Your time is valuable and we want you to have productive sessions. Follow these tips, and you’ll be off to a great start!

Plan

Pick a suitable day and time for your appointments where you’ll be most likely to be able to focus and work effectively with your psychologist.

Privacy

Make sure you have a suitable private space, somewhere comfortable and quiet, where you feel safe.

You will be discussing personal information, so think about who else can potentially overhear the conversation.

Be aware that the background behind you may be seen on the video link.

Minimise distractions

Remove potential distractions from the room (e.g. turn off music/television, avoid interruptions from others, ensure any children are supervised by others (this time is for you!).

Set up & Access

Make sure you have access to appropriate technology (e.g. computer/laptop/tablet/phone, camera, microphone).

Check that your device is fully charged and you are connected to the internet.

Have your mobile phone nearby in case your internet is not available and your psychologist needs to contact you.

Ensure that there is enough light in the room for you to be seen clearly. A lamp nearby can help with shadows.

Practice

Do you feel nervous about the technology working? You can test your video camera and audio with Zoom before joining a meeting to ensure that everything is working correctly. You can launch a test meeting anytime, click zoom.us/test to try it out.

You can also contact the practice and arrange a test run with our Administration team.

Join the virtual waiting room

Make sure you have your Zoom link email open and ready to go.

You do not have to download or install anything, and you do not need to create an account. At the time of your scheduled session, click the zoom link provided to join your psychologist’s virtual waiting room.

What do I do if the session disconnects?

On rare occasions, the video session might disconnect, but this can usually be rectified quickly. In the event that the video conference is interrupted, follow the plan discussed with your psychologist. If unsure, check your internet connection, attempt to reconnect through the Zoom link used to access the video session. If not successful, await a phone call from your psychologist with further instructions. In most cases, we can switch to a phone consultation instead.

Good visibility

Position the camera appropriately so the psychologist can see you clearly on the screen.

Make sure you are in a space that is well-lit, allowing a clear image and good eye contact. We are simulating a face-to-face session.

Questions

Think about any questions you have for the psychologist or any issues or discussion points you would like to talk about in session.

Feel free to hand write notes and ask for additional session resources like worksheets or information sheets.

Reflect

You might like to plan some time after the session before you return to your usual activities. We recommend clients plan for some brief quiet time or a soothing activity after the session.