Online Psychotherapy
Online therapy is a convenient alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy and has been shown to be effective in helping with many difficulties. However online therapy has limitations. There is a lack of “personal” face-to-face interaction which can make therapy feel less of a relational experience.
It is also not an appropriate medium if you are seriously depressed, have serious substance dependence, or you are experiencing intense suicidal or homicidal thoughts. Seeing a mental health professional face-to-face is recommended in these situations. Like most forms of psychotherapy, online therapy can make you feel worse before you start feeling better and the changes you experience may create conflict in your close relationships.
If at any time you feel that online therapy is not providing the expected support, please raise these concerns with me so that we can talk this through and think together about whether there may be other options that may be more suited to your needs. This may involve referral to another mental health service and termination of the online therapy will occur without prejudice to yourself.
I am offering online therapy on the following platform:
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Zoom
Technological requirements and competences
To engage in online therapy, you will require a device that can connect to the internet and be able to install and use the software that we agree to use for communication. A reliable high-speed internet connection (minimum 4Mbps for video) is also required. Please be aware that online therapy may utilise significant amounts of data, especially if video (300-800MB/hour) is used.
Procedure for technical difficulties
Disruptions can occur when using the internet to communicate. Should our communication be disrupted, I will immediately attempt to reconnect and resume the session. However, I will attempt to reconnect but if I am unable to, I will call you on your mobile number so we can discuss options to continue the session via another medium (such as Whatsapp video call) or to possibly reschedule the session. If attempts to contact you via your mobile are unsuccessful, I will email you to discuss rescheduling.
Confidentiality
Any information provided to me will remain confidential and will not be given to a third party unless you give me specific permission to release the information. However please be aware that if there is a significant risk of you seriously harming yourself or another person I am obliged to act to prevent harm, which may involve giving information to a third party.
Online therapy utilizes the Internet for the transmission of personal information and therefore there are increased risks to confidentiality and it cannot be guaranteed. To protect your confidentiality, I will require that we use services that provide encryption to communicate. Please consider password protecting the devices you use and installing antivirus software to prevent access by third parties.
Please ensure that you use a private environment when engaging in online therapy so that intrusions can be minimised. Create a comfortable and safe space for yourself where you can engage privately and confidentially in the online session.
Crisis Management
It can be difficult to deal with emergency crisis situations when using online therapy as we are often in separate locations. I will therefore ask you to provide the contact details of a local family member or friend and a local medical practitioner who can be contacted in the case of an emergency. If you are in crisis and there is a disruption while we are engaging in online therapy, then you should immediately phone me.
Health records and documentation
Your health records will be stored in hard copy and kept secure and confidential at my practice, as per HPCSA regulations. I do not store any personal data electronically with the exception of information required by medical aids, for which I will have requested your written consent, and for the purposes of billing. All electronic records are stored in password protected documents and transmitted electronically (where you have provided consent) with a disclaimer. There is a possibility that this information can be intercepted by a third party, and I will take all reasonable precautions to ensure those communications are secure and that your privacy is safeguarded.
Legal recourse
I am registered as a Clinical Psychologist (Registration No: PS 0099384) with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and my professional behaviour is governed by this regulatory body. Please note that if you are not located in South Africa then any legal recourse will only be available in South Africa. You can verify my registration with the HPCSA at the following link: http://isystems.hpcsa.co.za/iregister/
Billing
My services are billed by time and sessions are normally 51 - 55 minutes in duration. The fee for a 51- 55 minute consultation is R1100 cash EFT or according to your medical aid rates. Invoices will be emailed to you and you can pay for services via electronic funds transfer. Please be aware that consultations that are missed or cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice will be billed.