Your questions, answered
Online Psychotherapy FAQs
Clear answers for preparing, booking and attending therapy online.
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Online therapy basics
What online psychotherapy is and who it may help
What is Online Psychotherapy?
Online Psychotherapy provides mental health consultation through the internet (web-based) to help individuals in facing life challenges and emotional difficulties caused by traumatic experiences, grief & loss and other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. The main objective of online psychotherapy is to help individuals to understand more about themselves and to live a satisfying and fulfilling life.
Who is suitable for Online Psychotherapy?
- When you are feeling depressed, anxious and overwhelmed by a prolonged sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
- When your issues have negatively impacted your relationships, academic performance, and occupation.
- When your issues have caused significant distress in your daily life functioning.
- When you are having major life changes, such as grief and loss, being fired from work, and any trauma-related events which caused you to have difficulties in coping.
- When you and your partners are experiencing distress in your relationship.
- When you would like to understand more about yourself and improve the quality of your life.
Who is not suitable for Online Psychotherapy?
- Client(s) being diagnosed with severe mental illnesses or psychiatric disorders.
- Client(s) with severe depression, having suicidal urges or difficulties in handling emotion that could cause violence or homicide.
- Client(s) who is/are currently in an urgent or dangerous situation.
Note: We do not provide 24-hour crisis service. If you need emergency help, please go to the Emergency Room of any public hospital or call 999 if you cannot go there safely: https://www.mypsychology.my/mental-health-helplines/
Are both Online Psychotherapy and Face-to-Face Psychotherapy the same in effectiveness?
According to recent psychological research, online psychotherapy is suitable to help those with depression, anxiety, etc. Online psychotherapy is suitable for a wide population, and can be as effective as traditional face-to-face psychotherapy when it comes to therapeutic effectiveness, and has gotten satisfactory feedback from clients.
References:
- Backhaus, A., Agha, Z., Maglione, M. L., Repp, A., Ross, B., Zuest, D., … & Thorp, S. R. (2012). Videoconferencing psychotherapy: A systematic review. Psychological services, 9(2), 111.
- Berryhill, M. B., Culmer, N., Williams, N., Halli-Tierney, A., Betancourt, A., Roberts, H., & King, M. (2019). Videoconferencing psychotherapy and depression: a systematic review. Telemedicine and e-Health, 25(6), 435-446.
- Berryhill, M. B., Halli-Tierney, A., Culmer, N., Williams, N., Betancourt, A., King, M., & Ruggles, H. (2019). Videoconferencing psychological therapy and anxiety: a systematic review. Family practice, 36(1), 53-63.
Can I understand more about the Online Psychotherapists’ background?
You can read about our psychologists’ qualifications, experience and areas of practice on their profile pages. Please visit our current team directory for up-to-date professional profiles.
To understand more about our psychotherapists’ background:
Getting started
Your first session, booking steps and preparation
What does the first Online Psychotherapy session consists of?
The first online psychotherapy session is 90 minutes long. The clinical psychologist will get a full picture of our client’s mental health condition through psychological tests/assessments and an intake interview, as well as provide clients with a general direction as to how the therapeutic journey will proceed.
Some of the things that clinical psychologists will try to understand through the first session include:
- What are the things that most concerned you right now? (Such as: low mood, or relationship concerns, etc.)
- How long have these concerns bothered you, and when did these concerns start?
- Have you, or are you currently accepting other forms of therapy? (Such as medication therapy)
- Your personal background: such as information about your family, education, career, and relationship/marital statuses, etc.
- Your personal interests (hobbies), or how do you handle stress, as well as your level of social support, etc.
During this intake process, all your private information will be kept confidential and safe. If after the intake process there is still time left in the first session, the psychotherapist will share with you his observations about your mental health condition (such as if you have symptoms that match with depression, etc.). The psychotherapist will also help you understand what started these problems, as well as the possible factors that sustained your current condition. They will also professionally consult you on the direction the therapeutic journey will take.
If subsequent psychotherapy sessions is needed for the clients, subsequent sessions will usually be 60 minutes long (unless special circumstances).
What are the steps to book an appointment for Online Psychotherapy?
- Fill up the registration form
- You will be contacted through Whatsapp
- Sign Informed Consent
- Complete Payment & Confirm Session Time
- Attend session online
What do I need to prepare for Online Psychotherapy?
- A safe, private and quiet environment
- A device that supports video calling (PC or smartphone)
- A pair of earphones/headphones
- A stable internet connection (at least 5MBPS above)
Technology & privacy
Your video platform, setup and personal data
Is my personal health data secure and protected?
Client’s personal health data is extremely important in online therapy. We follow the telepsychology guideline set by the American Psychological Association (APA). The software that we are using for online therapy is Google Meeting App that complies with the standard of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for keeping client’s data safe and secure.
Do I need to install any app / software for Online Psychotherapy?
We will use Google Hangouts Meet App for Online Therapy via video-conferencing.
- If you are using computer, you don’t have to download any app.
- If you are using smart phone, you need to download Google Hangout Meets App (Google Play / App Store)
The simple procedures are as below:
- You will receive a link from us in Whatsapp
- When you click the link, you will enter a virtual meeting room
- Session starts.
What are the charges of Online Psychotherapy?
For current psychotherapy fees, session lengths, and package details, please visit our Consultation Fees page.
How do I pay for Online Psychotherapy?
Option 1: Debit / Credit Card (Visa / Master), Online Banking, E-wallet (Boost)
We are using online payment gateway – Razer Merchant Services to receive payments. You will receive a link through WhatsApp and it will lead you to a secure payment page by Razerpay. You may choose your preferred payment option and make your transaction. Once you have completed the payment, you will receive an official receipt from us through Whatsapp and your session is confirmed.
Option 2: Manual Bank Transfer
Alternatively, you may also complete the payment via bank transfer to our company bank account (Maybank Account: 514589471511 / MY Psychology Sdn Bhd) and send us the receipt via Whatsapp (+601133445270). If you need to reschedule your confirmed appointment, kindly contact us one day before the confirmed appointment.
Note: Payment made is not refundable.
Can I reschedule or cancel my appointment?
If you need to reschedule the appointment, kindly inform us via Whatsapp (+601133445270) / http://wasap.my/+601133445270 at least 1 day (24-hours) prior to the actual appointment.
What are the types of cases that you are not able to consult?
MY Psychology do not engage in cases / has the right the decline cases that require psychological assessment, counseling and psychotherapy, psychological documentation or testimony for use in a court of law or for any other legal purpose.