Tele-health for Counseling, Is It For Me?

Tele-health is a relatively new phenomena in our world and is becoming the norm in our society. Over the past 2 years you've probably had more zoom meetings than you care to count and possibly tele-health doctors appointments but when it comes to counseling, it is an indispensable tool. Tele-health for mental health counseling is becoming common and widely used for many reasons: ease of use, time saving, wider availability of practitioners, covered by many insurances, and adaptable to your lifestyle as just a few reasons. Tele-health therapy has been around for years but up until the pandemic, it was used in a more limited way and many insurances did not cover it. Now, you can see many practitioners of varying disciplines and receive excellent care, all from the comfort of your own home. In regards to mental health tele-health services, it has greatly increased your options for a therapist and eliminated many obstacles associated with in-person therapy. It’s easy to use and is making a huge impact on our society.

“It Is A Simple Process”

The process for tele-health is simple. You'll need good internet and access to a computer, tablet, or phone with a camera and microphone (which most computers, tablets, and cellphones have). The therapist that you select should have a secured video platform that is HIPAA compliant. Simply put, the video platform is confidential. Once you make an appointment with your therapist, the therapist will typically send you a link to the video session and you just click the link and can begin your session.

“Is Tele-Health For Me?”

Many times people are concerned with the sessions being “impersonal and awkward” but in reality, your therapist should be able to set your discomfort at ease and have engaging sessions with you, both in person and via tele-health. Some of the great things about tele-health is that it can be more comfortable because you can do it from the comfort of your own space, whether it is at home, parked in your car, in a private place at work, or any other place you choose. Tele-health minimizes some of the inconveniences with in-person therapy such as scheduling, child care, transportation, anxiety of going to a therapist, etc.

There are circumstances that tele-health is not the best approach for therapy. Some people experience severe mental health issues or trauma and it is more clinically appropriate for them to be seen in person. For example, if someone experiences severe depression and is having current suicidal thoughts, in person therapy would be a better fit. The therapist that you are seeing will assess and determine the best course but if you have concerns, please share those with them at your next session.

"Let's Give This A Go"

When getting started with a new therapist, it’s important to allow time to build a rapport and see if it would be a good working relationship. I recommend the same for trying out tele-health. Give it a few sessions to see if you’re able to adjust and get comfortable. Talk to your therapist about how it’s going, the good and the bad. Give it a try, I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much you like it.