Our Online Service
What is an online service?
Our online service is a convenient way available to anyone within Australia and internationally, enabling them to access Psychological support in the convenience and safety of their home, utilising an online video conferencing facility such as Skype or Zoom.
Using Skype or Zoom, appointments are conducted in the same way as a normal face-to-face session, enabling you to have a private conversation with us, i.e., seeing, hearing and interacting with us like in any normal appointment.
Who is online Psychological support for?
Online Psychological support utilising Zoom or Skype is suitable for anyone who, due to their personal circumstances, are unable to seek Psychological help, consulting a Psychologist in their consultation room.
Psychological issues such as posttraumatic stress disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic pain management, grief experience and response, phobias, anxiety/Panic Disorders (including OCD), and depressive disorders are very suitable for online Psychological support.
Which Psychological issues are not appropriate for online management?
Severe ongoing presentations including psychosis, unmedicated bipolar disorder, eating disorders requiring a multidisciplinary team approach (i.e., where a person's safety is at risk) are not suitable to online psychotherapeutic support.
Similarly, where a person is struggling with self-harming or suicidal ideation and the risk of self-harm or suicide is high, Psychological support online is not appropriate. The same goes for conditions where a person is struggling with homicidal ideation (i.e., inflicting harm to others) and concerns about the well-being of a child under the age of 16.
Is online Psychological support as effective as a face-to-face consultation?
Research has shown that online Psychological support using videoconferencing technology such as Skype or Zoom has been found to be as effective as a face-to-face appointment for a variety of mental health problems.
Online Psychological support has the advantage of people feeling safer and less awkward and inhibited to openly discuss issues they may otherwise find difficult to disclose during a face-to-face encounter.
What equipment do you need to access online Psychological support?
You will need access to a quiet, private space where no disruptions can derail the psychotherapeutic process.
You will also need a computer with a camera, microphone and speakers (or earphones/headphones), and a reliable broadband internet connection.
In addition, you will need to create a free Skype or Zoom account, with an email address and access to Internet banking for payments.
Click for more information on how to use Skype or Zoom.
Click for more information on how to use Skype or Zoom.
What is the duration of an online Psychological session and how much does it cost?
Depending on the prescribed psychotherapeutic treatment programme, the duration of online Psychological sessions may vary between 50 to 90 minutes.
Consultation fees depend on the length of a consultation. For the 2021 financial year, consultation fees for a 50 minute session are AU$130. Sessions between 51 and 90 minutes are AU$170. Consultation fees are adjusted on a yearly basis.
Please note: As from 9 October 2020 until June 2022, Australian residents living in Australia and being referred by their doctor, are eligible for 10 additional sessions during COVID-19 under the Better Access Pandemic Support measure. I.e., these sessions are in addition to the normal 10 sessions per calendar year under the Medicare Better Access Mental Health Care Scheme. Please contact us for more information and fee structures under the COVID-19 Better Access Pandemic Support measure.
If you are considering to access our online Psychological support, contact us today and we endeavour to answer any questions you might have and help determine your specific needs in this regard.
Once your appointment has been booked, your will receive an email from us with clear instructions on how to access your online appointment using either Skype or Zoom, as well as payment instructions.