Why choose an Online Psychologists in Melbourne?

 

Did you know research has found online therapy via phone or video consultation,to be similar in terms of clinical outcome as appointments held in-person at the practice.

At Positive Wellbeing Psychology, our Melbourne Psychologists have gathered up to date research findings to better assist you to find the best Melbourne Psychologist for your individual needs.You are likely to find this article useful because weexplore the benefits of online therapy with a Psychology. It is useful to note that online therapy is described by Medicare as Telehealth with a registered Psychologist.

Is Online Telehealth as effective as in-person sessions?

 

Up-to date evidence-based research findings have shown that the outcomes of telepractice is similar to in-person delivery. The research specifically indicated the working alliance, commonly defined as the therapeutic relationship between the client and psychologist, is adequately established in therapy delivered online (Backhaus et al,, 2012).

 

In line with these research findings, a systematic review also indicated that video conferencing technology,defined as audio and video information to be shared concurrently across geographical distances, was used and found to be effective in a variety of therapeutic formats and with a diverse range of populations.

 

Telehealth has been found to be generally associated with good user satisfaction and to provide similar clinical outcomes to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy (Cook & Doyle, 2015).

 

Based on these findings, we can advise that that Melbourne Psychologists practicing online via telehealth is just as effective clinically in terms of the therapy outcome and user satisfaction as a Melbourne Psychologists consulting with clients in a face-to-face therapy capacity. This is great news for individuals residing in rural areas of Australia or individuals that are struggling to leave the home or office by a certain time to make an appointment.

 

Studies have gone further to suggest that some clients feel more comfortable, due to the fact of reducing the feelings of shame and embarrassment when discussing more challenging issues (Simpson & Read, 2014).

 

How the Pandemic impacted the way of life and Medicare Rebates?

 

The Covid-19 pandemic really shook up the world and changed the way people approached daily-life including work, medical appointments, maintaining interpersonal connections and restructuring the method of engagement for all social gatherings. We have learned to do most of the things from the comfort of our homes.

 

Staying at home for the extended duration to reduce the spread of the virus has also had a significant impact on mental health. There has been an increased level of awareness about mental health issues recently prompting individuals to seek professional help from Melbourne Psychologists. 

 

Positive Wellbeing Psychology has also seen a rise in the number of clients who wish to seek help to improve their mental health. Most of these clients are comfortable seeking online therapy from our warm and compassionate Melbourne based Psychologists.

 

There could be several reasons for this preference including: the comfort of being at your home, no travel expenses, removing travel time and parking stressors, and the freedom to attend sessions at your convenience. Also, keeping the pandemic in mind, this seems to be the only viable option for clients. 

 

Online therapy provides individuals the freedom not seen in the traditional methods of counseling sessions. The internet has opened up this field for the mental health field and it is a good opportunity to learn about the benefits explored above for online therapy. 

 

Considerations before making an appointment with one of our Melbourne Psychologists at Positive Wellbeing Psychology.

 

To get it right, there are a number of factors that need to be considered when setting up a suitable therapy space. Below are a few that we wanted to share with you today!

• The right device – Choosing the right technology that is available and will work best for you it so important. We highly recommend using laptops and iPads – this is because they give flexibility and can easily be positioned to suit a task or location.
• Positioning – Finding the right position for your device can make a difference to the level of comfort and ambience set for the session. You may wish to consider factors such as the lighting, background and whether a table or floor space will be needed. Positive Wellbeing Psychology recommend getting super comfy – have a little table close by with a warm tea or coffee present. If you feel that you lose focus in the session and need to be grounded to the present moment – simply wrap your hands around your warm cup of tea! Bring yourself back to the present moment, then continue. Choose an environment that has good lighting, so you have clear vision of the psychologist. Do not forget to consider the background in the location you have chosen because it may be visible to the psychologist.
• Location – Determine the best location to suit the goals you are working on, for example home, school, workplace, or community location. Regardless of the location you choose, you need to make sure minimal to no disruptions will take place once the session commences. Therefore, letting your partner, children or colleague know that you are on a private (or important!) call is best practice!
• Be prepared – Positive Wellbeing Psychology will ensure you feel comfortable and prepared to take the initial session in your preferred space, well before the day. However, we still recommend plenty of time before the session to prepare. You may want to consider what resources you need for before the session. These may include any ‘between’ session tasks such as thought diaries, food monitoring records, worksheets, or journals!
• Technical Difficulties – Unfortunely, whilst rare with our expert psychologists as we ensure our wi-fi is well connected, technical and other difficulties can happen so take a deep breath and do not panic. Your psychologist at Positive Wellbeing Psychology will make sure the session runs smoothly. If the video conference drops our then you will receive a phone call on your mobile number (via a private number).
• Digital resources – Positive Wellbeing Psychology find telehealth via video conference useful as we can use our digital resources during the session. Using screen-share, you can easily share our PDFs, videos, apps, and webpages on your screen. Ask your psychologist to screen-share in your session if you are a visual learner – our clients have provided positive feedback with this functionality and love to use this during their sessions!
• Minimise Disruption – Choose an environment for the telehealth consultation where you are not likely to be distracted or interrupted. It is important to avoid having children or other people requiring attention during the therapy consultation, turn off phones or other devices not being used for therapy, and choose a location that has minimal noise disturbance. Discuss your concerns and plan openly with your psychologist how to handle any situation where you might be interrupted.
• Make time Afterwards – Plan for some brief quiet time after each session before returning to your usual tasks,
• For child and/or young persons – Psychologists will need to consider the potential presence of an adult/parent/carer and how the child’s privacy is to be managed. This may require a discussion with the young person and their parent/carer during the initial session. Confidentiality limitations will be discussed with the young person and their parent/carer.

 

Many of our clients booked with our Melbourne Psychologistsfind the online therapy via phone or video consultation to be discrete and often preferable.

 

We’d love to hear your experience! Comment below if you have any tips to share that made your telehealth video conference a particularly pleasant experience.

Learn more about our services here: http://www.positivewellbeingpsychology.com.au/