IMPORTANT CHANGES AT THE BONDI PSYCHOLOGIST IN 2024
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Online Therapy and Online Psychologist Australia ~ Virtual Counselling at The Bondi Psychologist
Our Psychologists offer online therapy sessions via Zoom or our virtual clinical platform.
These platforms are online video chat services that allow you to attend a virtual psychology session in the comfort of your home, office or hotel room.
Our online Psychologists serve Australians and those overseas, provided your technology is adequate.
If you’re not yet familiar with Zoom, it’s a free piece of software that you can quickly download and install on your computer.
Zoom is fast to set up and straightforward to use, as long as you have a webcam and either an internal microphone (most computers have one built in) or an external microphone (one that you plug in). It can even work on your phone.
Likewise, our clinical virtual therapy platform is as easy as clicking a link to join your online psychology session.
Your therapist has a preferred method of online counselling and will advise you prior to your appointment on the service you will use.
Is Online Therapy As Effective As Counselling In Person?
Research indicates that the outcome for clients who have received therapy from an online Psychologist is similar to those having standard therapy in person.
In 2012, Psychologist Dr Autumn Backhaus and her associates conducted a literature review of studies on videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP), examining 65 articles. The researchers concluded that this form of counselling is “generally associated with good user satisfaction and is found to have similar clinical outcomes to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy”.
Advantages of Virtual Therapy
- When you have a virtual Therapist, you are not limited by geography. We can offer you online counselling wherever you are.
- If you begin attending our clinic in person but you have to move away, we can continue our relationship without you having to travel long distances. It can be hard to establish a relationship with a new Psychologist and often the process of starting again is stressful.
- We can offer online Psychology sessions with you if you have mobility restrictions, live in a remote area, are caring for children or elderly family, if you are unwell or unable to travel for other reasons. But even if you’re not restricted, we can offer virtual counselling if it’s simply your preference.
- Online therapy may also be ideal for you if you work offshore (like on an oil rig or in marine services) or overseas. Living in a foreign country can make it hard to find a Therapist who understands your culture and language, so accessing an online Psychologist in Australia is a valuable solution in this situation.
- Virtual counselling may allow you to feel more relaxed, safe and in control of the process. Some people find it less intimidating or embarrassing than being in the same room with their Therapist.
Online Counselling: Factors to Consider
- We offer virtual psychology treatments to both individuals and couples provided you can be in a quiet environment with no disruption from kids, family, other people or loud noise.
- It would help if you already have Zoom set up, tested and running prior to our session, but don’t worry if you haven’t. It basically sets itself up! If you are invited to use our clinical platform, it’s as easy as clicking a link to join your online psychology session.
- You must ensure that you can be online at the appointed time, in a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted or overheard.
- Virtual counselling is not suitable for you if you are at risk of suicide, in acute crisis, or you have serious mental health issues – there are limits to what we can do during online psychology sessions. If you’re in this position, your GP is always your first port of call.
- For our online counselling sessions to work smoothly, you need a high-speed broadband connection, plus a webcam and microphone on your computer, tablet or phone. You can purchase a webcam fairly inexpensively if your machine doesn’t have one. We’ll check your connection in our initial virtual counselling session. If it’s not adequate, we may conduct your session by telephone until you can access a reliable internet connection or obtain the necessary equipment.
- Bear in mind there is always going to be a risk of the technology failing, which would be especially alarming if it occurred at a critical point in the session. In our first virtual meeting we will create a plan for what to do in the event of a technical glitch.
- While some people find it less stressful to speak with an online Psychologist, others might find it disconcerting. There is no handshake or physical gestures of comfort and we can’t hand you tissues at emotional moments. For some, online therapy can feel distant and cold. You will be able to gauge how you feel about virtual counselling throughout your first couple of sessions.
If you think virtual counselling is right for you, please contact The Bondi Psychologist to arrange an online therapy session.