01

Accessible to More People

Teletherapy removes many of the barriers – physical, emotional, or mental – towards seeking out therapy and makes it accessible for more people. For individuals who are practicing social distancing during the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic, living with a disability that makes travel difficult, or those who are just unsure about trying therapy for the first time, teletherapy is a highly beneficial option.

02

Offers Greater Flexibility

It’s easy to put off attending therapy when sessions are offered during limited office hours. For many people who already have a lot of commitments to juggle, seeking out this form of support can easily be bumped down the priority list. When a therapist can be readily available at a time that suits the patient, it offers greater flexibility and could even encourage more people to seek the right support when they need it most.

03

Reduced wait times

It might seem like a small benefit, but increased flexibility also means reduced waiting times for patients wanting to speak with a therapist urgently or for the first time. It can take a lot of courage making an appointment for therapy, and the less time someone has to wait, the more likely it will be they’ll follow through and get the help they need.

Taking time off from work to battle traffic while going to the therapist, wasting even more time in the waiting room, having the session, and then battling traffic to return to work, is also a huge deterrent to many. Being able to brew a quick coffee, step into a private room for the scheduled therapy session, and ready to return fairly soon to ‘work-mode’ is a much more viable solution for many office workers.

04

Creates a More Comfortable Environment

We can all do our part to help decrease the spread of COVID-19 and get to engage therapy from the comfort of our own home. People who engage in Teletherapy are able to stay in their own home, with their cat or dog on their lap and get the support they need.

The following information is provided as a guide to ensure that you have the most

positive, uninterrupted counseling experience possible.

Creating Confidential

Space

Things to consider:

Is the space private?

Can you lock the door?

If not, will others who have access to the space respect your request for privacy and not enter the room?

Can you/have you had a conversation with them?

Were they receptive?

Can others outside the room hear you talking?

If so, can you create white noise with a fan or other form of background noise? (Preferably placed outside the doorway of the room you’re in)

Consider using headphones or earbuds so that your provider’s voice is kept private and is only hearable by you.

If you have a hard time finding confidential space, we have listed some examples of places that others have used. These are not ideal, but should be considered secondary choices if an ideal setup is not available. If you use any of these, please make sure that the space is comfortable to you. Being comfortable is also highly important.

Laundry Room

Walk-In-Closet

Basement

Attic

Actual last resort: your car parked in a safe, private spot. (We want to emphasize that private does not mean secluded. Please do make sure you are in a safe location.)

Technical Setup:

A laptop or desktop computer are ideal — preferably the biggest screen size that you have available to you (that you can also have in a comfortable, confidential space)

If you’re using a tablet or phone, please prop up the device so that it is stable and that the camera is about level with your eyes

Whatever device you’re using, please make sure that the camera is about level with your eyes. It may require propping up your device or monitor on other items, such as books.

Please make sure that you’re well lit and don’t have a bright light source directly behind you

Clear Your Internet

Be sure to move your computer as close as you can to your WiFi router (the box that makes the WiFi.) Or better yet — plug your computer into the router with a cable!

After that, you’ll want to close out of any programs you don’t need which use your Internet connection. This video will show you some examples of doing that (and this article will explain it.)

To find out more about the benefits of telemedicine, please read these articles:

Here is a website that has up to date info on telehealth and the benefits of it.
http://www.zurinstitute.com/telehealthresources.html
Here is a scholarly article by the Journal of Affective Disorders that did a study on clients who received counseling in person and online. The study showed a significant difference in long-term effectiveness. Clients who received online counseling noted more of a reduction in negative symptoms than those who received in-person counseling.
http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327(13)00512-0/abstract