Telehealth and Online Counselling
Get the support you need when you need it the most.
Get access to convenient, comfortable and cost effective online counselling
ONLINE COUNSELLING
Sick of limited services and massive waiting lists?
Frustrated with being moved to different clinicians?
Overwhelmed because you can't find the help you need?
Annoyed at wasting time and money on unnecessary travel?
Get online and get the help and support you need
No more 12-month waiting lists, expensive and time cosuming travel costs.
Online counselling via telehealth is the way of the future, allowing quick access to support for people who otherwise could wait up to 6 months to see a counsellor and have to travel 100’s km.
We can provide the help you need when you need it
We guarantee zero to low waiting times - you don't have to wait 6 months for an appointment - get the help when you need it
Get support in the comfort of your own home. Don't waste money on 100's km of travel expenses and wasted time
You are not limited to a certain number of sessions and pushed to reach certain outcomes or goals
Online counselling means we can provide extra flexibility in availability and out of hours counselling so we are there when you need us.
Got children? We have convenient evening sessions which means kids are in bed and you can relax for your session.
DO YOU WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE YOU KNOW SEEING YOU AT COUNSELLING?
You arrive at the counselling office and sit down to wait your turn. The counsellor shares the office with other health professionals and the waiting room is full. Suddenly you realise that your colleague from work, family friend or neighbour is sitting there.
The counsellor comes out and calls you in – you realise in that moment that everyone is going to know by the end of the day and you make the decision to not go back
Online Counselling Sessions are private and confidential
Our Online Counselling Story
COVID-19 changed the landscape of mental health services, forcing many to offer online options.
However, at Seasons of Life Counselling, we had been providing online counselling since 2018. With my background in training counsellors, transitioning online was seamless.
When COVID-19 hit South Australia in 2020, I fully shifted to online counselling via Telehealth, ending in-person sessions. This decision proved successful, tripling my business, with 99.9% of clients highly satisfied with the convenience and effectiveness of online counselling.
I get the struggle
I have lived and worked in rural SA for 20+ years. As a counsellor who worked in schools for 10 years, I get the frustration of not being able to access suitable services in the local area
- The stress and cost of having to travel
- The distress when your counsellor gets changed
- The hopelessness when your sessions end after 5 or 6 and you’ve barely scratched the surface.
Rural and regional areas face a real problem – there are not enough counsellors and those provided by ‘funded’ services or Mental Health Care Plans are full and do charge a gap.
You don’t have to wait
Client Feedback
I contacted Seasons of Life Counselling when I was in a really tough spot personally. I had tried for ages to get an appointment at the local services and the wait time was 12 weeks. This really added to my stress at the time. I wasn’t too sure at first about counselling via video but Penny helped me and I was surprised at how connected I felt – it was really no different to being in the same room! Because I could see Penny online I was able to get help right away, when I really was desperate for someone to talk to. Penny’s warm, friendly personality made it a great experience.
CLAIRE – CLIENT
ONLINE COUNSELLING FAQS
IS ONLINE THE SAME AS IN-PERSON?
Answer
We believe so, yes*
Penny spent years counselling in-person before transitioning fully online and believes that there is little difference
The convenience of online counselling far outweights the slight differences
The benefits of online counselling are:
1. Convenience of not having to travel or go anywhere
2. Comfort of your own home and surroundings
3. Some people go and sit down the beach or somewhere nice in their car
4. Not being seen by other people in a waiting room
5. Saving money on travel
6. Increased flexibiity with times available for counselling
*There are some modalities e.g. play therapy or groups of people e.g. children that work much better in-person.
DOES IT MATTER YOU CAN ONLY SEE HALF MY BODY?
Answer
This is a great question and a valid one
My experience has been that as a counsellor your visual ability of picking up subtle nuances in the face, eyes and upper body movement increases.
Just like a person who has limited sight increases their capacity to hear – our brain adjusts to our environment and we become more finely tuned to the upper body.
WHAT VIDEO PLATFORM DO YOU USE?
Answer
We use Zoom primarily. If Zoom is not possible please contact Penny to discuss your needs.
WHAT DEVICES CAN I USE?
Answer
Most video apps are available on Laptop/Desktop, tablet and mobile (smart phones). Zoom is available on all of these devices.
You do need to have a video camera on your device. Phones and tablets are built in but some computers do not have a built in webcam so please check.
CAN I JOIN SITTING IN MY CAR?
Answer
Yes you can! I get many clients who sit in their car for privacy. Some in their garage and some go park their car somewhere nice.
Please make sure you have good internet and that no one is in the car with you – including children (unless young babies).
CAN I SIT IN A PUBLIC PLACE?
Answer
Generally no unless it is a secluded public place and no one is around you.
Cafes and other crowded public places are not suitable due to confidentiality that counsellors are required to uphold
DO I NEED GOOD INTERNET QUALITY?
Answer
Video requires a reasonable amout of stable data so please ensure that your plan allows for this particularly if using your phone or tablet
You also need quality internet otherwise it can affect the video and sound quality
We ask that you have your phone next to you so that if we loose connection we can continue the session on the phone
DO YOU OFFER PHONE COUNSELLING?
Answer
Yes we do – however we do prefer to do a short video call first to meet you.
This is particularly helpful for people who do not have the internet capability to do Zoom calls OR if there is some anxiety around being online.
I AM NOT GOOD WITH TECHNOLOGY
Answer
The majority of people with the right device and adequate internet can use Zoom.
You simply need to create a free account with Zoom
Download the app onto your device and login. We then send you a unique link when you book and at the time of your session you simply click on the link and it will prompt you to open in the app.
For you first use of Zoom we suggest opening it prior to the session as most operating systems (Windows, Mac, Andoid and iOS) require you to provide permission for Zoom to use the camera and microphone.
There are instructions provided in the counselling agreement and YouTube is very handy!
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
That is completely understandable. You want to have the best possible experience – it is important to you and to us.
We have provided some of the most common questions about online counselling. If you can’t find what you are looking for please contact us. For other questions please check out our general FAQ page
You are worth it
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Make your life, love, relationships & counselling career a priority today