Overview of Teletherapy

While many have traditionally viewed therapy as a one on one in person offering, the options for mental health practicioners to offer virutual and digital options are growing. Many agree that the first recognition of telehealth was at the 1972 international conference on computers when they presented the idea of computerized therapy along side UCLA and Stanford staff.  As the technology scene swiftly grew, so did the teletharpy space.  One of the first well recognized offerings was from the talkspace founders Oren and Roni Frank quickly followed by many other buisnesses that we can find online today (Team, 2019).

Teletherapy is a digital option for individuals when in person or one on one therapy is not viable or wanted.  It offers a lower cost option that may also be more condusive to individuals work and family schedules. 

Resources; 

Team, T. W. P. H. N. (2019, November 1). The History Of Online Therapy And Teletherapy. Western Pennsylvania Healthcare News. https://www.wphealthcarenews.com/the-history-of-online-therapy-and-teletherapy/

‌ 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Risks and Benefits to Teletherapy

  Teletherapy for mental health clients holds both risks and benefits.  Clients who may travel often, hold non traditional work and family schedules or live in rural or remote areas may benefit from the flexibility of virtual therapy.  Individuals with certain social anxieties, illness or physical limitations may find that virtual therapy session remove barriers to regularly attended sessions as opposed to traditional in person sessions ( 14 Benefits of Teletherapy for Clients , n.d.) . Some of the risks that need to be considered when deciding to offer virtual teletherapy sessions might be the effectiveness, the access to insurance coverage, your ability to respond during a crisis and considerations regarding privacy.   Some clients may find that their insurances do not cover virtual sessions. Other clients may not have availability to reliable technology or a private space to speak freely.   The therapist should also be prepared for crisis response and unfor...
Read more

Legal Considerations for Teletherapy Providers

  Nationally:    Things to consider when providing virtual therapy options   ( Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards Teletherapy & Telesupervision Guidelines II , 2021) . All therapy providers must adhere to their jurisdiction’s training requirements for teletherapy prior to providing services. Therapists wanting to provide virtual therapy options must determine that teletherapy is appropriate for the clients, considering clinical, relational, cultural, cognitive, intellectual, emotional and physical needs. The therapist must consider and implement a back up plan with the client in the event that technology breaks down or there is a disruption in service.   This plan must be clearly communicated and must be included in the general emergency management protocol. Reimbursements for telephone and video mental health options have been approved by Medicare if the individual is at their own home when an in person service has been pr...
Read more