Online Help

Richard is one of few Registered Psychologists and Accredited Life Coaches offering online coaching, with extensive experience in many kinds of issues.

Generally, counselling helps you discover links between your present behaviour and your past experiences, and strategies to overcome difficulties you are facing. Coaching tends to focus on the present and look towards the future. Coaching is more goal oriented whereby we look at what needs to change in the present to assist you in moving towards your goals and vision for the future.  Whether you receive counselling or coaching depends on an initial assessment in the first session, whereby you will be interviewed to determine your needs. Prior to the initial session, please also download a questionnaire from the resources page and return via email. This optional component is to help Richard get a clear sense of your relevant history, your current situation and what you are wanting from the online therapy.

If you’ve noticed that online counselling is slightly cheaper than face-to-face counselling, this is because there are less overheads when we meet online. This is also an introductory offer in recognition of the fact that online or telephone sessions do not generally attract a Medicare rebate (unless you are seeking psychological assistance under a Mental Health Care Plan from a remote area (Monash Region 4).

Skype online counselling is very secure. Skype video and chat uses encryption technology, which is the highest form of Internet security commonly available today.

As long as you can download Skype to your computer, open an account and understand how to make and receive calls, you will be able to participate in online counselling. You need only have a very basic knowledge of computing to be able to engage in the session.

If you are in crisis, please contact the 24-hour crisis counselling service in Australia called LifeLine on 131 114.  We do not provide a crisis counselling service and will refer you to LifeLine or another suitable organisation if necessary.

This will be answered in your first session. Keep in mind that if you are experiencing any of the following, it is unlikely that Skype online counselling is appropriate for you:

• Current domestic violence- emotional, physical or sexual
• Serious mood swings
• Any impulse to harm yourself or anybody else
• Heavy dependence on drugs and/or alcohol
• Sustained low mood over a period of months where you constantly sleep or can’t get enough sleep

Any of these factors may indicate a mental health issue. We would encourage you to seek help from your GP if you are experiencing any of those symptoms.

It’s true, Skype is not 100% reliable and very occasionally our session may be disrupted by a technical problem. If this happens and we are unable to restore our connection, we will ask you to telephone me to continue our session.

It’s your choice whether we do a video call or just an audio call. If you want to do a video call and don’t have a built-in camera in your computer, you will need to purchase a small camera. Also, it will help the call quality if you have an audio headset. Make sure you have all the software and hardware before we have our call. I also recommend that you test drive Skype with a friend or family member if you haven’t used it before, to familiarise yourself with the system and to make sure our call goes as smoothly as possible.

When you make your online booking, you will have the choice to pre-pay for the session via PayPal, or via bank transfer. PayPal is the Internet’s most trusted and used payment system available today. You don’t need an account and you can pay with your credit card.

If so, click on the schedule your appointment button at the top of the page.