Mental Health Services via Telehealth
A Move Toward a Telehealth Model
The days of COVID taught us, somewhat surprisingly, that therapy can be conducted effectively for most people most of the time. I run a hybrid practice, in my midtown office most of the week, and working via telehealth on Mondays and Thursday afternoons.
I’ve received specialized training in providing distance therapy and my business is registered with the State as a provider of telemedicine. There are many platforms that provide free telemedicine services, but I’ve found that HIPPA compliant version of Zoom to be simple and reliable for clients. A couple minutes before your appointment, simply click a link I provide to clients to enter into my virtual waiting room. I’ll show up at our appointment time and we’ll be off and running. Of course, you’ll need internet access and a computer with a camera and microphone, but those are standard these days. Phones can work, but I find that the larger computer screens seem to facilitate the relationship better.
Telehealth can be effective, but we need to work together to create the conditions that support this productivity. In the office clients can come to the therapeutic environment I've created, but since we're in different places during telehealth we each need to structure our settings to reflect the therapeutic environment. Below are some recommendations that will help facilitate this effort:
1) Select a place to do your therapy that's as free from distractions as possible. If you need to do your therapy session on your phone in a (parked) car, we'll make the best of it, but it would be optimal if you're able to create a calm and peaceful space for your session.
2) Therapy is confidential, whether in the office or online. The space in which you choose to do your therapy needs to be private. Please be sure to tell me if anyone besides those on the screen are able to hear the conversation.
3) Try to position your device in a manner that records you from a level angle and place it in a steady manner. We'll still be paying attention to each other, responding to facial expressions, voice tone and physical cues. The clearer the feed the more we'll be able to pick up on the subtleties that inform the therapeutic process.
4) Speak up if something's missed. Teletherapy is a great venue to practice assertiveness skills. Because we can't attune to each other quite as readily through a video chat, it's a great opportunity to practice giving a voice to experiences that may otherwise go unnoticed. We'll have more of a chance to check in with each other to make sure that what one person is hearing is indeed what the other is trying to say. These skills are of course useful in person-to-person relationships as well.
I’ve received specialized training in providing distance therapy and my business is registered with the State as a provider of telemedicine. There are many platforms that provide free telemedicine services, but I’ve found that HIPPA compliant version of Zoom to be simple and reliable for clients. A couple minutes before your appointment, simply click a link I provide to clients to enter into my virtual waiting room. I’ll show up at our appointment time and we’ll be off and running. Of course, you’ll need internet access and a computer with a camera and microphone, but those are standard these days. Phones can work, but I find that the larger computer screens seem to facilitate the relationship better.
Telehealth can be effective, but we need to work together to create the conditions that support this productivity. In the office clients can come to the therapeutic environment I've created, but since we're in different places during telehealth we each need to structure our settings to reflect the therapeutic environment. Below are some recommendations that will help facilitate this effort:
1) Select a place to do your therapy that's as free from distractions as possible. If you need to do your therapy session on your phone in a (parked) car, we'll make the best of it, but it would be optimal if you're able to create a calm and peaceful space for your session.
2) Therapy is confidential, whether in the office or online. The space in which you choose to do your therapy needs to be private. Please be sure to tell me if anyone besides those on the screen are able to hear the conversation.
3) Try to position your device in a manner that records you from a level angle and place it in a steady manner. We'll still be paying attention to each other, responding to facial expressions, voice tone and physical cues. The clearer the feed the more we'll be able to pick up on the subtleties that inform the therapeutic process.
4) Speak up if something's missed. Teletherapy is a great venue to practice assertiveness skills. Because we can't attune to each other quite as readily through a video chat, it's a great opportunity to practice giving a voice to experiences that may otherwise go unnoticed. We'll have more of a chance to check in with each other to make sure that what one person is hearing is indeed what the other is trying to say. These skills are of course useful in person-to-person relationships as well.
