Seeking counselling is a big decision for most people. It can be hard to recognise that you need help. And once you are willing to see a counsellor, you have to find the right one – someone with the right skills, in the right location and with availability that matches your schedule.
Booking a telehealth appointment with a counsellor can help you overcome many of those barriers. Let’s take a look.
What is counselling?
Counselling is a form of talk therapy led by a trained mental health professional.
Counsellors help you to understand what’s going on in your life and explore new ways of thinking, relating and moving forward. They give you a safe place to explore your thoughts, feelings, reactions or underlying beliefs about yourself and the world around you.
A counsellor could help you:
- Express painful feelings or experiences
- Change self-sabotaging habits
- Learn how to accept yourself
- See situations from a new perspective
- Learn how to manage conflict well
- Build healthier relationships
- Relieve symptoms of anxiety or depression
- Gain a stronger sense of identity and purpose.
Traditionally, counselling has taken place in the counsellor’s office – usually a nice room with a comfortable sofa, a vase of flowers and a box of tissues. But the era of telehealth has changed all that.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth means having a consultation with a healthcare provider by phone or video call. It’s been with us for a while but it shot to prominence in the early days of the pandemic when social distancing was vital.
Telehealth is ideally suited to counselling. After all this is ‘talk therapy’ where there’s no need for a physical examination or hands-on treatment.
What are the benefits of telehealth counselling?
Telehealth offers some key benefits that make it an ideal choice for many patients.
Improved access
Many, many Australians are in need of mental health care, resulting in long waiting lists. The Australian Psychological Society reports that now 1 in 3 psychologists has closed their books to new clients (before the pandemic it was only 1 in 100).
You may have tried to get in to see a local psychologist or counsellor and been told to come back in a few months. With telehealth, you can often get help much sooner because you’re not limited by geography.
A wider choice of providers
To attend a counselling appointment in person, you have to choose a counsellor in your local area.
Telehealth gives you a much wider choice of providers. You can select a counsellor who’s right for you, not simply one who’s nearby.Greater convenience
Seeing a counsellor in person takes time. The appointment itself might last an hour but the travel time there and back could easily double the time commitment. Then there’s the cost (and hassle!) of parking.
Depending on your other commitments, you may need to negotiate time off work or find someone to look after the kids. Often you’re rushing out the door just to get to your appointment on time.
You can sidestep all that with telehealth. You choose a location that suits you – all you need is some privacy and a phone or internet connection.
Continuity of care
Continuity of care is important. To open up about some of the deeper issues in your life, you need to trust your counsellor. And trust is earned over time. Regular appointments also help to keep you on track and making progress.
When there’s a lot of planning and hassle involved in getting to your counselling appointment, you’ll tend to start postponing sessions. It’s understandable – there’s only so much you can squeeze into the week.
Telehealth makes continuity of care easier. You can keep seeing your counsellor even when you:
- Move to a new location
- Are away on business
- Don’t feel well enough to attend an in-person appointment
- Are having a crazily busy week.
Removing stigma
Our society is becoming more understanding of mental health conditions but there can still be a sense of stigma attached. And that can make it difficult to walk into a building that’s clearly a counselling centre.
Telehealth is more private. It’s simply another phone call or another Zoom meeting. Everyone has those!
Come to Altru Health
If you’d like to talk through some of your struggles, we’d love to listen.
Altru Health is a 100% telehealth service that provides a safe space for you to explore your true self.
We deliver professional counselling alongside movement therapies and holistic wellness practices that help to integrate your body and mind. We help you nurture self-compassion and learn to accept yourself for the unique and wonderful person you are.
