Insurance for therapists in Australia: what does each therapist type need?

Insurance for therapists in Australia depends on which type of therapist you are, because some therapist titles are protected by law and some are not. Occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist, osteopath and chiropractor are protected titles, according to AHPRA's list of regulated professions. Misusing a protected title is an offence under sections 113 to 119 of the National Law.

The bare word therapist is not protected, and neither are titles such as massage therapist, art therapist or hypnotherapist. So there is no single insurance rule for everyone called a therapist. Many allied health and complementary therapists arrange insurance for therapists that combines professional indemnity and public liability in one policy.

What applies depends on the profession, the modality and the work you do. Cover depends on the policy and insurer you choose. Check the policy wording and its terms and conditions for what is and isn't included.

Who counts as a therapist in Australia?

Therapists in Australia fall into three groups: AHPRA-registered, self-regulated, and association-based or complementary. Therapists insurance varies between them because your group determines where the requirement comes from, and how firm it is.

Across all three groups, the work commonly involves assessment, treatment, ongoing management and referral. Professional indemnity insurance is designed to cover claims that your advice or treatment cost a client money. Public and products liability insurance is designed to cover claims for injury or property damage connected with your practice or a product you supplied. What changes between professions is who sets the requirement, and how firm it is.

Which therapists need AHPRA registration?

Five therapy professions need AHPRA registration: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, osteopathy and chiropractic. Registered practitioners in these professions must have professional indemnity insurance arrangements that meet their Board's registration standard, under section 129 of the National Law.

That is not the same as buying a policy in your own name. The physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic standards accept your own or third party arrangements, such as employer cover, where they meet the standard. Each National Board sets its own standard and standards can change, so check your Board's current position.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapists assess and treat movement, pain and function, and hands-on treatment brings both treatment and premises exposure. The Physiotherapy Board standard says cover must apply in all locations where you practise, whether you are employed, self-employed, full-time or part-time.

See physiotherapist insurance, or the guide to insurance for physiotherapy clinics in Australia if you run a practice with staff.

Occupational therapists

Occupational therapists commonly work in homes, schools and workplaces as well as clinics, which brings public liability exposure in premises they do not control. Some of this work is funded through the NDIS.

For registered NDIS providers, the NDIS Practice Standards core module includes an insurance quality indicator. It reads: "Appropriate insurance is in place, including professional indemnity, public liability and accident insurance." See occupational therapist insurance or the guide to insurance for occupational therapists in Australia.

Psychologists

Psychologists assess and treat mental health conditions using psychological interventions. The Psychology Board's revised standard, which started on 1 December 2019, no longer sets a minimum amount of cover.

The Board says cover must apply to all aspects of your practice, in all locations, and be an appropriate amount for your practice. See psychologist insurance or the guide to insurance for psychology practices in Australia.

Osteopaths

Osteopaths use manual techniques to assess and treat musculoskeletal problems. Hands-on treatment brings exposure in both the treatment and the premises. See osteopath insurance.

Chiropractors

Chiropractors assess and treat spinal and musculoskeletal conditions, commonly through manual adjustment. As with osteopathy, the exposure sits in both the treatment and the premises.

A professional indemnity policy is designed to respond to the services listed on your policy schedule. Each technique you use is worth describing when you arrange cover.

Are speech pathologists AHPRA registered?

Speech pathology is not an AHPRA-registered profession, so there is no AHPRA registration or minimum requirement for insurance. An association you belong to may still require it, and a lease or contract may set its own requirements.

Speech pathology is self-regulated through Speech Pathology Australia, a full member of the National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professions, according to Speech Pathology Australia. Its Certified Practising Speech Pathologist program is voluntary.

Employer terms and funding scheme conditions may also ask for evidence of cover. Speech therapist is a common informal name for the same profession. See speech pathologist insurance or the guide to insurance for speech pathologists in Australia.

Do counsellors need insurance in Australia?

Counselling is not an AHPRA-registered profession, so no National Board insurance standard applies. A lease or contract may still set its own requirements.

Insurance for psychotherapists follows the same path as counselling. Professional bodies for counsellors and psychotherapists, such as PACFA and the ACA, may set insurance conditions for membership or registration. Their conditions can change, so check the current position with your professional body.

Health fund provider criteria are another source of insurance conditions. Insurance is only one part of provider recognition, alongside qualifications and each fund's own criteria. For cost figures, see counsellor insurance cost, or counsellor insurance for cover options.

Insurance for holistic therapists and complementary therapists

Insurance for holistic therapists and complementary therapists is commonly arranged as one combined professional indemnity and public liability policy. Alternative therapy insurance, natural therapy insurance and professional complementary therapy insurance are other names for the same cover.

The modalities below are not AHPRA-registered professions, so there is no AHPRA registration or minimum requirement for insurance. Professional associations and many health funds ask for evidence of cover before granting membership or a provider number.

Massage therapists and myotherapists

Massage therapists and myotherapists deliver hands-on bodywork such as remedial, sports and relaxation massage, in a clinic or as a mobile service. Some health funds ask massage providers for at least $2 million professional indemnity insurance, according to the Association of Massage Therapists.

For figures and modality detail, see massage therapist insurance cost or massage therapist insurance.

Reflexologists

Reflexology insurance commonly sits on the same combined policy as the rest of this group. Reflexology applies pressure to points on the feet, hands and ears, usually one to one. Health fund recognition is a common reason reflexologists arrange cover.

Many reflexologists practise more than one modality, so each one you offer is worth listing on your policy schedule.

Art therapists

Art therapy insurance commonly combines professional indemnity and public liability for a practice that sits between clinical and creative work. Art therapy uses creative process as the therapeutic medium, often with clients working through trauma, grief or communication difficulty.

Art therapists often work with vulnerable clients in schools, hospitals and community services, which brings exposure in premises they do not control. Where you sell or supply materials to clients, products liability may also be relevant. See therapy business insurance.

Hypnotherapists

Hypnotherapy insurance is commonly arranged on the same combined policy as other complementary modalities. Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation and focused attention to address habits, anxiety and behaviour change.

Some techniques, such as regression work or stage hypnosis, are worth raising with the insurer before they are listed on your policy schedule.

Neuro-linguistic programming practitioners

NLP practitioners insurance, for neuro-linguistic programming practitioners, depends heavily on how you describe your work. Practitioners use language and behavioural techniques for goal setting, communication and habit change.

The work sits close to coaching in some practices and close to therapy in others. Where the practice includes therapeutic work, the professional indemnity exposure looks more like a therapist's than a coach's.

Reiki practitioners

Reiki is a light-touch or no-touch energy modality, usually delivered one to one. The treatment exposure is lower than hands-on bodywork, but clients still arrive at your rooms, or you at theirs.

Many reiki practitioners also offer other modalities. See reiki practitioner insurance or the guide to insurance for reiki practitioners in Australia.

Naturopaths

Naturopaths use nutritional, herbal and lifestyle interventions. Products liability may be relevant where you supply herbal preparations or supplements directly to clients.

Scope of practice also matters, because a professional indemnity policy is designed to respond to the services described on your policy schedule. See naturopath insurance.

Kinesiologists

Kinesiology uses muscle monitoring to identify and address stress patterns, and is often practised alongside other modalities. Association membership terms may include insurance conditions, so confirm the current position with your association.

Insurance for Bowen therapists, aromatherapy, breathwork, sound therapy and cupping practitioners is commonly arranged in the same group. For any of them, the cover conversation starts with what you actually practise.

Listing every modality on your policy schedule

A professional indemnity policy is designed to respond to claims arising from the professional services described on your policy schedule. That is why naming each service in your activities section matters, particularly where you have the certificates and training to offer it as an added service you charge for.

A complete activities section could begin with 'remedial massage', then name each related service you offer, such as myotherapy or reflexology. You can consider whether a broad activity description such as massage therapy is sufficient, or whether to list each one.

If a client makes a claim about a treatment your schedule leaves out, the insurer may consider declining it if they were not aware of the activity and would not have accepted it as covered under the insurance policy.

The following additional services or treatments should also be raised directly with your broker or the upcover team if you would like them added, so they are specifically listed. Your insurer may have further questions about them. These are:

• dry needling
• cupping (wet cupping is ordinarily excluded)
• EMDR
• Bowen therapy as a separate modality
• training and workshops

Who is not a therapist in Australia?

Nurses, midwives, doctors, dietitians, social workers and fitness professionals sit outside this guide. Several get called therapists in casual use, but they sit under different arrangements.

Different professions, not therapists. Nurses, midwives, doctors and podiatrists are AHPRA-registered professions with their own registration and cover picture. Dietitians are not AHPRA-registered but also sit outside this guide. See nurse insurance, midwife insurance or dietitian insurance.

Outside this guide's scope. Social work is its own profession, though some social workers deliver counselling. See social worker insurance.

Insurance for beauty therapists is a separate conversation. Beauty therapy carries the word in its title but is a cosmetic service rather than health therapy, with a different exposure profile. See beauty therapist insurance.

Movement and fitness. Yoga teachers, pilates instructors, personal trainers and sports coaches are sometimes described as therapists, but their cover sits under fitness arrangements. See yoga teacher insurance, pilates trainer insurance, personal trainer insurance or sports coach insurance.

Care and support work. Disability and aged care support workers provide daily living support rather than therapy. See support worker insurance.

Is sports therapist insurance a separate product?

Sports therapist insurance depends on your qualifications, because sports therapist is not one of the professions regulated by AHPRA. Practitioners doing this kind of work commonly hold qualifications in physiotherapy, exercise physiology, myotherapy or remedial massage.

Your insurance classification follows your actual qualifications and services rather than the title. See sports and fitness professionals insurance.

What insurance do therapists need in Australia?

Insurance for therapists commonly starts with professional indemnity and public liability insurance, whichever group you sit in. Other covers depend on your premises, your records and whether you employ staff.

Professional indemnity and public liability insurance

Professional indemnity insurance is designed to cover claims that your advice, service or work caused a client financial loss. It may include legal defence costs, compensation and any settlement you are legally liable to pay, subject to the policy terms.

Many allied health and complementary therapists arrange professional indemnity insurance alongside public liability insurance, which is designed to cover injury to a person or damage to their property. Where a client alleges a treatment caused an injury, the claim may involve professional indemnity, public liability or both. Whether professional indemnity, public liability or both respond depends on what the client alleges, the policy wording and the insurer's assessment.

A combined policy includes professional indemnity and public liability, helping you avoid the cost of obtaining separate policies. Whether the combined policy also includes products liability varies between policy wordings, so always check with your broker or the team at upcover.

Therapist liability insurance is another name for the same combination. Some practitioners call the combination malpractice insurance, though professional indemnity insurance is the usual Australian product name.

Investigation costs are commonly included in professional indemnity policies, though the specified limit for that section varies between insurers. An investigation may be by an official body, including some associations.

Common limits for allied health and complementary therapists are $1 million, $2 million, $5 million and $10 million or more. Association requirements usually set the minimum requirement. An upcover representative or a broker can talk through what those limits mean for a practice like yours.

Other insurance therapists may consider

Cyber insurance is designed to cover costs after a data breach or cyber attack. First-party costs may include incident response, forensics, notifying affected people, data recovery and business interruption. Cyber insurance may be relevant where you keep electronic client records or use telehealth software; see cyber insurance.

Business pack insurance bundles several covers into one policy. It commonly includes property, business interruption, glass, theft, money and public and products liability. Business pack insurance is commonly arranged where you own or fit out a treatment space; see business pack insurance.

Workers compensation insurance is designed to cover workers' medical costs and lost wages after a work-related injury or illness. It is required where workers fall within the relevant state or territory scheme, according to Safe Work Australia.

Personal accident and sickness insurance is designed to help replace part of your income if an insured injury or illness stops you working. Sole traders commonly look at personal accident and sickness insurance.

What does insurance for therapists not cover?

Insurance for therapists has exclusions, and they vary between insurers. On a combined policy, some of the exclusions below apply to public liability as well as professional indemnity.

Exclusions commonly include, but are not limited to:

• dishonest, fraudulent or criminal acts by you (employee dishonesty may sit under a fidelity or crime section where the policy includes one)
• abuse, including sexual abuse
• motor vehicle claims that arise during operation of a vehicle
• claims and circumstances you knew about before the policy started
• fines and penalties that cannot be insured at law
• treatment outside the qualifications you disclosed to the insurer
• modalities not listed on your policy schedule
• under professional indemnity, injury or property damage from an accident connected with your practice, which generally sits with public liability

Important: This list is not exhaustive. Exclusions vary between insurers. Always refer to the policy wording and its terms and conditions for the exclusions that apply to you.

How professional indemnity is written for therapists

Professional indemnity is generally a claims made policy, meaning that a claim falls within the period of insurance when it's brought against you as a letter of demand or writ or civil suit, not when the services were originally provided. So it's important to keep your cover active and continuously in place (continuity of cover).

This then means that the retroactive date should cover you for services as long as you have been providing them. You can enquire with your broker or the upcover team about how you can also get an 'unlimited' retroactive date. See upcover's definition of a claims made policy.

Run-off cover when you stop practising

A complaint can arrive years after a session or services, so the end of a policy matters. Run-off cover keeps the window open for past work after you retire, stop operating, sell your business or exit your industry and go back to employed work. It is usually arranged for a set number of years.

The period varies between insurers. Importantly, it can only be arranged from your existing insurer with your current insurance policy. Some associations expect members to hold run-off for a time after they stop practising; this can be up to 7 years.

Practitioners commonly discuss it with a broker before a policy is cancelled and before they exit the industry or business, rather than after.

When to tell your insurer about a complaint

You can tell your insurer about a complaint before any claim is made. If you're concerned about a particular client service or experience, you can always consider telling your insurer as soon as you become aware of an incident, complaint or circumstance that could lead to a claim.

Importantly, this doesn't impact your premiums or cost of insurance until a claim arises, and it means that any future claim is triggered from the original date you notified the insurer, so it helps spread the risk of claims across policy periods too. You don't need to wait for a formal demand. Also keep in mind that notifying of a claim late may affect your claim.

You can start a claim through the make a claim page. Admitting liability, incurring costs or agreeing to a settlement before you notify your insurer may affect your claim. Starting a claim does not confirm that your claim is covered; your insurer assesses it under the policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits.

Does therapist insurance cover online and mobile practice?

Insurance for therapists may extend to online and mobile practice, depending on the policy wording. Online therapy insurance and mobile therapist insurance are commonly arranged on the same combined policy rather than as separate products.

Some policies extend to telehealth sessions with clients in Australia, and territorial limits differ between wordings. Some wordings restrict sessions with clients overseas. Whether a policy responds to sessions delivered online varies between policy wordings, so always check with your broker or the team at upcover. See are telehealth practitioners covered.

Mobile and home-visit practice means working in premises you do not control, so public liability insurance becomes more relevant. Professional indemnity insurance remains relevant to the treatment itself.

How much does therapist insurance cost?

The cost of insurance for therapists varies by profession and by the services you offer. Cost can also vary with your turnover, clinic or mobile practice, staff numbers, claims history and the limits and excess you choose.

For figures by profession, see upcover's cost guides for massage therapist insurance, counsellor insurance, psychologist insurance, occupational therapist insurance and osteopath insurance.

The ATO lists insurance premiums, including professional indemnity and public risk insurance, among business operating expenses you can generally claim. Only the business portion is claimable where an expense is also private. Confirm your own position with a registered tax agent.

How upcover can help

upcover arranges insurance for therapists through allied health professionals insurance, from physiotherapists and psychologists to counsellors, massage therapists and naturopaths. Cover is commonly arranged as one combined professional indemnity and public liability policy. upcover works with 80+ insurance partners and can arrange quotes from a range of insurers.

• 70,000+ businesses covered across Australia
• 4.9/5 customer rating
• Certificate of currency, a document showing your cover is in place, available once your policy is confirmed

If you are AHPRA-registered, your National Board's standard sets the requirement, and you can request a quote for allied health professionals insurance. If you practise a complementary modality, see therapy business insurance or the health, therapy and wellness industry page.

Frequently asked questions

Is therapist a protected title in Australia?

The bare word therapist is not a protected title in Australia. Several specific titles are protected, including occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist, osteopath and chiropractor. Misusing a protected title is an offence under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.

Which therapy professions are AHPRA-registered?

Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, osteopathy and chiropractic are the five therapy professions within the AHPRA scheme. AHPRA regulates 16 professions in total, and many of them are not therapy professions.

What is the difference between a counsellor and a psychologist?

The difference is registration. Psychologist is a protected title requiring AHPRA registration, while counsellor is not protected and counselling is not AHPRA-registered. Insurance conditions for counsellors come from professional bodies, health funds, leases and contracts instead.

Do complementary therapists need insurance in Australia?

Counselling, massage therapy and many other complementary modalities are not AHPRA-registered professions, so there is no AHPRA registration standard for them. Professional associations commonly ask members to hold cover, and health funds commonly want it before issuing a provider number. Practitioners in AHPRA-registered professions must have professional indemnity insurance arrangements that meet their Board's registration standard, under section 129 of the National Law.

What is professional complementary therapy insurance?

Professional complementary therapy insurance is a name some associations use for combined professional indemnity and public liability cover for complementary therapists. Whether products liability is included varies between policy wordings, subject to the policy terms.

How much does insurance for therapists cost?

Insurance for therapists costs vary by profession, services, turnover, practice setting, employees, claims history and the limits and excess you choose. upcover publishes separate cost guides for massage therapists, counsellors, psychologists, occupational therapists and osteopaths. You can also request a quote for your own practice.

Do health funds ask therapists for insurance?

Many health funds ask for evidence of cover before issuing a provider number. Some funds ask massage providers for at least $2 million professional indemnity insurance, according to the Association of Massage Therapists. Insurance is one part of provider recognition, alongside qualifications and each fund's own criteria.

Does therapist insurance cover telehealth sessions?

Some therapist insurance policies extend to telehealth sessions with clients in Australia. Territorial limits differ between policy wordings, and some restrict sessions with clients overseas. An upcover representative or a broker can talk through how a policy treats online practice.

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_{The information in this article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Registration standards, association conditions and health fund criteria can change, so check the current position with the relevant National Board, association or fund. Before deciding whether a product is right for you, read the policy wording and its terms and conditions. upcover arranges insurance products with selected insurers and underwriters and does not compare all general insurers or insurance products available in the market.}