Karen Efron
CLINICAL COUNSELLOR & SUPERVISOR
MCouns, PGDipGestaltTherapy, AssocDipWelfStds
Karen offers face to counselling and psychotherapy to…
Why Melbourne Residents Are Using
Telehealth Counselling
Melbourne has a complicated relationship with mental health support. On paper, it's one of Australia's most well-serviced cities. In practice, wait times for in-person psychologists or counsellors in inner Melbourne suburbs routinely run six to ten weeks. Bulk-billing mental health services are oversubscribed. And for anyone navigating shift work, young children, or a job that doesn't stop at five, a mid-afternoon appointment in Fitzroy or Richmond simply isn't in everyone’s capacity.
Telehealth counselling is professional, clinical-grade video counselling delivered over a secure platform. Since the Australian Government expanded Medicare-subsidised telehealth services in 2020, receiving counselling online has increasingly become the choice fo many.
“Same qualified professional. Same evidence-based methods. None of the commute”
Breathe Counselling services Melbourne and the broader Victorian community through its Halaxy booking platform, connecting Melbourne-based clients with fully qualified counsellors who understand the pressures of city life.
Melbourne and Mental Health
The cumulative COVID-19 lockdowns (over 260 days) led to a psychological toll on most, and didn't dissolve when restrictions lifted. Studies by the University of Melbourne and Orygen documented sustained increases in anxiety, depression, and relationship strain, with effects persisting well into 2022 and beyond.
These finding still shows up in counselling sessions. Melbourne clients navigating telehealth counselling today often present with compounding stressors: isolation that became habitual, relationship dynamics that calcified during lockdown, grief that never had space to be processed, and a low-grade anxiety that's become background noise.
Melbourne's professional culture also shapes what people need from counselling. Industries like finance, law, and medicine that concentrate in the CBD reward performance and composure. Many of our Melbourne clients access telehealth precisely because it removes the social visibility of walking into a therapy practice in their own suburb.
What Our Melbourne Telehealth Counsellors Offer
Melbourne clients access online counselling for:
Anxiety and stress
including high-functioning anxiety, performance anxiety, and chronic stress
Depression and low mood
disconnection, emptiness, or loss of motivation
Grief and loss
bereavement, relationship endings, identity shifts
Relationship difficulties
couples counselling or marriage counselling via telehealth using the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Family conflict
communication breakdown, co-parenting strain, intergenerational tension
Addiction and problematic use
alcohol, substances, gambling, and behavioural patterns
Anger management and emotional regulation
Loneliness and social disconnection
Book Your Melbourne Telehealth Counselling Session
Book Online Counselling
How Telehealth Counselling Helps our Melbourne Clients
The Platform - Secure and Private
All sessions are conducted through clinical-grade, encrypted video software, not FaceTime, not WhatsApp. Our systems comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Your session content is confidential. Your data is protected.
Time Zones - Handled Automatically
Melbourne operates two hours ahead of Perth (AEST vs AWST, or three hours during daylight saving). All appointment times are displayed in Melbourne local time. Our booking system handles the conversion.
What a First Session Looks Like
- Complete a brief intake form online
- We match you to a counsellor suited to your needs and preferences or you choose and book online
- A video link will be emailed to you for your appointment
- Join the secure video session from wherever works for you, your first session is about getting to know you
Medicare Rebates and the GP Referral Process — Melbourne Clients
Many Melburnians don't realise: you can use a referral from a Melbourne-based GP to access counselling with a Perth-based practice via telehealth, and be eligible for Medicare rebates under a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP).
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Book a GP appointment | Visit your regular Melbourne GP |
| 2. Request a Mental Health Care Plan | Ask your GP to assess you for a MHCP (Medicare item 2710) |
| 3. Receive your referral | Your GP refers you to a registered mental health professional |
| 4. Book with Breathe Counselling | Your referral can be used with eligible Breathe Counselling practitioners via telehealth |
| 5. Claim your rebate | Up to 10 Medicare-rebated individual sessions per calendar year under a MHCP |
Medicare rebates apply to sessions with registered psychologists or eligible social workers. At present, Medicare rebates are not offered when seeing a counsellor, however the final fee is similar to that of a psychologist, and insurance rebates are available with certain funds and counsellors.
If you're unsure whether you qualify, your Melbourne GP is the right first conversation. Alternatively, contact us and we'll walk you through your options before you commit to anything.
Signs Telehealth Counselling Melbourne Might Be Right for You
You've been meaning to do something about it for longer than feels comfortable to admit
Your schedule or privacy makes in-person therapy complicated
You're in a period where leaving the house to process something hard feels like one ask too many
You want access to a wider pool of practitioners
Telehealth counselling doesn't require a crisis. It works best when you start before one.
Our Qualifications
Every Breathe Counselling practitioner is:
Fully qualified
holding recognised degrees in psychology, counselling, or social work
Professionally registered
members of either ACA, PACFA, AASW, APHRA or CCAA
Bound by professional codes of ethics
including confidentiality, duty of care, and ongoing professional development
Multi-modal in approach
drawing from modalities such as IFS, EMDR, DBT, Schema, CBT, EFT, Somatic Therapy or the Gottman Method depending on what each client actually needs
Why Breathe Counselling for Melbourne Clients
Melbourne Local
Support Resources
Lifeline:
13 11 14 (24/7)
Beyond Blue:
1300 22 4636 (24/7)
Suicide Call Back Service:
1300 659 467
MH Triage Victoria:
1300 182 263
Hospital Emergency:
Austin Health, The Alfred, or your nearest public hospital ED
Frequently Asked Questions — Melbourne Telehealth Counselling
Can a Melbourne-based person use a Perth counselling service?
Yes. Under Australia's telehealth framework, there is no geographic restriction on which state a registered or accredited counsellor must be based in. Breathe Counselling practitioners hold national professional registrations and deliver sessions via secure video. The physical location of the counsellor is irrelevant to the quality of the work.
How does the time difference between Melbourne and Perth work for bookings?
Melbourne operates two hours ahead of Perth (AEST vs AWST, or three hours during daylight saving). All appointment times shown to Melbourne clients are displayed in Melbourne local time. Our booking system handles the conversion automatically.
Can I use a Mental Health Care Plan from my Melbourne GP with Breathe Counselling?
Yes. A Mental Health Care Plan issued by a Melbourne GP can be used to access Medicare-rebated sessions with eligible Breathe Counselling practitioners via telehealth. During our matching process, we'll confirm which practitioners are eligible under your plan so there are no surprises.
Is telehealth counselling as effective as in-person sessions?
Life in For most presentations, yes. A 2022 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found no clinically significant difference in outcomes for anxiety and depression between telehealth and face-to-face delivery. The quality of the therapeutic relationship matters far more than the medium, which is exactly why our matching process exists.
How secure and private is an online counselling session?
Breathe Counselling uses clinical-grade, encrypted video platforms compliant with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Session content is confidential. Your data is not shared, sold, or stored outside Australian privacy law requirements. If you share a home and need advice on creating a private space for sessions, we're happy to talk through practical options before your first appointment.
What if I've tried counselling before and it didn't help?
In many cases, it’s not necessaiy that the counselling doesn't work, it's that the patient-counsellor match is wrong. Our matching process exists so we learn enough about you to give you a genuine chance of finding someone who you can connect with.