Originally, I stumbled into virtual therapy accidentally as I was striving to meet the evolving needs of my clients. At that time, I had been working with a particular client for four years who was moving to London. This client, though highly functional, wanted to...
Philosophical interest in what we now describe as psychology dates back thousands of years—the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Indians and Chinese all investigated the mind and studied human behavior. Over the centuries, ideas became more refined. By the 8th Century AD,...
There is nothing more rewarding than helping your psychotherapy patients achieve their goals. It’s easy to dream of breakthroughs and full-recoveries but the truth is, making real headway requires time, trust and an established therapeutic relationship based on...
From a practical sense, virtual therapy requires the following things: a computer, an Internet connection, a webcam, a headset or speakers, and a videoconferencing application. To be HIPAA compliant, you need full encryption and data protection as well. But the nuts...
When clients and providers ask me about virtual therapy, I reassure them that virtual therapy, sometimes called distance therapy, isn’t a new form of treatment; it’s a new form of delivery. Virtual therapy allows clinicians to reach out to clients regardless of where...
It may be very tempting as a therapist to simply connect with a client for a video-teleconference utilizing a popular social media platform like Skype, Facetime or Google Hangouts. But if you do so, you are risking HIPAA compliance. Yes, these platforms provide high...
In many scenarios, online therapy is just as effective as talking to a therapist in person. For instance, research has shown that online cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders is just as effective as the same modality delivered in person.(i) Veterans being...
ABSOLUTELY!! I have been providing online therapy to clients for over 10 years, but believe it or not, I am generally what most would refer to as a "late adopter" of new technology. My kids often still laugh about the fact that when texting became an option on our...
This is a question many practitioners ask, and the answer is surprisingly simplistic. The single most important thing you can do to make you clients more comfortable with virtual therapy treatment is to control expectations, by being proactive versus reactive. Put...
If you’re a prospective patient evaluating virtual therapy, you might understandably feel overwhelmed. Still, there are several advantages that are probably motivating your search: Perhaps you have a variable work schedule, or you travel often. Maybe you don’t travel...