No Referral Needed to Book Privately
One of the most common questions we hear is whether a GP referral is required to book an adult ADHD assessment. In Australia, it is not: you can refer yourself directly to a psychologist for an ADHD assessment, without first seeing a GP or obtaining a referral letter. This makes the private pathway considerably more straightforward to start than many people expect, particularly for adults who have found it hard to have their concerns taken seriously by a GP in the past.
This does not mean a GP has no role; some people prefer to loop their GP in afterwards, particularly if medication becomes part of the conversation later on. But for the assessment itself, self-referral is entirely valid and commonly used, and it is not viewed as unusual or a shortcut by our psychologists, who assess many adults who have never discussed ADHD with a GP beforehand.
Public vs Private Pathways
Adults exploring ADHD assessment in Australia generally have two broad options. Public mental health services and some public hospital clinics can conduct assessments, but wait times are often long, sometimes many months to over a year, and availability varies significantly by state and region, with some areas offering very limited public options for adult ADHD assessment specifically.
A private assessment with a registered psychologist, like the one offered by our team, typically has a much shorter wait and is delivered entirely by telehealth, so it doesn't matter where in Australia you're based. There is no Medicare rebate available for private ADHD assessment, so cost is a genuine factor to weigh regardless of which pathway you choose, and it is worth budgeting for the full amount in advance, rather than assuming a rebate will offset part of it later.
What a Proper Assessment Involves
A thorough adult ADHD assessment is more than a single conversation or a short questionnaire. It typically includes a free triage call, a detailed interview covering your developmental and current history, an assessment session using standardised tools, screening for commonly co-occurring experiences like anxiety, and a feedback session where results are explained in plain language before you receive a written report.
This structure exists to build an accurate picture, rather than reaching a quick conclusion from limited information, and it is one of the reasons a genuine assessment takes more than a single short appointment to complete properly, whichever provider you ultimately choose to work with.
What It Costs
Our adult ADHD assessment is $1,250 in total, covering the full process from initial interview through to your written report. There is no Medicare rebate for this kind of assessment, and the free triage call carries no cost or obligation regardless of whether you go ahead.
Knowing the full cost upfront, rather than being quoted a partial figure that grows as you progress, is a reasonable expectation to have of any provider. Full details are available on our pricing page, and our psychologists are happy to answer specific cost questions during your triage call, before you make any financial commitment.
What to Expect After You Are Assessed
Once your written report is complete, what you do with it is entirely up to you. Some adults share it with their GP to discuss medication options, others take it to an employer to request workplace adjustments, and some simply keep it for their own understanding without sharing it further.
None of these paths is more "correct" than another. A proper assessment produces an accurate, respectful account of your experiences; how you choose to use that account afterwards depends entirely on your own circumstances and goals, and there is no time limit on when you can act on it.
Why Telehealth Removes the Geography Problem
Because assessments are delivered entirely by telehealth, where you live does not need to limit your options to whichever provider happens to be nearby. This is particularly useful for adults in regional or remote areas, where local access to psychologists experienced in adult ADHD assessment can be limited.
There is no clinical disadvantage to a telehealth assessment; the same standardised tools and interview structure are used regardless, and your written report is identical in depth and content.
Getting Started
If you are ready to explore an assessment, the simplest first step is a free triage call, where a psychologist can answer your specific questions and confirm whether the process suits your situation before you commit to anything further. There is no need to have everything figured out before you call, and no expectation that you already understand exactly what you are looking for.
This article is educational information only and does not replace individual advice from a psychologist about your own circumstances, including advice that may depend on your specific state or region.