Oct 2026: Books currently closed. Will re-open from Feb 2027 for March availability.
Online psychotherapy for adults with a Melbourne-based registered psychologist. Weekday morning appointments, AEST.
If you’ve already decided you want to see a psychologist, the next set of questions is usually practical. Can I actually get an appointment? Will it work as well as sitting in a room with someone? Are Medicare rebates possible? Is it private and confidential?
Telehealth psychology answers most of the logistical problems that might stop people from starting therapy. There’s no commute, no parking, no waiting room, and no half-day taken off work for a fifty-minute session. Therapy from home in Australia means you can attend from wherever you already are — which for a lot of people is the difference between therapy happening and therapy staying on the list of things to sort out eventually.
It also opens access for people who’ve historically had the least of it: those in regional and rural areas where the nearest psychologist is hours away or booked out for months, people with limited mobility or chronic health conditions, parents working around childcare, shift workers, and people who find leaving the house genuinely difficult.
The benefits of telehealth therapy that matter most are usually the practical ones:
Therapeutic fit, in particular, is worth thinking about. In-person therapy means choosing from whoever is within a reasonable distance of you. Online, the question becomes whether a particular psychologist’s approach and way of working suits you, which is a considerably better basis for a decision, given that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the more reliable predictors of whether therapy helps.
A reasonable concern about online therapy is that it might feel transactional — a video call where you report on your week and receive some advice.
That isn’t how Alicia works. Her practice is psychodynamic and relational, which means the therapeutic relationship itself is central to the work rather than a backdrop to it. Patterns of feeling, thinking and relating — often shaped in earlier relationships — tend to emerge within therapy, where they can be gently noticed and explored. That process happens over a video connection much as it does in a room.
Her work is collaborative and guided by shared curiosity. Together you explore how your experiences, relationships and life context have shaped things as they are now, and within a supportive space, deeper layers of experience can come into view — including feelings and patterns sitting outside immediate awareness. Alicia works in a non-directive way, meaning she won’t hand you a set of instructions to follow. Instead, she will support you to find your own way forward.
Emotional presence, careful attention and genuine reflection all translate to telehealth. What changes is the logistics, not the nature of the work.
Research into online therapy effectiveness has grown substantially, and the broad finding is that telehealth can be effective for many people across a range of common presentations. For a large proportion of clients, it works well.
That’s not the same as saying it’s equally suitable for everyone, and it would be misleading to claim otherwise. Suitability depends on the individual: what you’re bringing to therapy, whether you have reliable access to a private space, your circumstances and safety, and how comfortable you feel communicating over video. Some people simply prefer being in a room with someone, and that’s a legitimate preference rather than a failure to adapt. However, if you are open to telehealth, there are a range of potential benefits.
Online therapy isn’t appropriate for every person or every situation, and it’s better to be clear about that upfront than to discover it later.
Telehealth may not suit you if you don’t have reliable access to a private, safe space, or if you need a level of support that requires in-person care, coordinated services, or a treating team able to respond quickly in-person. You might also wonder if you might prefer meeting a clinician face-to-face.
Alicia is happy to discuss suitability during the free 15-minute call, and the first few sessions also function as an assessment period for both of you, including whether a telehealth format works for you. If it doesn’t feel like the right fit, Alicia can provide a referral to a clinician or service better matched to your needs.
The process is straightforward.
That last one is easy to skip and worth protecting. One of the few genuine losses in telehealth is the transitional time an in-person appointment builds in — the drive home, the walk to the car. Leaving ten minutes either side of a session, rather than moving straight from a meeting into therapy and back again, might make a noticeable difference.
Confidential online therapy depends on two things: the psychologist’s professional obligations and the environment you attend from.
As a registered psychologist, Alicia is bound by professional and legal confidentiality requirements. What you discuss in session stays in session, and clinical records are maintained securely.
Sessions are delivered via secure telehealth technology. Reasonable steps are taken to protect privacy, though it’s worth being straightforward about the limits: telehealth relies on internet-based technologies, and absolute security cannot be guaranteed by any provider.
This is the part within your control, and it matters.
Maintaining a private space for sessions is an essential part of creating a therapeutic environment where you can speak openly. If an unexpected interruption occurs that affects your privacy, let Alicia know, and the situation can be discussed. Depending on the circumstances, the session may pause briefly. If ongoing barriers to privacy make it difficult to speak freely during sessions, these concerns can be explored, including whether telehealth continues to be the most suitable option.
As with all psychological practice in Australia, there are circumstances where a psychologist may be required to disclose information — including where there is a serious risk to your safety or someone else’s, or where records are subpoenaed by a court. These limits are explained as part of informed consent before therapy begins, and you’re welcome to ask about them beforehand.
Alicia Shevlin (she/her) is a registered psychologist based in Melbourne, providing telehealth psychotherapy to adults throughout Australia. She is registered with the Psychology Board of Australia through AHPRA, which brings with it ongoing professional standards, supervision requirements and a code of conduct — and because registration operates nationally, she can work with clients in any Australian state or territory.
Alicia has worked in mental health since 2016, beginning in the domestic and family violence sector before moving through community, university and public health settings and into private practice. Her therapeutic work is psychodynamic, and she takes a non-pathologising view of mental health — placing less weight on diagnostic labels and more on understanding each person as an individual with their own history, strengths and goals.
She works with adults aged 18 and over, and with people of all genders, sexual orientations and sex characteristics, including intersex people, and is experienced in supporting members of the transgender community.
AHPRA registration: PSY0002275993
Member: Australian Psychological Society
Alicia also works with body image concerns, eating disorders, addiction or problematic substance use, anger, and identity-related concerns.
AHPRA registration operates nationally, not by state. That means Alicia can work with clients anywhere in Australia regardless of where she’s based — the practical limits are set by time zones, not by borders.
Appointments are available on weekday mornings only, both before and after 9:00 am, scheduled in Australian Eastern Standard Time (or AEDT during Victorian daylight saving). Because Victoria observes daylight saving and several other states either don’t or shift by different amounts, the time an appointment lands in your state changes across the year.
What 9:00 am in Melbourne looks like elsewhere:
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Your location
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Standard time (approx. Apr–Oct)
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Victorian daylight saving (approx. Oct–Apr)
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|---|---|---|
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VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS
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9:00 am
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9:00 am
|
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Queensland
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9:00 am
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8:00 am |
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South Australia
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8:30 am
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8:30 am |
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Northern Territory
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8:30 am | 7:30 am |
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Western Australia
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7:00 am | 6:00 am |
Weekday morning therapy generally works well for people in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory. Exact appointment times are confirmed when you book, and it’s worth noting the daylight saving shift if you’re outside Victoria — your usual slot will move by an hour or half an hour twice a year.
Alicia is based in Melbourne, and appointments are scheduled in local time, so Victorian clients get the most straightforward arrangement — no time zone conversion, no daylight saving adjustment, and morning appointments that sit comfortably around a working day. Online psychology in Melbourne also means access from anywhere in the state, including regional Victoria where local options are often limited.
New South Wales shares Victoria’s time zone year-round, including through daylight saving, so appointment times are identical to those in Melbourne. A telehealth psychologist in NSW is a practical option whether you’re in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong or regional and remote parts of the state, where waiting lists for in-person psychology can run to months.
Queensland doesn’t observe daylight saving, which means appointment times shift by an hour between about October and April — a 9:00 am Melbourne appointment becomes 8:00 am in Brisbane during that period. Worth planning around, but entirely workable, and morning appointments suit a lot of people. Online psychology in Queensland covers Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville and regional areas alike.
South Australia runs half an hour behind Victoria and observes daylight saving on the same schedule, so the offset stays consistent year-round — a 9:00 am Melbourne appointment is 8:30 am in Adelaide. That makes online therapy in South Australia one of the easier interstate arrangements to plan around, whether you’re in Adelaide or regional SA.
Alicia welcomes enquiries from Western Australia, although her morning appointment times will only suit some people. A 9:00 am Melbourne appointment is 7:00 am in Perth during standard time and 6:00 am during Victorian daylight saving. If early morning appointments work well for you, feel free to get in touch to discuss whether the schedule is a good fit.
For a great many people outside the capital cities, telehealth isn’t a convenience — it’s the only realistic route to psychological support. Local services may not exist, may have waiting lists measured in months, or may be a several-hour round trip away. Access to psychology in rural Australia has historically meant taking whoever was available, if anyone was. For some people, telehealth also provides an added sense of privacy, particularly in smaller communities where maintaining privacy and discretion can feel more difficult.
Telehealth changes that. It means being able to choose a psychologist whose approach actually suits you, attending consistently without organising a day around it, and continuing therapy through harvest, shift work, weather or anything else that makes travel impractical. Alicia
A few things worth knowing before you book:
Current session fees, rebate amounts, out-of-pocket costs and cancellation terms are all set out on the fees page.
Alicia works with adults aged 18 and over located in Australia. Because AHPRA registration is national, she can see clients in any state or territory — though her weekday morning AEST appointment times make telehealth most practical for people in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory. She works with individuals and does not provide couples therapy.
Appointments are weekday mornings, scheduled in AEST or AEDT during Victorian daylight saving. Victoria, NSW and the ACT align exactly. Queensland matches during standard time and runs an hour earlier during Victorian daylight saving. South Australia sits half an hour earlier year-round, and the Northern Territory between half an hour and an hour and a half earlier depending on the season. Western Australia might work for people who find early morning appointments convenient.
Very little preparation is needed. Test your camera and microphone beforehand if you can, find a private space where you won’t be interrupted or overheard, and have headphones available if others are around. You do not need to prepare an account of your history or work out exactly what to say — the first sessions are a chance to begin exploring what brings you to therapy, while allowing space for your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to emerge.
Yes, with a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral from your GP or psychiatrist. Sessions under the Better Access Program are $210, with a rebate of $101.55 per session paid to your nominated account by Services Australia, for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. Rebates are subject to eligibility requirements.
Sessions run for 50 minutes. Under the Medicare Better Access Program, the fee is $210, leaving an out-of-pocket cost of $108.45 after the rebate. Without a referral, sessions will be privately billed. See current session fees. The private fee also applies if you continue therapy after your rebated sessions for the calendar year are used.
Suitability can be discussed during the free 15-minute call, and the first few sessions also serve as an assessment period. If telehealth isn’t the right format for you, or if Alicia’s approach isn’t the best match for what you need, she can provide a referral to another clinician or service better suited to your circumstances.
No. You can book directly without a referral or Mental Health Treatment Plan. A referral is only required if you want to claim a Medicare rebate. Without one, the private billing fee applies.
No. Bulk billing is not available. Sessions are $210 under the Medicare Better Access Program with a $101.55 rebate, or privately billed without a referral. Both sit substantially below the Australian Psychological Society’s recommended fee of $318 for a standard consultation.
No, a referral is not needed to book an appointment. It’s only relevant to Medicare rebate eligibility. Many people begin therapy without one and arrange a Mental Health Treatment Plan later if they choose to.
No. Psychologists in Australia do not prescribe medication — that falls to GPs and psychiatrists, who are medical doctors. Alicia does not prescribe, and does not advise anyone to start, stop or change medication. She can work alongside your treating doctors where relevant, and if you’re currently taking medication, any changes should be discussed with the doctor who prescribed it.
It happens occasionally, and it’s easily managed. A backup plan is agreed at the outset — usually a phone number to call — so that if the video connection fails, the session can continue by phone or resume once you’re reconnected.
Starting therapy is easier when the practical side is clear, and telehealth removes most of the logistical barriers that keep people from getting to a first appointment.
The free 15-minute phone call is a straightforward first step.
The information below outlines what therapy involves, how telehealth sessions work, and practical details regarding fees and Medicare rebates.
Learn about how a range of mental health issues can be treated with psychodynamic therapy.
Access therapy without leaving home. Learn what to expect from beginning telehealth therapy.
Medicare rebates available for eligible patients. A referral from your GP or psychiatrist is required.