FAQ’s – Counsellors Office

Are all of our Counsellors Qualified?
Yes, all of our counsellors are professionals, and are all members of either the Australian Counselling Association or the Australian Psychological Society.
These are Australia’s leading professional bodies of standardisation and professional practice for this Industry. Through these Associations, members must continue to attend training and development practices to keep their qualifications current and relevant.

What do the Counsellors Specialize in?
Each counsellor has a profile in the counsellor’s office, stating their experience and specialty. Please select a counsellor carefully; who best suits your needs; and can provide you the most appropriate care. You can select a counsellor by looking at their profiles, blogs and interactions within the forums, and choosing one you feel comfortable with based on all of this information.
Please remember that our Counsellors are not Medical Practitioners, nor GP’s. They do not diagnose mental health or illness, nor do they prescribe medication.

Why can I not see Availability Calendar of Counsellors?
You can not view the availability calendar of counsellors, unless you are logged on.
We require you to be a member of the site, before accessing the calendars.

How do I book an Appointment?
When selecting your preferred counsellor, look at their availability and choose a time that suits you, by clicking onto it. Accept the time and progress to the next screen.
If this is your very first appointment with Collective Support, you will have a personal details screen appear. All fields of this page must be completed. This information is private and confidential, but required by your selected counsellor in the event of an emergency. This is no different to a physical face to face meeting in a counsellor’s office, where they would also require this information. Once fully completed, you will progress to a secure payments page.
Once the transaction is completed, your appointment is confirmed and has now been booked by you. It will now be displayed on the counsellor availability calendar as booked.

Do I receive a Receipt?
Yes, you receive and email from Collective Support confirming your appointment. Date, time, counsellor and receipt number will be shown. You will also receive a confirmation of payment email from Pay-pal.

Will I be reminded of my Appointment on the Site?
Yes, If you have an appointment booked, a “my appointments” button will now be seen, when you are logged on, at the top right of the home page under the “Welcome back user”. Also, at the top of the counsellor’s office page, a new field will now have been opened, displaying date, time and counsellor.

What technology do I need to have an Appointment?
A Webcam and microphone are a necessity, to have your face to face video appointment. A headset or earphones are highly recommended and will improve sound quality, reducing echo, and give you privacy during a session.
ADSL or Broadband is also a minimal requirement to ensure smooth & quick transmission of voice and video.
The software must be downloaded prior to your session.

I have reached my download limit with my internet provider – will this affect quality of an appointment?
Upload/ download usage during an appointment is comparable to the normal viewing of animated advertisements, that you are exposed to on a daily basis on other websites. If you exceed your limits during the course of an appointment – this may interfere with the quality.

Do I have to download Software?
Yes, clients need to download a program that connects the secure counselling session. If you access the program without an appointment booked, you will not be able to connect to a counsellor. The software uses Adobe Flash as a platform; therefore you also need to download the latest version of Adobe Flash first, from the Collective Support download page. The program is small and contains only the connection software. The download takes only a few minutes.

How do I use the Client Software?
To find the program, go to start, then all programs. Collective Support Connect should now be shown for selection. Double click on this, and your appointment box will open.
On the right hand side, a black box contains your video test. If you can see yourself in this then you are ready to go. If the box stays black, please tick the enable video and select your video device and microphone in the drop down boxes, then press test. This should locate and enable your camera and microphone, ready to use. Please test this after downloading the software – before your appointment to ensure that it works.
Enter your user name and password that you currently use for the Collective Support website, 4-5 minutes prior to your appointment. This will then dial your counsellor directly, letting them know you are online and waiting. When they are ready, they will accept your session. Please be patient, as this may take a couple of minutes. If your screen does not show dialling, please log out and try again.
When connected, the counsellor will appear in a video box alongside the video box where you can see yourself. During session times, these video boxes are much larger than the test video box. You can now start your session.

Can anybody use the Counsellor Software?
Counsellors can only connect to you if a session is booked and paid for.
The counsellors have their own version of the software downloaded, allowing them to conduct their appointments. The software is only usable if the counsellor is a current professional on the Collective Support website.

Are the sessions Private?
Yes, the connection is a private and secure connection between you and the counsellor. The website does not record or have access to your session. Your name, address and telephone number are provided to your counsellor during your session (just like any counselling service) for emergency.
All counsellor session notes are the property of the counsellor, and held by the counsellor alone. These are private and confidential, with Collective Support having no access to them.
Counsellors are bound by “mandatory reporting” and “duty of care” laws in all states of Australia. They are required to report to authorities any immediate risk of harm to the client or to others. If there is a serious risk of this nature, confidentiality may be broken.
Privacy on the side of the client is also a consideration. Choose a time and location where you can have privacy, away from others in a closed room with out distraction. Using a headset eliminates the counsellor’s responses to you being overheard.

What happens during an Appointment?
Make sure you are comfortable and ready for your appointment. You may want to have a drink of water or a cuppa during your session. We advise clients not to consume alcohol before or during an appointment. You may also want to make sure you have tissues at hand.
Just like a normal counselling session, you discuss with your counsellor anything that you may be facing. The counsellor may provide you a pamphlet, worksheet or document during your session. This will automatically be sent to your email, also leaving a message on the Collective Support website (your inbox), notifying you of the document. The session is 60 minutes.
If you get disconnected at any time, please immediately log back in and this will automatically re-dial for you. This will allow reconnection unless your session has ended.
The counsellor may recommend if another session is required, and may also suggest a timeframe for when next to see you.

What if I’m not happy with my appointment?
This site was designed, to give you the consumer – choice, which is to a large extent unavailable in other counselling services. Collective Support supplies choice of professional and choice of appointment time. With that choice, comes a responsibility, by the user to select carefully.
Unfortunately a refund will not be given if a person is unhappy with the outcome of a session, or feel that they did not ‘click’ or feel comfortable with a counsellor. If this is the case, we suggest selecting another counsellor and trying again.
Generally, a person may select a couple of counsellors before settling on one that they feel comfortable, trusting and open with – in physical face to face counselling, and that experience may also occur here. This is purely personality and personal choice.
If an appointment is missed completely, it will be deemed to have been forfeited. Our professionals have the right to be paid for their professional service, and time. If you feel that an issue has occurred of a serious nature, please contact us at info@collectivesupport.com.au for investigation.

What if Technical Issues occur during my Appointment?
Technical requirements are clearly stated on the Collective Support website. If these are not utilized by the client, quality may be compromised. This includes internet speed, computer hardware and webcam / microphone accessories. All of our professionals have the required technology and software to ensure a quality session.
Issues relating to incorrect hardware or software will not receive reconnection or refund.
If technical issues occur due to server breakdown or compromised quality on behalf of the professionals, a full description will be required from both client and professional. Again, please contact info@collectivesupport.com.au for any difficulties. An assessment will occur, taking into account over all quality of the session, time of session unused, and any other relevant information given from both sides. A re-booking maybe offered, at the discretion of the Collective Support management, and the counsellor involved.

What if I want to see that counsellor in person, not on line?
Our counsellors all mention their state and perhaps location, business identity and telephone numbers in the ‘Where do I find help in my State?” posts in the forums. The counsellors are situated all around Australia, giving the advantage of crossing time zones, and demographics. This allows professionals to be available earlier and later than normal business hours, depending on their location to you.
Your preferred counsellor may be in WA when you are in Qld, making this personal contact not possible. But, by chance, you may encounter your preferred counsellor, only to find they live within your community. Personal contact details for professionals are not published on Collective Support, unless they divulge them directly to a client, or through the above mentioned forum.