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Seeing a mental health professional can be a daunting experience.
Never mind the sterile waiting rooms, the unfamiliar office, and the anxiety of having to ask for time off work sometimes the hardest part is finding a car park!
With broadband speeds faster than ever, and with telehealth well and truly entering its prime, it might be time to reconsider how we think about mental health services.
The founder of Positive Mind Works Samantha Spafford is 10 steps ahead of this trend, and knows how her unique telehealth offering will make asking for help with mental health easier than ever.
The team at Positive Mind Works know how hard it can be for some Australians to find time to see a psychologist; busy schedules and kids often get in the way of taking time to look after yourself.
Positive Mind Works was created to fill a niche that makes the process flexible and seamless.
Spafford founded the business in 2012 as she was living in a remote part of the world and recognised the shortage of local health professionals. She realised that with telemedicine patients could have access to professional help no matter where they are in the world.
"I was born in Alice Springs, so I have a good understanding of what it's like to be isolated and cut off from city centres," says Spafford.
"When I started Positive Mind Works I thought that our main clientele would be in remote and rural locations. And we do have a good chunk of remote Australians who access our service, but what has surprised me is that the majority of our clientele are actually busy city people who need flexible appointments."
Positive Mind Works also encourages Australians to consider psychology is useful not just in addressing mental health concerns but also in reaching our full potential, both in our personal and professional lives.
"They need to be able to get home and put the kids in bed after working all day. They can log in and speak to someone from the comfort of their home where they feel a lot less anxious or inhibited."
This year, Medicare has acknowledged the importance of telemedicine for psychological services and has amended what can be covered in terms of rebated sessions.
Previously, four out of a potential 10 psych sessions had to be in person with a mental health professional. But realising how telemedicine services like Positive Mind Works are saving lives (and time) for busy Australians, they've increased the amount of potential sessions able to be claimed under telemedicine from six to 10.
Whilst Spafford is excited telemedicine is more accessible than ever before, she says users need to be savvy about how they go about seeking professional and appropriate help.
"First, you need to verify that the practitioner is registered in Australia," says Spafford.
"You can check all the details of all registered health professionals on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website."
"By using companies like Positive Mind Works you have access to a small professional team. All of our psychologists are carefully vetted before they join our service and participate in regular team meetings and group supervision."
With national coverage, Positive Mind Works are able to easily arrange appointment times around your schedule whether that is after business hours or on weekends. To book an appointment visit positivemindworks.co.
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