By now most industries that previously took place in person are in the process of transitioning business operations to be done virtually. Luckily, mental health treatment and therapy are services that have the ability to continue through telehealth or teletherapy amidst the current social distancing guidelines. For some, this is critical since support and treatment are needed more so now with the unique stressors and uncertainty of these unprecedented times.
So what exactly is telehealth and teletherapy? Therapists can provide therapy and mental health treatment to clients in real time telephone or video sessions. If this sounds appealing, clients should request the specific means by which telehealth will be provided. Therapists must provide telehealth/teletherapy through a HIPAA compliant platform, which means there are specific steps and measures taken in order to provide safe and secure services. This also means that clients should try to find a private location in which there are minimal distractions during a telehealth session.
Some of the benefits of telehealth include:
Convenience. This is by far the most significant aspect of telehealth. Necessary mental health treatment and therapy services can continue to be provided and received from the comfort of home. Besides complying with the current social distancing guidelines, telehealth removes the stress of transportation, parking, and some childcare costs.
Scheduling/timeliness. Because of the convenience factor, telehealth positively influences availability for both providers and clients. Those of us who are working from home may experience a change in our schedules that may allow more availability to focus on self-care and providers may be offering late or early session times throughout the day to accommodate needs of children or family members.
Accessibility. Prior to the current pandemic, clients faced challenges with being able to physically make it into an office to receive treatment or therapy for a variety of reasons (illness, lack of resources, availability). However telehealth/teletherapy removes those constraints by allowing anyone with access to a telephone or computer to receive treatment.
Some of the risks of telehealth include:
Lack of research in some applications. Even though telehealth and teletherapy existed prior to the current pandemic, the norm for receiving any healthcare service has been in-person. We are still learning the ins and outs of this technology and more information and research is still needed in certain aspects of this model.
Security and confidentiality. Although there are a number of HIPAA compliant platforms that exist to provide safety and security, there is no way to guarantee that telehealth or teletherapy can be 100% protected at all times, which means the chance of a security breach exists.
The therapy relationship dynamic may be influenced. Nothing can replace the overall experience we have with another individual when we are physically present together. The therapist-client relationship is paramount to the success of therapy and even though telehealth/teletherapy involves real time telephone or video sessions, the physical separation of the therapist and client poses challenges to the therapeutic dynamic.
Technology failure. We’ve all experienced it...a call is dropped unexpectedly, the internet goes out, or your phone/computer decides to malfunction when you are in the middle of something important. These are all possibilities of what can happen in the middle of a telehealth/teletherapy session which is disruptive and frustrating. Therapists should anticipate these events and provide clients with a protocol for when they take place.
This day and age in technology has made it possible for many businesses to continue to operate under the current circumstances and mental health treatment and therapy is one of them. Whether you are currently connected to a therapist or are considering finding one, telehealth/teletherapy helps make it easier than ever to receive the support you need during this time.
If you are considering therapy for the first time, check out “How To Find A Therapist Who is Right For You” https://crowntowncounseling.com/wellness-articles/2017/2/27/how-to-find-a-therapist-who-is-the-right-fit-for-you.
~ Cory Stege, MS, LMFT