Written with love by Lacey Andrews, Psychologist & Board Approved Supervisor
Click here for our blog disclaimer
Many Australian-trained Psychologists have asked me about the logistics of running a cross-border telehealth practice from overseas. They want to know how to maintain a clinical setup on the road.
To help you answer this question I am opening up my travel backpack. I want to show you exactly what I carried with me to help me run my practice. This list goes beyond just my laptop and wireless earphones. I will walk you through the technology items as well as the everyday items that supported me on my travels.
If you are planning to take your Australian psychology private practice overseas, you need to pack smart. This guide will show you what could be actually helpful to have on your travels.
In this blog:
- Item 1: The Bag Itself – A Great Option For My Overseas Telehealth Practice
- Item 2: My Laptop – Essential for the Psychologist Working Remotely From Overseas
- Item 3: My Wireless Earphones – Great To Enhance Privacy
- Item 4: A Powerbank To Charge On the Move
- Item 5: A Universal Power Adapter For International Telehealth Set-ups
- Item 6: A Lock To Secure Your Portable Practice
- Item(s) 7: Personal Protective Equipment And Other Protective/Wellbeing Items For Travelling Professionals
- Item 8: Passport To Take Your Work Across Borders
- Item 9: A Decent Water Bottle To Support Hydration For Back-To-Back Telehealth Sessions
- Item 10: A Shawl Or A Large Scarf – Present Professionally Anywhere
- Honourable Mention – My Phone
STOP! Have you read the Blog Disclaimer yet? If not, please pause and read now.
Item 1: The Bag Itself – A Great Option For My Overseas Telehealth Practice
Okay, technically this is not “in” my bag. However, I thought this a good place to start as you actually do need to think about the utility of the thing that essentially houses your whole practice when you’re on the road.
So, what did I use? An old Aldi paper bag? A stick and bindle? The plastic bag from American Beauty? Of course not!
You probably guessed that I used a backpack, however I did not use any old backpack. One of the first things I purchased was the type of backpack Backpackers use – a “Travel Pack” from Osprey. It was on special, yay!
It came in 2 parts – the larger pack that sits directly on your back, and a smaller, day pack that sits on the larger pack like shell sits on a snail. I would recommend this sort of arrangement, however if I had my time again I would make sure that the larger pack was within the standard measurements of carry on luggage for flights.
The other, notable thing here is that my daypack housed my electronics when I was actively travelling. Thankfully it included a padded space within for a laptop (so I did not have to buy a separate laptop sleeve). It also included a small pocket on the front where I could put my wireless headphones so they did not get lost in a bag absolutely crammed with stuff!
Item 2: My Laptop – Essential for the Psychologist Working Remotely From Overseas
An obvious one, but I of course had to include it! A laptop is THE essential item for a remote telehealth Psychology Practice.
I had (and still have) a Macbook Pro. I spent the big bucks on it because I wanted something that could handle processing a lot of data – including video data – for both work and personal reasons. I also thought ahead in terms of its size. I did not get the biggest screen to cut down on both size, to make it more easily portable. The smaller size also cut down on weight.
The other thing that’s convenient about a MacBook is the ubiquitous nature of the Apple Store and the Genius Bar. If I ever had any issues with it, I had peace of mind that an Apple Store would be nearby so I could get it fixed. Thankfully though, I never had any issues with my laptop, so I could not test this one out.
BUT! You do not necessarily need to spend as much money as I did. Pop over to my other blog on technology and portable setups for the travelling psychologist for more info about the hardware you need while travelling!
Item 3: My Wireless Earphones – Great To Enhance Privacy
I very much skimped on these. I got them absolutely free as they were my husband’s old ones. I used (and still use) the Sony WF-1000XM4’s. I can absolutely recommend them from a longevity point of view, I have been using them pretty consistently for about 5 years now and my husband used them for at least a year before me.
However, I have recently tried a more modern pair of Google earphones (thanks again husband) and the noise cancelling is much better.
Again, have a look at my portable consulting room guide for more information!
Item 4: A Powerbank To Charge On the Move
Whoops! I forgot to include this one in my Technology and Portable Setups blog! But it is something I found very helpful when on the road – or on the train and tram tracks. If you end up in Europe you are absolutely going to end up spending hours on train, travelling somewhere. Now I’m not saying that you should work on a train, I would actually very much advise against that. But what I am saying is that these sorts of situations provide a lot of opportunity to charge your devices. A power bank was a very handy item for me, and it may be handy for you too!
Item 5: A Universal Power Adapter For International Telehealth Set-ups
I did not forget this one in my Technology and Portable Setups blog! And I can’t say it better here than what I did over there, so have a look and pop back to this blog when you’re done!
Item 6: A Lock To Secure Your Portable Practice
Okay this was not technically in the bag, it was on it. And before you ask, yes it was pain to lock and unlock my bag all the time (or this is what it felt like). At times, I still thought it necessary though as an extra layer of protection. Although I did not store identified client notes directly on my computer – they were saved to a cloud system – and that system as well as my computer were password protected, I still had extra peace of mind when I used my lock.
Item(s) 7: Personal Protective Equipment And Other Protective/Wellbeing Items For Travelling Professionals
Yes, in my bag was PPE and other protective items! This included things like masks, sunscreen, hand sanitiser, and lip balm. Regarding the masks and sanitiser, this was to generally protect me from Covid-19, the Flu and other viruses. And sunscreen to of course protect my skin from the sun. Now, I was in Europe and it’s not known for its sunniness, not like Australia. But the sun absolutely does still exist over there… we even had cloudless skies and heatwaves during summer. So for me, sunscreen was still a must.
And the lip balm was to combat my dry lips! I got the highest moisturising fragrance and flavour free I could buy on discount.. I did not want to pay full price as I often lost them (to this day I do not think I have actually finished a lip balm!).
Item 8: Passport To Take Your Work Across Borders
A no brainer of course! Make sure to have it on hand whenever you cross borders. Don’t forget in places like Europe and parts of Asia, Africa and South America this happens more easily than what it does in Australia!
Item 9: A Decent Water Bottle To Support Hydration For Back-To-Back Telehealth Sessions
Talking for 50 minutes straight, multiple times a day, is thirsty work! So I made sure to pack a sturdy water bottle. You want something that absolutely will not leak all over your precious MacBook, and ideally something that keeps water cool. Plus, having a reusable bottle is an absolute must for those long train trips I mentioned earlier, and for exploring on your days off. Just remember to empty it before you go through airport security!
Item 10: A Shawl Or A Large Scarf – Present Professionally Anywhere
This might seem like a strange one to include in a work bag, but hear me out! A large scarf or shawl is the ultimate multi-tasker for a travelling telehealth psychologist.
First, planes and train carriages can be surprisingly chilly, so it doubles as a cozy blanket when you are in transit. Second, and more importantly for our line of work, it is fantastic for impromptu background management. If the only chair in your accommodation is a bit garish or just doesn’t look quite professional enough for a video call, you can just drape a neutral-coloured shawl over the back of it. Instantly, you have a much calmer, less distracting environment for your clients! It’s also a lifesaver if you need to quickly dress up a plain t-shirt to look a bit more polished on camera in a pinch.
Honourable Mention – My Phone
Okay, this was technically not in my travel backpack, it was in my handbag. But I just couldn’t leave it out. Not only will you need this to call your clients if you ever need it, it is a vital source of internet. I cannot count the amount of times I hot-spotted from my phone to my laptop!
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So there you have it – a peek inside my travel backpack!
Taking your Psychology Practice overseas might feel a bit overwhelming at first, but having the right mix of reliable tech and everyday comforts can make a world of difference. And the good news is you really don’t need to pack the entire house to run a successful cross-border telehealth practice. You just need the specific items that keep you connected, secure, and comfortable while you’re navigating new time zones and figuring out foreign train schedules.
Whether you are planning a short working holiday or looking to base yourself in Europe for a year and a half like I did, I hope this little look into my bag helps you plan your own travels.
Safe travels, and happy packing!
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Looking for more resources? Explore the full SparkPath Psychology blog archive for more guides, including Overseas Travel and Telehealth: Five Key Considerations for Psychologists, and more!
References
Images sourced from Unsplash and/or Pexels, some with minor edits.