Limited choice of services
Local supports may be scarce, transient, booked out or personally connected to you. Telehealth creates another option.
Home / Rural and remote counselling
From the Torres Strait, across Australia
Rural counselling Australia: support for regional and remote life.
Confidential online counselling for people living and working in rural, regional and remote communities. Support that understands distance, limited local services, small-community privacy and the pressure of being one of the people others rely on.
Based on Thursday IslandAustralia-wide telehealthNo referral required
See available appointmentsIndividual counselling is $185 for 60 minutes. View all fees and formats, or request a free 15-minute introductory call before booking.
Counselling with remote reality in mind
Distance changes what access and privacy look like.
Living remotely can bring connection, purpose and community. It can also mean long waits, travel, unreliable services and the awkwardness of knowing the person at the clinic, the school and the supermarket.
Meg practises from Waibene (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait. You do not need to explain why “just see someone locally” may not be possible, why confidentiality can feel complicated in a small community, or why work and community roles are difficult to separate.
Common pressures
The context belongs in the conversation.
High-responsibility roles
Health, education, community, emergency and caring roles can bring isolation, ethical pressure and relentless visibility.
Privacy in a small community
It can be difficult to ask for help when personal and professional networks overlap. Attend from a private place that works for you.
Distance from family and services
Relocation, weather, transport, housing and separation can compound stress and make recovery harder to organise.
Accessible telehealth
Choose the format that asks the least of you.
Book online
Review appointment times and details without making an initial phone call. No referral is required.
Use phone, secure video or written counselling
Video is not compulsory. Phone can work better with bandwidth, privacy or screen fatigue, and written counselling may be available when speaking feels inaccessible.
Bring the whole situation
Sessions can hold emotional distress and the practical realities around it: work, family, community, health, services and distance.
Who MEB supports
For people living remotely—and people working at the hard end.
- Adults, couples and families in rural, regional and remote Australia
- Social workers, health professionals, educators and community workers
- People experiencing burnout, grief, trauma or relationship pressure
- People navigating complex mental health alongside limited local options
- Neurodivergent adults who need flexible, low-demand access
- People who want an experienced practitioner outside their local network
Rural and remote helping professionals
MEB Counselling's next facilitated online group.
MEB Counselling's next 4–8 week facilitated series is for helping professionals carrying visibility, isolation, ethical weight, limited services and the experience of being one of the people everyone calls. Sessions are 50 minutes online and cost A$40 each. Dates are announced when the next cohort forms.
Express interest in MEB Counselling's next rural and remote groupA steady space, wherever you are.
View available telehealth appointments and choose phone, secure video or written counselling. MEB Counselling supports clients throughout Australia.
View appointmentsQuestions
Practical answers for remote appointments.
Do I have to live in the Torres Strait?
No. Meg is based on Thursday Island and provides telehealth counselling to clients across Australia.
What if my internet is unreliable?
Phone sessions are available and may be a more reliable option. You can choose the appointment format that suits your access.
How do I find privacy?
Some clients attend from a private office, parked car or another safe location. The important thing is that you can speak without being overheard and are not driving during the session.
What happens in my first appointment?
You can begin with what has brought you to counselling and what would make support useful. There is no need to prepare a complete history. We discuss your priorities, session format and a manageable next step. Read about a first telehealth counselling session.
How do I ask about a session before booking?
Email Meg or send a text to 0485 018 313. Include a safe way to contact you and suitable times if you would like a free 15-minute introductory call. You do not need to include detailed personal information. The call is an opportunity to discuss fit, not a counselling session.
Who will I work with?
You will work with Meg Bonetti, an Accredited Social Worker based on Waibene (Thursday Island). Sessions consider your individual experience alongside family, work, community and access to services.
Is MEB Counselling a crisis service?
No. Call 000 if there is immediate danger. Lifeline is available throughout Australia on 13 11 14.
Related support
Explore another starting point.
Support for rural and remote helping professionals
For a reflective space focused on your professional practice, explore online social work and professional supervision. For personal support with exhaustion and overwhelm, see burnout counselling. We can discuss which service fits before you book.