Here at Seachange Psychology in Cairns, we are very excited to announce that we will soon be offering online counselling. This is an exciting new service which enables people to access a qualified and experienced psychologist (Crispian Jones) online, from the comfort of their home. With one out of four women and one in six men suffering from depression at some stage in their lives, accessibility has never been more important.
What Is Online Counselling?
Online therapy is a relatively new development in mental health in which a psychologist provides therapy and support over the internet. There are a range of different programs that are used to provide this service such as Skype or Zoom. At Seachange Psychology, we use iCouch which is HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) approved. This means that all of our information is highly protected. iCouch allows people to attend their counselling session from the comfort of their home. The session is conducted just like a regular counselling session and people are able to see, hear and interact with their psychologist just as they would in a face to face session.
What are the benefits of online therapy?
Online therapy has become a popular option for many people for a number of reasons.
- It is easily accessible and people can receive therapy and support from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection, computer, tablet or phone.
- People don’t need to worry about how they will get to therapy if they don’t have a car or mode of transport.
- It saves people time as they don’t need to allow time to travel to their psychologist.
- People can avoid bumping into other people they know in the waiting room.
- Some people get anxious about visiting a psychologist or seeking treatment and support. With iCouch, they can feel more comfortable in their own home.
- No waiting for appointments!
Who is online therapy suitable for?
Any condition that can be treated with face to face therapy can be treated with online therapy. This includes mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, pain management and anger management. However, there are some situations where online counselling is not appropriate. Is someones life was in danger through self-harming behaviour or they were threatening to hurt others, online therapy would not be suitable.
Online therapy is making counselling more accessible to people suffering from mental health problems such as anxiety and depression which is becoming a common problem in our society. Many people that suffer from mental health illness fail to seek treatment and support because they have been misdiagnosed or cannot access treatment. Once diagnosed, those suffering from depression or anxiety benefit from additional support and therapy which can now be accessed from anywhere in the world. Contact Crispian Jones at Seachange Psychology in Cairns to find out more about our online therapy service on ph 07 4041 4147.