Subsidised visits to psychologists will be halved within weeks, from 20 to 10, for Australian patients seeking mental health treatment.

The change comes due to the Albanese Government deciding to abandon the program which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Marjorie Collins, Clinical psychologist and president of the Institute of Clinical Psychologists told Oliver Peterson on Perth Live that the halving of the program is coming at a time when people still need the treatment.

“They’re doing this in the face of a very positive outcome of an in-depth evaluation of the program, that showed there was generally better and positive outcomes for people who received this treatment,” she told Oly.

“We in the psychology community cannot understand why the government has taken this slashing, burn attitude to halving the number of sessions from January 1, with very little notice and over the Christmas period as well.”

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