WHY CHOOSE A TELEHEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONLINE PSYCHOLOGYWhat is Telehealth Therapy?
Telehealth allows the delivery of psychological therapy via the Internet. People also know it as online therapy, e-therapy, distance therapy, Internet therapy, web therapy, remote therapy, online psychology, and telepsych. Telehealth therapy uses a variety of online tools to facilitate secure conversations over the internet with a Psychologist in real time. This enables you to have a psychological therapy session from your home or office at a time that is convenient for you. Telehealth is like having a Psychologist near you no matter where you live in Australia!
Studies have shown that psychological therapy delivered via Telehealth has been found to be as effective as face to face therapy.
Here are a few good reasons to choose a psychologist for therapy
- As a Psychologist you are registered with the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency which means there is a national body overseeing your practice and ensuring you are appropriately accredited.
- Psychologists are required to attend ongoing professional development training to maintain their registration. This means they are up to date with the latest research and techniques to help people.
- Psychologists generally have trained at university for over 7 years which means they have a broad range of knowledge about a range of difficulties people may face.
- Psychologists follow a scientist-practitioner model. This model ensures the Clinical Psychologist can read and understand complicated research studies and apply these (in practice) to real life situations.
- Psychologists have been trained to understand research. Research can be difficult to understand and may not seem easy to apply to your individual situation. A psychologist should be able to explain research findings to you in a way that helps you to understand how it may apply to you.
- Psychologists have worked with many different people and have knowledge about what has helped other people with similar difficulties. This allows them to give you an overview of the types of treatment which may be helpful and to help you pick one that works for you.
- The services they offer have been researched on a wide range of people to find out which treatments are most effective and to ensure they are not harmful.
- Psychologists work under a scientist-practitioner framework so the treatments they provide need to have been proven to be effective.
- When a Psychologist develops a treatment plan for you they base it on research and best practice not just their own experiences. When research is conducted or guidelines are developed they use the experiences of many different people so they can give the psychologist a tool box with which to deal with your situation rather than just one idea which may not apply to your case.
- Psychologists use data and may collect questionnaires from you to help identify what is going on for you or to track your progress. You may also be asked to complete questionnaires that will be used in research which will help other people with similar situations in the future.
What are the advantages of Telehealth Psychology?
- Time efficient
- Fits in with your busy schedule and offers convenience
- Allows you to access psychological services directly from your home or office
- Provides a more comfortable option for people who find face to face therapy difficult
- The chat and email options are ideal for people who are better at writing about their situation than talking in person
What are the risks and limitations of Telehealth therapies?
- There is an absence of verbal and non-verbal cues so there is a need to discuss any concerns you have with the therapist openly so as not to misinterpret the communications.
- At times there can be difficulties with technology including internet and computer failures.
- Limits to privacy and confidentiality. While we provide secure communication at times there have been computer viruses or hacking which have exposed even governmental and banking data. While we will do our upmost to ensure this does not occur it needs to be noted for your consideration. The same confidentiality principles apply to on-line therapy as in person therapy in terms of sharing of information and storage of notes. Please see the APS ethical guidelines on confidentiality for more information.
Where in Australia can I access PsychHelp?
You can see a Telehealth Psychologist anywhere across Australia with PsychHelp. Yes that’s right anywhere in Australia as long as there is an internet connection.
- Cities including: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, and Darwin
- Regional Areas including: Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Wollongong, Illawarra, and Geelong
- Rural and remote communities: Rockhampton, Mildura/Wentworth, Wagga Wagga, Melton, Albury/Wodonga, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Toowoomba
We receive referrals from all over Australia. From the Tiwi Islands to the bottom of Tasmania and from the most remote parts of Queensland to the furthest reaches of Western Australia. We get to work with lots of people from cities and regional areas, but we are also lucky enough to work with people from the farthest reaches of Australia. Some of the people we work with live in places that do not even have addresses or show up on the map. Sometimes people live two hours from a paved road or ten hours from the closest town.
Are the PsychHelp services secure?
Yes. We take your privacy and security very seriously. We have the following measures in place to ensure that communication and payment is verified as secure.
- PsychHelp.com.au is SSL secured. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private.
- All payments are encrypted and we do not receive or store your credit card details.
- No accounts. You do not need to create an account and login to use our services.
- No downloads. Our services use browser based tools that comply with necessary security protocols.
- HIPAA compliant. Our video chat service is HIPAA compliant. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data. Any company that deals with protected health information (PHI) must ensure that all the required physical, network, and process security measures are in place and followed.
- Encryption. End-to-end encryption is always used and identifying information is never recorded.
PsychHelp was founded by Dr Mary Gregory | Director/Clinical Psychologist
I am a motivated clinical psychologist and have a passion for helping others. My training and work experience have enabled me to work with people experiencing a wide range of mental health concerns.
My focus is on using my psychological skills in assessment, formulation, and therapy to assist clients to manage their difficulties and to link them with people who can help. I am a strong advocate of evidence-based decision making and enjoy keeping up to date with the psychological literature. The memberships I have to the Australian Psychological Society and the College of Clinical Psychologists assist me to continually update my skills and knowledge. I am trained in evidence-based techniques such as behaviour modification, the circle of security, dialectical behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy, and trauma focussed therapies. I have been able to observe the positive results these techniques can achieve and am a strong advocate of working collaboratively with people to achieve positive results. I believe people can recover from mental health issues and go on to live happy and satisfying lives.
I am a Clinical Psychologist registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). I have completed extensive study on a wide range of psychological topics and have a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, a Master of Social Sciences, a Post-Graduate Diploma of Clinical Psychology, and I have completed a Doctor of Philosophy. I have worked in a range of settings including Child and Youth Mental Health, Adult Mental Health and in Addiction Services. As I have worked in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom I have an understanding of the different models of psychological services available in different countries and can use these to help you with your concerns. I am client centred and believe that change comes from ongoing support and mentoring. I also have an interest in interpersonal neurobiology, which examines the brain in the context of attachments or relationships.
Telehealth Psychology
for YOUR life
in YOUR time
Telehealth Psychology is a way for you to receive a valuable service in a different format, one that better suits your needs and your situation.
It takes the technology we use everyday and puts it to use in a way that’s beneficial to your life, in the moment that suits you best.
One in five Australians struggle with mental illness but less than half seek treatment, according to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. There are millions of people that could benefit from therapy but don’t seek the help they need because traditional therapy doesn’t adapt to their unique situation.
PsychHelp is here to change that.
Ready to talk to a Telehealth psychologist?
