How Does Telehealth Work?
Remote Therapy
We all remember the pandemic. Lots of businesses were shut down. Many of us were sheltering in place, scrubbing our produce, and learning how to make sourdough bread.
Me? I was working through my first internship at an outpatient mental health facility. I had adults and kids as young as seven on my roster and I had to find a way to do sessions with all of them. At this point, I had completed a grand total of twenty in-person client sessions before lockdown. So I - a freshly minted intern - was using video conferencing for most of my sessions. For clients who didn’t meet the technical requirements for videoconferencing, I used the phone. It was absolutely baptism by fire, but I prepared myself as best I could and learned a lot in the process.
Now I’m pretty comfortable doing remote sessions. While I prefer in-person sessions, I am available through telehealth for those that find it more convenient, couldn’t meet with me any other way, or if either of us is sick (in this case, not sharing is caring). I use HIPAA compliant video teleconference software to meet with clients. In rare circumstances where we run into technical issues we can’t resolve, I’ll resort to my HIPAA compliant phone line. I won’t use the phone on a continual basis because it limits the effectiveness of sessions too much. Here is what you’ll need to meet with me through telehealth:
Requirements
Internet Connection: An internet connection stable enough to provide smooth and uninterrupted audio and video.
Device: A computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone that has a web browser, camera, speakers, and microphone.
Privacy: The closer you can get to being alone, the better. Cars work great in a pinch if you have access to one.
Quiet Environment: To make sure background noise doesn’t cause a distraction while we work.
Strongly Recommended
Headphones: To ensure that at least my part of the conversation isn’t overheard by others.
Good Lighting: To make sure the video quality is clear.
Test Before Each Session: To ensure the internet speed, audio, and video are working before we meet.