Welcome to the APS ePsychology Interest Group

The APS ePsychology Interest Group is an active community comprised of over 1,000 registered Psychologists. Members are based all over Australia working across various psychological fields as practitioners, researchers, students, teachers, curious minds and creative innovators. 

The group is run by and for Australian Psychologists interested in understanding and diligently advancing the integration of digital technologies in psychological practice and research. 

The group encompasses a wide scope of interests including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Wearables, Chatbots, Apps, Online Assessments, Software, Hardware, Telehealth and more. 

We endeavour to promote members knowledge, practice, competence and creativity. In turn, we hope the secondary benefits of our members involvement provides meaningful insights and therapeutic benefits to clients, students and the broader community. 

Values

Positioned at the intersection of psychology and digital technology the APS ePsychology Interest Group is oriented by values of curiosity, creativity, diligence and innovation.  

The group also has an emphasis on balancing the safety of practice while maintaining a pioneering spirit, evolving with the digital landscape at the crest of development. Getting out in front of the technology to harness its benefits and mitigate the risks not only supports members' growth but ultimately benefits clients and the wider community.

History & Evolution of Digital Technologies for Australian Psychologists

The integration of digital technologies in mental health practice in Australia has evolved significantly over the past two decades. Initially limited in scope, the rise of smartphones and high-speed internet has accelerated the adoption of digital interventions, enabling Psychologists to offer more diverse methods of research and practice. 

The advent of deep learning techniques in 2012 marked a turning point in the evolution of AI. We then witnessed the maturation of advanced language processing models in 2017 and by 2020 machine learnings were adopted into healthcare industries and everyday use products in Australia.

Advancements since 2020, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, have transformed the landscape of psychological services in Australia, including making telehealth a widely accepted form of practice, accelerating advancements in AI and illustrating how effectively digital solutions can improve accessibility and treatment outcomes.

The exponential growth of digital technologies continues to accelerate in 2025 with revolutionary applications and benefits alongside major ethical issues, professional uncertainties and limitations. With such a quickly shifting landscape of digital technology in healthcare in recent years, the APS ePsychology interest Group is now arguably more relevant to the broader Australian Psychological community than ever before.  

Present and Future Expectations

Our activities in 2025 are geared from members direct feedback and provide access to opportunities to learn from industry leaders, creators, founders, and pioneering developers. This knowledge exchange aims to benefit practitioners, researchers, creators and their client groups.

We routinely canvas the evolving needs of our membership to inform, develop and roll-out a variety of engaging events tailored to the identified interests of our members. 

As we look to the future, the APS ePsychology Interest Group strives to remain at the forefront of a wide scope of digital technological advancements. Our goal is to serve as a valuable resource for psychologists seeking to stay informed and connected. 

We primarily use the PsyCommunity ePsychology Forum and email register to keep our members updated on events, conferences, workshops, and complementary activities relevant to the field, encouraging discussion about emerging trends that improve clinical practices and inspire innovative research.

Digital Competence

In keeping with the existing APS Code of Ethics and the forthcoming introduction of the PsyBA Code & Competencies in December 2025, digital competence has become even more essential for psychological practice and research. We deliberately co-ordinate events and refer to these core competencies and ethical standards in shaping ePsychology activities, discussions and networks. 

The APS ePsychology Interest Group aims to keep its members updated on the latest health delivery technologies. We encourage our members to carefully select and evaluate their use of interventions such as digital health apps, integrated evidence-based digital practices, and audit their current digital practices for safety and effectiveness.

We seek to provide a significant contribution in helping our membership navigate the rapidly evolving technological landscape proficiently. Inviting proactive engagement with emerging tools and practices, our community is better equipped to mitigate risks while maximizing the advantages of these innovations. 

We explore ethical challenges surrounding the use of digital technologies (incl. AI) in psychology, emphasising the need for a robust understanding of relevant issues such as privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, and data security.

APS ePsychology Interest Group Committee 

The APS ePsychology Interest Group Committee comprises of a collection of Psychologists who volunteer their time to engage and support over one thousand of their colleagues as fellow Australian Psychologists interested in the intersection of psychology and digital innovation. 

The Committee aims to continue to provide its membership with comprehensive insights and practical guidance into ongoing advancements in this exciting field. The committee aims to deliver engaging, relevant, informative and enjoyable events and foster a mutually supportive network to harness creativity and collective professional growth.  

Join Us

We invite you to join our community as we explore the dynamic relationship between psychology and digital technology. 

For inquiries or to become a member, committee member or explore activities and opportunities please contact us at [email protected]

Terms of Reference

The terms of reference of the ePsychology Interest Group are:

• To develop a network of members and subscribers throughout Australia who are interested in the areas of telephone and internet-based psychological and counselling services (also referred as telepsychology or web-counselling) to be known as the APS Interest group on ePsychology (eIG)
• To provide support for this network by exchanging relevant information about seminars, conferences and workshops that are relevant for providers of telephone and internet-based psychological and counselling services.
• To exchange information about developments in research and professional practice in the area of telephone and internet-based psychological and counselling service provision.
• To explore and utilise the APS website, newsletters, workshops, conferences and other mechanisms and media, where appropriate, for the exchange of all such information.
• To enhance professional awareness of the extent and range of telephone and internet-based psychological and counselling services that are available throughout Australia.
• To increase awareness amongst other health and mental professions who are involved in the provision of telephone and internet-based services of the existing and potential contributions that psychology and psychologists are making, and might make in the future, to telephone and internet-based service delivery.
• To explore and formulate policies and guidelines for the best practice in these areas of service delivery, which cover issues relating to quality management, professional development, strategic research, and other related issues.
• To explore and formulate policies and guidelines that promote the ethical delivery of services using these technologies, and the ethical management of information that these services generate.