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What is a SIRA-approved psychologist, and how do you find one?
Quick answer. A SIRA-approved psychologist is an AHPRA-registered psychologist who has been approved by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority to provide treatment under the NSW Workers Compensation (WorkCover) scheme. If you have a WorkCover claim, your psychologist generally needs this approval. It is not required for CTP. Matt Semsar at Revamp Psychology is a SIRA-approved psychologist (Provider No. 24705), seeing clients across NSW by telehealth.
When you start looking for psychological treatment after a workplace or motor vehicle injury in NSW, you will quickly come across the term "SIRA-approved". It sounds bureaucratic, but the idea behind it is simple and worth understanding before you choose a provider.
Looking to book? Matt sees WorkCover and CTP clients across NSW by telehealth, with in-person appointments in Strathfield. Call 0421 394 932 or send an enquiry.
Who SIRA is
SIRA stands for the State Insurance Regulatory Authority. It regulates the NSW Workers Compensation and Compulsory Third Party (CTP) schemes. The provider rules differ between the two. SIRA approval is required for specified allied health practitioners, including psychologists, in Workers Compensation. It is not required to deliver treatment in CTP.
What "SIRA-approved" means for a psychologist
A SIRA-approved psychologist is a registered psychologist who has met SIRA's requirements to provide specified psychological treatment in the NSW Workers Compensation scheme. To be approved, a psychologist must hold general registration with AHPRA, complete SIRA's allied health practitioner training program, and agree to work within the scheme's rules for treatment, reporting, fees and professional conduct.
This approval sits alongside the psychologist's core registration with AHPRA (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency), which is what allows them to practise as a psychologist in the first place. Each approved practitioner is given a SIRA approval number. Matt Semsar's is 24705.
You may also see the terms "SIRA-accredited psychologist" or "SIRA-registered psychologist". These are informal ways of describing the same thing. The official term SIRA uses is approval.
Why it matters if you have a WorkCover claim
Under NSW Workers Compensation, insurers generally only pay for specified psychology treatment when it is provided by a SIRA-approved psychologist. Seeing a psychologist without approval can mean the sessions are not covered.
Approval also means the psychologist has been trained in how the scheme works. That includes Allied Health Treatment Requests (AHTRs), communicating with your insurer and nominated treating doctor, and the reporting the scheme requires. You can spend your sessions on recovery rather than explaining the process.
What to look for beyond approval
Approval tells you a psychologist can treat under the scheme. It does not tell you whether they are the right fit. It is also worth considering how much of their work involves WorkCover and injury recovery, whether they have experience with your type of injury, how easily you can attend (telehealth can help if travel is difficult), and whether you feel comfortable working with them.
In most cases you can choose your own treating psychologist under WorkCover. See Can I choose my own psychologist under Workers Compensation? and How to find a good WorkCover psychologist in NSW.
What about CTP?
The NSW CTP scheme uses a different provider framework. SIRA states that approval is not required to deliver treatment in CTP. A psychologist still needs to be appropriately qualified and registered, and ongoing treatment must meet the CTP scheme's requirements, including insurer approval where required.
When choosing a psychologist for a CTP claim, it is more useful to consider AHPRA registration, experience with motor accident injuries and CTP processes, availability, and fit.
A SIRA-approved psychologist through Revamp Psychology
Matt Semsar is a Registered Psychologist (AHPRA: PSY0002620326) and SIRA-approved psychologist (Provider No. 24705). His practice focuses exclusively on NSW Workers Compensation and CTP clients, and he has more than a decade of experience in injury management and workplace rehabilitation alongside his clinical work.
Sessions are available by telehealth anywhere in NSW, with in-person appointments in Strathfield. Sessions can also be conducted in Farsi/Persian. Read more about seeing a WorkCover psychologist in Sydney and NSW.
Frequently asked questions
An AHPRA-registered psychologist who has SIRA approval to provide specified psychological treatment in the NSW Workers Compensation scheme. This approval is not required to deliver treatment in the NSW CTP scheme.
For specified psychology services in NSW Workers Compensation, the treating psychologist generally needs SIRA approval. CTP is different. SIRA approval is not required, although the psychologist must still be appropriately qualified and meet CTP scheme requirements.
Yes. People often say "accredited" or "registered", but the official term is SIRA-approved.
Yes. Telehealth can be used for WorkCover psychology where it is clinically appropriate. Revamp Psychology provides telehealth sessions across NSW.
Yes. Matt Semsar is a Registered Psychologist (AHPRA: PSY0002620326) and SIRA-approved psychologist (Provider No. 24705) for NSW Workers Compensation. Revamp Psychology also provides psychological treatment under the NSW CTP scheme.
Scheme information reviewed: 17 October 2026.
Official information
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Make an enquiry
To discuss a referral or whether this service is appropriate, call or email directly. All enquiries are handled personally.
For details of Revamp’s SIRA-approved Workers Compensation psychology service, see WorkCover psychologist in Sydney and NSW.
Written as general information for a NSW audience, not personal or clinical advice, this page can't reflect your individual case. Eligibility and funding depend on your individual claim and insurer approval, so check what applies to you with your treating doctor.