Commonwealth agency, this is your scheme.
A note on this information:
Workers' compensation arrangements, fee schedules, and approval processes change over time and vary between insurers within the same scheme. Nothing on this page is confirmation of funding or entitlement for your specific claim.
Before your first appointment, we'll work through the likely funding pathway with you. If you have your claim number and insurer details, that's a great starting point — but if you're still figuring things out, reach out anyway. We can help you think it through.
