Teletherapy  

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What is Teletherapy?

Teletherapy is online counseling services provided on a secure, HIPPA compliant platform. Telehealth services can have many benefits including the convivence of being accessible from anywhere in the state of Colorado, flexible appointment times and privacy from the comfort of your home.

 

Research has shown that telehealth services can be just as effective as those offered in the traditional face-to-face office setting. Additional considerations must be taken when meeting with a teletherapy provider including setting up reliable internet connection, planning for any technical mishaps and ensuring your space is secure/private.

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Teletherapy is a great option for anyone who prefers to limit face-to-face contact but still wants access to quality care. Additionally, it allows clients to choose a therapist based off fit rather than proximity.

 

Some helpful tips for getting the most out of your teletherapy sessions include:

 

• Schedule sessions at times when you are alone

• Test for sound BEFORE your first appointment to determine if others in the home can hear you

• Schedule sessions during times of the day where there are less distractions,

• Use headphones

• Play white noise or other sounds outside your door to increase 

  privacy

• Home isn't ideal for sessions? Reserve a quiet space for sessions (such as a library) or go for a scenic drive, park and connect for session.

 

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Connecting to the online platforms is easy and fast; internet connection or data use are required as these platforms exist digitally.
 

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Please note: I am not a Medicaid provider. If you have Medicaid coverage that includes mental health services, I am not able to offer mental health services to you; this includes group counseling services.

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New to counseling?

If you've never been in counseling before you might be wondering what this "therapy" thing is all about. Is it right for me? Can I benefit from it?

 

Let me start by saying, mental health counseling can help across a vast range of goals, experiences and challenges!

 

Any struggle is a valid struggle and therapy isn't always about solving the "problem" (although it can absolutely assist in that), as much as it's about feeling heard, understood and empowered.

 

The therapeutic process starts when we (you and I) agree to focus on resolving, reducing or replenishing an area of life. This goal often aims to decrease emotional distress or to cultivate personal strengths.

 

We establish clear steps to reach your goal and the psychotherapy process becomes the steppingstones to that destination. We meet regularly and intentionally, focusing on the topics and interventions most important to you.

 

Though there can be many benefits to therapy, we can't forget that change can be difficult. Just as in the traditional therapy sessions, online counseling sessions hold the therapeutic space to both check in, while avoiding bringing about an intolerable amount of distress.

We go at the pace of your nervous system.

The length of therapy will depends upon a few things, including your goals, your life and the intensity of symptoms. It is difficult to initially predict how many sessions will be needed. We will collaboratively discuss from session to session what the next steps are and how often therapy sessions will occur.

 

Ultimately, it is your decision to decide frequency and duration of your psychotherapy sessions but if barriers like attendance, lack of alliance or our schedules seem to get in the way of the therapeutic process, we might need to problem solve a solution. Likewise, if I feel like your treatment needs are outside of my scope of practice, I may refer you to another provider who can better provide interventions and tools, suited for your situation. 

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First, we will meet for an "intake session" during which time I gather personal history and information relevant to your current enrollment in services; if relevant, insurance and other payment information will be gathered as well. I will provide you with paperwork that we review and you can keep copies for your own record as well.

 

Next, we create a treatment plan which encompasses your goal and preferences for frequency/length of time per session.

Sessions after this are spent actively moving towards the established goal. The treatment plan can be adjusted at any point and you can also choose to terminate services at any point or request a referral to another provider.

 

The creation of a "mental health diagnosis" may depend on external factors such as payor (insurance requires it for reimbursement), clinical appropriateness and presentation of symptoms.

A diagnosis summarizes symptoms but in no way defines who you are or the whole of your being.

Talk with your provider if symptoms change or if you have questions regarding a current diagnosis.

Absence of a diagnosis does not mean that you can’t benefit from therapy.

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