Telehealth
Telehealth: Get Mental Health Treatment From Home
Telehealth was in the very early stages as a treatment option before the Covid 19 pandemic. Since spring 2020, Telehealth has literally reshaped the field of mental healthcare.
While many people, therapists, and clients alike, are longing to return to in-person sessions, Telehealth as a viable mental health care treatment option is here to stay. And studies show that its effectiveness, along with convenience, removes many of the geographical and time barriers people have faced when looking to begin psychotherapy.
There are many reasons why you may not be able to attend in-person therapy sessions.
Perhaps you don’t have the time to commute, or you don’t have access to transportation. Or maybe it’s just that your mental or physical health struggles make it difficult for you to leave home.
Regardless of what your barriers are, Telehealth is a viable option for in-state mental health care.
Benefits of Telehealth
Improved Convenience
One benefit of telehealth is that it’s more convenient than traditional in-person therapy. There’s no need to take time off work or away from your family to commute to therapy appointments.
Greater Flexibility
Telehealth also offers greater flexibility when it comes to scheduling appointments. For example, finding time for therapy appointments can be challenging with your busy balance between work, home, and social life. With telehealth, you have increased scheduling flexibility.
Drawbacks of Telehealth
One drawback of Telehealth is the loss of the in-person connection with your therapist. There is a familiarity that comes with seeing your therapist on a regular schedule, in a physical space that becomes the place where you do your deepest and most personal inner work, free of distractions.
While time-consuming, the commute to and from psychotherapy can also be a useful time to review what you want to talk about and reflect on what you covered in your session.
If you elect to use telehealth for your mental healthcare, we encourage you to consider setting aside even a little bit of time to yourself before and after your session for this reflection time. It’s easy to jump off a work call, join a video session with your therapist, and then get right back to your busy schedule. But that may not best serve you in your therapeutic process.
Finally, Telehealth is uniquely prone to distractions. When you’re on your computer, you cannot help but notice emails, texts, and other notifications pop up. These can get in the way of your ability to concentrate on your therapeutic work. When enjoying the convenience of telehealth, we urge you to free yourself of distractions during your session as much as you can.
What to Expect From a Telehealth Consultation
A telehealth consultation is similar to an in-person therapy session, except it takes place over the phone or via video chat. Inside Psychotherapy uses a HIPAA-compliant confidential video conferencing platform for secure video visits with your therapist.
The goal of telehealth is to provide you with the same high-quality mental health care that you would receive in person, but without the need to leave your home.
Want to Learn More About Telehealth?
If you’re interested in exploring telehealth as an option for mental health treatment, we would be happy to speak with you about it.
Contact us to learn how we use Telehealth for effective treatment at Inside Psychotherapy.
