Teletherapy

Teletherapy…a.k.a. telemedicine, telehealth, telemental health, virtual therapy, etc. - Experiencing therapy through video using a computer, tablet, or smart phone.

Before the pandemic, I saw all of my clients in person. After making the switch to teletherapy and seeing how well my clients responded, I decided to switch to a full-time online practice. My clients really like having sessions online. Examples of comments they have made include:

“It’s so much more convenient. I don’t have to spend so much time driving to and from appointments.”

“Since I feel so comfortable in my own home, I can open up more in therapy.”

“I really like how it brings the therapy work into my personal life rather than just leaving it in the therapy office.” And the list goes on.

If you’re wondering if teletherapy is a good fit for you

Even though many of us have had to get used to online meetings, it makes sense why you may feel hesitant to start teletherapy. To be successful, you will need the basics - a device with a camera, microphone, and screen (i.e., computer, tablet, smart phone) and a good internet connection. Headphones can be useful for cutting out background noise and maintaining your privacy. They are recommended, but not required. Other helpful things include having a basic comfort with technology, a sense of flexibility for technology glitches if they occur, and an open mind.

As I mentioned above, my clients have loved teletherapy, but it’s ultimately an individual preference. Consider a question I often use in therapy: “What does your internal wisdom tell you?” Think about your goals for therapy and use your gut feeling to help guide you.

But you don’t have to make the decision alone either. In the first few sessions, I use your feedback, alongside my clinical judgment, to help determine if teletherapy will be beneficial for you.

If you’re wondering if teletherapy works

In general, the effectiveness of therapy depends largely on your willingness to be active and engaged in the process, which is true for teletherapy too. I cannot promise teletherapy outcomes any more or less than I could promise in-person therapy outcomes. I can promise to offer compassionate support and do my very best to understand you, help you identify repeating patterns, and help you clarify the changes that you would like to make in your life.

My clients have responded well to teletherapy, just as well as they were responding to in-person sessions. New clients starting with teletherapy do well too. And research supports these findings. Here are some helpful articles if you’re interested, though research is always growing and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

How well is teletherapy working? A recent article published by the American Psychological Association. The author also provides links to other helpful studies.

A growing wave of online therapy. Also published by the American Psychological Association, this article looks at the benefits of teletherapy, while also discussing some reasons why it may not be the best fit for everyone.

Psychology at a distance: Examining the efficacy of online therapy. A study conducted at Portland State University in 2016.

And here are two more studies that review and summarize conclusions from other articles about teletherapy: The effectiveness of telemental health: A 2013 review and Videoconferencing Psychotherapy: A systematic review.