Mission
1) Ethical guidelines
Instahelp psychologists work on the basis of the ethical guidelines of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs.
2) Security
We use the very latest security systems in order to protect counselling content and user data. Moreover, Instahelp psychologists are tied to absolute confidentiality and document the course of counselling in anonymised form.
3) Data protection
Personal data (e.g. account data, name, address, employment) are not collected by Instahelp. To register, only a functioning email address is required. If any user data do come into our hands in whatever way, we guarantee to keep these exclusively in our possession. Of course this also applies if Instahelp is in contact with an additional commissioning customer (e.g. employer in the case of a business service). Health-related data are also handled strictly confidentially and never passed on.
4) Documentation
Instahelp psychologists are responsible for ensuring that no one other than themselves has access to customer data, documentation or chat records. In justifiable, exceptional circumstances (threat to self or others), the Instahelp Advisory Board (consisting of distinguished psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists), may access such content with the agreement of the relevant psychologist or user.
5) Counselling continuity
Via Instahelp, users are connected to their personal psychologist and can make contact at any agreed time. In your private, virtual consulting room you’re always in contact with, and continually looked after by, the same psychologist.
6) Availability
During office hours, new users get through to Instahelp coaches, who respond within two minutes and advise users regarding Instahelp. Following handover to the responsible psychologist, users get their first response within 24 hours and can reach their psychologist at any time by agreement.
7) Possibilities
Instahelp psychologists can assess what advantages and disadvantages counselling on an online platform might entail and its limitations. The instant that Instahelp recognises that online counselling is not appropriate, we will mediate further treatment that is best for the user’s health.
8) Experience
Psychological counselling is conducted solely by psychologists who have the training, knowledge and experience required for online psychological counselling. The psychologists counsel in accordance with psychologists’ regulations, this mission, the Instahelp GTC and the Federal Ministry’s Internet guidelines.
9) Fairness
Instahelp offers its users and psychologists a fair business and billing model for online counselling. Instahelp expects this fairness from its psychologists too. They are forbidden to misuse counselling for advertising purposes or actively to offer their clients offline counselling that is subject to charge.
10) Transparency
Instahelp sets out services and prices in a transparent and comprehensible form, both for users and for psychologists.
11) Onward development
Following an energetic development phase, Instahelp is currently building up. Since going live, Instahelp has continued to develop in terms of application in practice and keeps on learning through valuable experience, a growing number of users and psychologists and in collaboration with experts.