Teletherapy

The benefit of teletherapy is that it makes therapy more accessible to patients worldwide. In the U.S., psychologists are only allowed to provide teletherapy to individuals residing in states where the psychologist holds an active license, or if they are part of PsyPACT. PsyPACT allows eligible psychologists to practice teletherapy in states that have enacted legislation. Although there are still limitations, the possibility to engage in therapy with a therapist of your choice is more available than anytime ever in history.

There are costs to consider. When engaging in teletherapy, information is lost. For instance, non-verbal communication, your posture, physical mobility limitations, gait and motor coordination, etc. can be missed in teletherapy. For this reason and more, teletherapy may not be the best option for therapy for you.

Another consideration is the absence of physical space. For many people, having a physical office space that they can travel to is important. The physical space creates a sense of privacy and safety that many value. The act of traveling to the therapy office can also be meaningful (e.g. looking forward to the drive to the therapy office, taking a walk to the office, grabbing a beverage to bring to session, etc.).

Lastly, on occasion, connectivity can be an issue. Dropped calls, frozen images, loss of audio, etc. may occur and can be disruptive to the flow of therapy. As magical as the internet is, it is imperfect.

Suggestions for teletherapy

Create a ritual. For example, make a cup of tea and/or journal before your session. Take a walk after the session to reflect. A routine activity can help you settle into the therapy time.
Safe space. Find a quiet place where you will have privacy for the entire duration of your session. Privacy is key to feeling safe and safety is integral to engaging in therapy.
Consistency. To the best of your ability, try to choose the same space for every video session.
Movement. Be aware of camera movement especially if you’re holding a phone or are setting a laptop on your lap. This can be a distraction in session.
Awareness. Be thoughtful of what can be seen on the screen. For example, wear appropriate clothing that you would wear if you were to travel outside of your home to attend therapy. Be attentive of what else can be seen on your screen in the background.
Consent. In D.C. and the State of California, it is illegal to record confidential information without all parties’ consent. Please do not record or snap photos or screenshots of our sessions without my consent.

What to expect?

We can setup a brief 10-15 phone consultation to determine if teletherapy is a good fit for you.
If teletherapy is an appropriate option and we decide to start working together, forms will be emailed to you to complete using a secure client portal. The forms will include information about confidentiality, informed consent, benefits and challenges of tele-mental health, private practice policies, and more.
All video appointments are conducted through a HIPAA compliant telemedicine platform.
On the day of your appointment, it is recommended that you sign on 5 minutes before our scheduled time to get the most out of your 50 minutes.
Payment is due at time of each scheduled appointment.

These are a few ideas to help you create a sense of sacredness to your teletherapy experience. If you are interested in finding out more information, please contact me. For information about therapy in general, click here.