Online Psychology & Therapy Sessions (Telehealth)
Focused Psychology are able to offer psychology therapy in the comfort of your own space through the use of secure and confidential video conferencing. Given the rapidly changing world of health care, studies have demonstrated that online psychological therapy can be effective in treating a wide range of mental health difficulties and life challenges.
Online sessions work the same as on-site consultations, however instead of meeting face-to-face in our office we meet in our online consultation room via Zoom.
Prior to your appointment you will need to download the Zoom Client for Meetings program on the device you plan to use for the appointment e.g. mobile, tablet, computer. You will receive a reminder SMS and email for your appointment and this will also include a link to the zoom meeting. At the commencement of your appointment you simply need to click the link on your message and the session will begin. You only need a computer/laptop or mobile device and internet connection for your online session. The Zoom video program is free to use.
We understand that using video conferencing technology may be new to some people and particularly as a way of attending health appointments. Our psychologists and friendly administration team are more than happy to speak with you over the phone to help you learn how to set up and attend Zoom sessions and troubleshoot if you get stuck at any time.
Focused Psychology are able to offer psychology therapy in the comfort of your own space through the use of secure and confidential video conferencing.
Your first session is an assessment. Your psychologist will direct the session and will ask you a range of questions in relation to your background, current difficulties and what brought you to seek help. We will also determine your goals for treatment and discuss treatment options. Often the first session will give you a real sense of your psychologist, their style and therapeutic approach. You might want to prepare a list of questions before your assessment to assist in understanding the therapeutic treatment process.
No you do not need a referral if you are not wanting to claim a medicare rebate. Otherwise you will need a referral from a GP or psychiatrist and what is known as a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). A MHCP will generally provide you with a total of six psychology sessions that attract a medicare rebate. If you require further sessions, you will need to go back to your referring GP and obtain a review of your MHCP to access a further four sessions.
From 2020, Medicare will have increased the number of sessions, providing an extra 10 sessions on top of the existing 10 sessions, totalling 20 sessions attracting a medicare rebate.
Please note that you cannot claim both the Medicare rebate and private health insurance.
You will need to ensure that Focused Psychology has a copy of your referral and MHCP (if you are using one(, your Medicare card number and any previous relevant documentation (such as previous psychology reports).
Payment is also required on your consultation, or payment arrangements should already have been made with our reception.
Our psychologists are highly experienced in assessment and it’s our job to ask the right questions and also pace our approach, given your circumstances and needs. You are most likely to experience the session as going quickly, rather than dragging on! We will help you feel relaxed, safe and confident you’re in the right hands.
Often your referring GP has a good sense of you and your specific needs, and may have suggested psychologists that are best suited to you. You are welcome to request our reception staff to arrange to speak with one of our psychologists to give you a better sense of what they are about and their style.
