My experience providing clinical services to clients via Telehealth started when I worked for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). Based in Broken Hill NSW, my psychologist colleagues and I provided appointments to clients in remote locations both in person and via audio video connection.
I was working in my Melbourne practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Melbourne experienced extended periods of lockdown, during which time I moved my practice online and I provided treatment to all of my clients via Telehealth. Many of my clients have continued to meet with me online, choosing Telehealth as their preferred way to connect.
Research supports that psychological services provided via Telehealth are efficacious. This research and my own experiences have demonstrated to me that with careful planning, Telehealth offers a meaningful way to connect with clients and an effective way to provide treatment.
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Thomas, N., McDonald, C., de Boer, K., Brand, R. M., Nedeljkovic, M., & Seabrook, L. (2021). Review of the current empirical literature on using videoconferencing to deliver individual psychotherapies to adults with mental health problems. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
Hodge, M. A., Sutherland, R., Jeng, K., Bale, G., Batta, P., Cambridge, A., Detheridge, J., Drevensek, S., Edwards, L., Everett, M., Ganesalingam, K., Geier, P., Kass, C., Mathieson, S., McCabe, M., Micallef, K., Molomby, K., Ong, N., Pfeiffer, S., … Silove, N. (2019). Agreement between telehealth and face-to-face assessment of intellectual ability in children with specific learning disorder. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 25(7), 431–437.
