Teletherapy is meeting the needs of many who find themselves homebound or in some way restricted from meeting face to face. HIPPA compliant video or phone sessions can be made available and may be covered by your insurance provider.
Some benefits of teletherapy are:
- Greater Access to Care: restrictions due to physical disability, distance to the office, and impossible schedules become less of a problem
- Lower Costs: removes the cost of the drive to the office and any possible child care costs
- Privacy: removes the possible discomfort of sitting in a waiting room by offering the comfort of receiving care from the privacy of your own home
Some drawbacks to teletherapy are:
- Technological Difficulties: Slow internet connection, glitches in video software, poor sound quality can make teletherapy stressful and feel less personal
- Communication: therapist has greater difficulty reading body language and facial expression, subtle body cues can be missed or misunderstood
- No Privacy at Home: the home environment may not provide sufficient privacy for an effective treatment session
Teletherapy is a very new option and research indicates that it can nearly as helpful as traditional face to face appointments for anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma and chronic stress*. It can be incredibly helpful for some people.
*(https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/teletherapy; Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C on April 20, 2020 — Written by Zawn Villines)