Improved Daily Living Supports Explained: Counselling Under the NDIS

For many NDIS participants in Adelaide and across South Australia, everyday life isn’t just about mobility or physical health — it’s also about emotional wellbeing, resilience, and mental health. That’s where counselling fits in.

Counselling under the NDIS is typically funded through Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living Supports. But what does that really mean? How can you use it for counselling if you’re self-managed or plan-managed? And what types of counselling are included?

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Improved Daily Living supports, how counselling fits within this category, and why it can be one of the most powerful ways to use your NDIS funding.

What Are Improved Daily Living Supports?

The NDIS groups supports into categories. Improved Daily Living (IDL) is a capacity building support category, designed to help participants build skills, independence, and resilience so they can live more fulfilling lives.

Supports under this category can include:

• Occupational therapy

• Speech therapy

• Physiotherapy

• Psychology

• Counselling

• Assessments and reports related to functional improvement

The key idea is that these services help you build capacity — meaning they give you tools and strategies you can use long-term, not just a quick fix.

Why Counselling Fits into Improved Daily Living

Counselling is specifically listed under IDL because emotional wellbeing and mental health are essential for daily functioning. Challenges like anxiety, trauma, grief, psychosocial disability, ADHD, or ARFID can prevent participants from taking part in work, study, relationships, or community life.

Counselling under IDL is not about “coping day by day” — it’s about:

• Developing emotional regulation skills

• Building resilience for long-term independence

• Overcoming barriers caused by trauma or mental health issues

• Improving relationships, communication, and participation in society

In other words, counselling builds the capacity to live a fuller, more balanced life.

Examples of Counselling Under IDL

Here are some ways counselling may be used under the Improved Daily Living category:

• Emotional regulation and resilience – learning to stay calm and balanced during stress.

• Anxiety counselling – practical strategies to manage panic, worry, and constant overthinking.

• Trauma counselling – safe support for processing past experiences that still affect daily life.

• Psychosocial disability counselling – long-term support for conditions such as PTSD, severe depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia.

• ADHD support – tools for focus, self-management, and emotional regulation.

• ARFID counselling – reducing fear around food and building confidence with eating.

• Grief counselling – support for adjusting to loss, including MS-related grief or grief about physical impairments.

• Sleep counselling – addressing insomnia and stress-related sleep disruption.

• Physical disability adjustment – counselling for those adjusting to amputations, muscular dystrophy, severe arthritis, or paraplegia.

How Funding Works for Counselling in IDL

Counselling under IDL is billed in line with the NDIS Price Guide.

• The price limit for counselling ~ (no out of pocket expenses 2025)

• Plan-managed participants: Invoices are sent to the plan manager, who pays the provider from your plan funds.

• Self-managed participants: You pay the invoice directly, then claim reimbursement through the NDIS myplace portal.

👉 If you are NDIA-managed (agency-managed), you can only use registered NDIS providers for counselling.

Plan-Managed vs Self-Managed for IDL Counselling

Self-Managed

• You have full freedom to choose your counsellor.

• Providers don’t need to be NDIS registered.

• You are not strictly bound by the NDIS price limit, though most services align with it.

• You manage invoices and claims through the portal.

Plan-Managed

• You can also use unregistered providers.

• Your plan manager pays invoices directly.

• Some plan managers may require providers to have insurance or professional membership (e.g. ACA or PACFA).

• Less paperwork for you, but a little less direct control.

Benefits of Counselling Through Improved Daily Living

Using your IDL funding for counselling can deliver powerful results:

• Reduced anxiety and stress: tools to regulate the nervous system.

• Healing from trauma: safely processing difficult memories.

• Improved confidence and independence: taking part in daily life more fully.

• Better sleep and energy: restoring rest and balance.

• Grief and adjustment support: coping with change, loss, or disability-related challenges.

• Greater community participation: feeling comfortable at work, school, or social events.

Participants often report that counselling helps them feel more capable, calmer, and empowered in daily life — exactly what the NDIS aims for with IDL supports.

Who Can Access Counselling in IDL?

Any NDIS participant with goals related to mental health, independence, or daily functioning can access counselling under IDL. This includes participants with:

• Psychosocial disabilities (mental health conditions)

• Autism or ADHD with emotional regulation challenges

• Trauma histories

• Eating-related issues such as ARFID

• Physical disabilities requiring adjustment support

• Neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis

• Sleep, grief, or behavioural challenges

How Counselling Works in Adelaide and South Australia

Counselling supports can be delivered in flexible formats to suit your needs:

• Face-to-face sessions in Adelaide for those who prefer in-person contact.

• Online sessions via Zoom for participants in regional or rural South Australia.

• Flexible scheduling to work around energy levels, mobility issues, or personal commitments.

This flexibility ensures that participants in both metro and regional areas can access high-quality counselling supports through their NDIS plan.

Practical Steps to Start Counselling Under IDL

1. Check your NDIS plan goals: Make sure goals around emotional wellbeing, independence, or community participation are included.

2. Find a counsellor: Choose a provider who understands anxiety, trauma, or your specific needs.

3. Confirm funding category: Counselling should be claimed under Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living.

4. Book your sessions: Start with an initial consultation to clarify goals.

5. Keep records: Retain invoices and agreements in case the NDIA requests evidence.

My Approach to IDL Counselling

As a counsellor supporting NDIS participants in Adelaide and South Australia, I provide counselling tailored to Improved Daily Living goals. My focus is on:

• Helping participants reduce anxiety, heal trauma, and improve resilience.

• Supporting psychosocial disability, ADHD, ARFID, grief, and physical disability adjustment.

• Offering flexible online and in-person sessions.

• Providing clear, NDIS-compliant invoices that are simple for self- and plan-managed participants to claim.

Final Thoughts

Improved Daily Living supports are about more than just therapy sessions — they are about building skills for life. For many NDIS participants, counselling is one of the most valuable ways to use this funding.

By investing in your emotional wellbeing through counselling, you can improve daily routines, strengthen independence, and create lasting change in how you experience the world.

If you’re in Adelaide or South Australia and looking to use your Improved Daily Living supports for counselling, I’d be happy to help.

📞 Contact me today to learn how NDIS counselling can support your goals for confidence, calm, and independence.