Telehealth at The Talk Shop

Therapy is most effective face-to-face, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become the preferred alternative whenever possible.

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth sessions take place via video call or phone, usually from the comfort of your home. We understand there are concerns about the privacy and security of some common video platforms like Skype or Zoom, which may not offer the level of confidentiality required for therapy.

To address this, The Talk Shop does not use Skype or Zoom. Instead, we use Jitsi Meet, hosted on our own secure servers with end-to-end encryption, ensuring your sessions are private and secure.

Booking or Changing to a Telehealth Appointment

When you call to book a session—or switch an existing one to telehealth—we’ll check if you’re able to access a telehealth setup. Video calls are preferred, as they allow for a more natural interaction, similar to in-person therapy.

Currently, most initial appointments are booked as telehealth. Your Clinician will assess whether this format is suitable for your ongoing sessions and let you know if any changes are needed.

Future appointments will be arranged with this in mind—you and your Clinician will know if the next session will be via telehealth or in person.

Telehealth Eligibility

• Medicare: As of April 6, 2020, Medicare supports bulk-billed and rebated sessions via telehealth, where appropriate.

• TAC, Workcover, NDIS, DVA, and similar programs: These have specific criteria for covering telehealth services.

• Self-funded: If you’re paying entirely out of pocket (not using Medicare or other programs), you’re free to choose telehealth at any time.

You can find more details on this in our Telehealth Session Eligibility information.

What You’ll Need for Your Telehealth Session

Depending on how you’ll be joining the session, here are your options:

• A smartphone or tablet for video calls

• A PC or laptop with a webcam

• A phone for voice-only sessions

Submitting Referrals and Paperwork

If your first session is online, or you’ve received new paperwork (such as a referral), you won’t be able to hand it in physically. Here’s how you can send it to us:

Typical documents include:

• A Mental Health Care Plan (required for Medicare)

• A referral from your doctor (also required for Medicare)

• Any other relevant paperwork

Ways to send your paperwork:

• Scan and upload it using our secure upload portal (email reception@thetalkshop.com.au for the link)

• Use a scanner and your computer

• Use a free scanning app like Adobe Scan or Genius Scan on your smartphone

• Fax it to 1300 224 669

• Mail it to:
  The Talk Shop
  PO Box 400
  Diamond Creek VIC 3089
  (Please allow a few days for delivery)

Protecting Your Privacy

To keep your telehealth sessions private and secure:

• Your Clinician will verify your identity before beginning the session

• When prompted for a name in the video call, just a first name or initials is fine (even leaving it blank is okay—it just helps your Clinician know who’s who)

• We never include your full name in the video call link

• For phone sessions, we call you—so our number won’t appear on your phone bill