Telehealth

Book your online therapy session today using telehealth - it's secure and confidential

If you’re suffering from anxiety, stress, mood issues, or a range of other mental health concerns, Attuned Psychology provides quick access to confidential, secure therapy sessions online or over the phone, using telehealth.

Generally we recommend that video is the most helpful format for telehealth as it allows us to read the important non verbal communication, however if access to this is difficult or if you would prefer phone we are able to offer both options.

Telehealth is simply a method of conducting a therapy session using your computer or phone so you can see and talk with your therapist without needing to come to our practice.

Or make an appointment enquiry using our form

Choosing therapy via Telehealth has many benefits

While Telehealth is particularly helpful during this time of COVID with all of us subject to isolation periods from time to time due to being unwell or a close contact, this method of accessing therapy itself is a powerful medium that has many benefits.

The exciting news is that after the success of offering telehealth during COVID, you can now access a rebate under Medicare if referred to Telehealth under a Mental health Care Plan by your GP.

How safe and secure is Telehealth?

Whether you are visiting us in our rooms or accessing our practitioners via Telehealth, we always have your care and safety as our main concern.
For Telehealth sessions, we use a secure video system.
It is similar to Zoom but it has been specifically designed for and endorsed by many allied health professional bodies and meets the highest security standards necessary for psychological practice.
We’re very pleased to be able to offer online therapy to you because research has shown that a therapy session using telehealth is successful for a range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, panic disorder, adjustment disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and many other common issues that we see people for every day.

Some tips for preparing for a telehealth session

There are some tips, below, for getting the most out of your telehealth therapy session.

But, first, here is a short interview with one of our practitioners, Anne-Marie Newham, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Psychotherapist, for an overview of the process.

How to get the most from your Telehealth therapy session with Attuned Psychology

We ensure your experience is comfortable and safe.

Here are some tips for preparing for a therapy session using telehealth.

Find somewhere comfortable in your house that is quiet, confidential, and feels safe where you won’t be overheard. Some people even take their computers into their cars, if they live in a close household or a crowded work environment.
Consider using headphones to block out background noise and test your microphone and video link set up in advance to ensure the session starts as easily as possible and ask for help if you get stuck. Our friendly receptionists and practitioners are very willing to assist if something goes wrong. We can always move to the phone as a backup if the video breaks down or if you prefer this medium.
Find a comfortable chair that allows you to feel relaxed enough to talk and set up your computer or phone with some distance so you are not too close and not too far away, finding a distance that feels right for you in terms of your own personal boundaries and using a tripod or something to lean against to keep the phone steady if possible. Do your best to ensure that the lighting is good enough so that your therapist is able to read your expressions easily and see you well to ensure the best communication.
Have some things around you that are symbols of safety or will help soothe and ground you in the face of any discomfort that may arise- cushions, aromatherapy, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, water for hydration, tissues at hand, things that you can see that give you some pleasure, fidget toys, other sensory objects.
For kids, adolescents and parents, ensure that there are some access to things that the therapist may have suggested that will assist in e.g. paper and pencils, favourite toys, any comforting objects – stuffed animals, favourite cushion, blanket, games and ensure the parent is present if requested for younger children particularly to help guide and support the process. Our therapists have developed knowledge in making this a creative, collaborative process.
Limit distractions – turn off notifications on your phone, put it to one side, take away anything that might interfere with your focus. This is your time to focus on you – everything else can wait.
Give it time – forming a relationship whether face to face or online takes time. Trust doesn’t build overnight. It will feel different, but like any relationship it needs nurturing. Give yourself time to adapt to this medium, the slight lags from time to time and use it for the way you want it to be used.

Medicare and private health in relation to telehealth

We are pleased that the Federal government has recently recognised the importance of increasing access via telehealth across the community and has created new item numbers for use with Medicare.

We are also pleased to announce that private health funds have also joined this trend and 90% of them are now offering rebates for telehealth for either video or phone counselling.

Here is our summary of Telehealth for online therapy sessions, covering the different ways in which The Federal Government has announced that telehealth may be used with our psychologists, four currently with rebates attached:

COVID-19 Telehealth for allied health – Telephone or video links are used for consultations with both psychologists and our clinical mental health social worker. These items are accessible to the entire community to address the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and if accessing these services you will be billed for 30 mins or 50+ minute consultations depending on your needs and circumstances. You must have a mental health care plan in place to be able to access services and are able to use video/audio link (preferred) or telephone if more appropriate or you do not have the technology. If you have already accessed services under a mental health care plan with face to face sessions, you will be automatically able to use your plan to access sessions using Telehealth as an alternative. You will still have access to 10 sessions in a calendar year whatever way these consultations are delivered giving options for you to continue your care online or face to face. If you have not accessed our services before talk to your GP who will be able to refer you under a Mental Health care plan if they assess that you qualify for support, a consultation which can also be accessed via Telehealth if needed rather than face to face. Note that we are not bulk billing and are charging a gap beyond the standard bulk billing fee.
Consumers in rural, remote and very remote communities (as classified under the Modified Monash Model (MMM) regions as MMM 4 to MMM 7) are eligible to access consultations via telehealth given the lack of services in specific communities. These sessions require you to have both a video and audio link for you to be able to access services this way. If you live in a rural or remote region you may be able to access services with this government support – talk to us about where you live and we can determine if you qualify under this criteria.
Private health Telehealth consultations – If you have private health cover and are covered for psychology, you may now be able to access a private health rebate if you have already been a client of the psychologist through face to face services for 6 months under private health accessing. If you are a new client, provided you have a recommendation from your GP, you will be able to access services this way. Private health clients may access services via video/audio or telephone and may have consultations of whatever length they like, usually being 60 minutes but these may be 30 minutes or 90 minutes if needed. Checking with your fund is the best way to determine whether you will be covered under your private health insurance.
Private telehealth with no rebate -If you choose not to come under Medicare or private cover you may access our services via telehealth and would simply pay the full fee if you have no private health cover, accessing telehealth via video or phone links depending on their preference.