The Opportunities Telehealth Therapy Can Provide You
I am often asked, "Do you work with all of your clients online?" and "What exactly is telehealth therapy?" Throughout my career, the field has seen many changes, and one of the most impactful has been the emergence and widespread adoption of telehealth therapy across mental health and medical systems. COVID-19 completely changed the healthcare landscape, and with it came the rise of telehealth therapy as a legitimate, effective, and accessible way to receive mental health care.
How Does Telehealth Therapy Work?
Participating in telehealth therapy could not be more efficient or easier in today's busy world. Once you have completed all necessary documents, you receive a HIPAA-compliant link each week from your therapist. Only you and your therapist have access to that link. It is private, secure, and simple.
What Does Telehealth Therapy Require?
Telehealth therapy requires very little, and more than likely, you already have everything you need:
A private, safe, quiet environment. For your privacy, there cannot be other people in the room or space. A stable internet connection. Access to a cell phone or computer with a screen and microphone.
That is it. No office visit. No commute. No waiting room.
The Convenience of Telehealth Therapy
We are all busy. A doctor's appointment or dentist appointment often puts a major wrench in our day. We rearrange our work schedules, find somebody to pick up the kids, and juggle everything else life demands. That inconvenience creates a natural pathway for us to cancel, reschedule, and ultimately neglect our own mental health.
Telehealth therapy changes that.
What if you could attend therapy right from your home? From the safety of your bedroom, your home office, your couch? No travel, no awkward waiting rooms, no disrupting your entire day. You click a link, and your therapist is right there.
Therapy can bring up painful things. Things we have never talked about with anyone. After a difficult session, imagine opening the door and your dog is right there. Your children. Your partner. The people and things that make you feel safe are immediately around you. There is no car ride home alone, no being out in public while processing something raw. Telehealth therapy gives you that.
What the Research Says About Telehealth Therapy
For decades, therapy was seen as an in-person service. In 2020, the widespread adoption of telehealth therapy changed that notion permanently.
Decades of research now show that online therapy is more than a convenient alternative. It is an evidence-based method of receiving mental health care. Large scientific reviews have found that for common concerns like anxiety, depression, and trauma, telehealth therapy produces outcomes comparable to in-person therapy. The therapeutic relationship, the quality of treatment, and symptom improvement remain strong, while virtual sessions make it easier to access care consistently.
Research has shown that telehealth therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for the following conditions:
Anxiety disorders Depressive disorders Adjustment disorders Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Stress
When Is Telehealth Therapy Not Appropriate?
Telehealth therapy may not be appropriate in the following situations:
Acute psychiatric emergencies Individuals experiencing paranoia or hallucinations Individuals who do not have a safe, private environment Individuals with unreliable internet or technology access
If you are unsure whether telehealth therapy is right for you, reach out. We can talk through it together.
The Therapeutic Relationship in Telehealth Therapy
The therapeutic relationship and the personality fit between client and therapist is one of the strongest predictors of progress in therapy, alongside client motivation. You may wonder how it is possible to build a meaningful connection with someone on a screen.
The answer is no different than if you were in person.
Imagine you live in a rural community in New York and need mental health treatment. In rural communities, options are limited. Telehealth therapy has opened up significant therapeutic opportunities for clients to match with therapists across all of New York State. A therapist six hours away in Watertown, New York may be exactly the right person to help you.
You may be in New York City thinking the same thing. The geographic distance that used to be a barrier no longer exists with telehealth therapy.
Telehealth therapy also adds a layer of protection that matters to many people: you will never run into your therapist at the grocery store. For some individuals, that privacy can be the thing that finally makes starting therapy feel possible.
What If It Feels Awkward?
That is a fair question. Building a relationship through a screen is unfamiliar at first. But that is on the therapist to create an environment that is warm, personable, and comfortable. Given time and willingness, a meaningful and impactful therapeutic relationship absolutely develops through telehealth therapy.
Ready to Start Telehealth Therapy?
Telehealth therapy has created the opportunity for skilled clinicians to meet the needs of clients all across New York State, strengthening the mental health infrastructure that many New Yorkers have needed for years.
I hope this gave you a clearer picture of what telehealth therapy looks like and helped you take one step closer to feeling like yourself again. The hardest part of therapy is not what comes up in the sessions. It is taking the first step. My goal is to make that step as easy as possible.
Let's get started together.