Telehealth

Join the growing wave of people using online counseling

Telethealth is experiencing a surge in popularity. Research indicates that online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy. 

Online counseling is experiencing a surge in popularity.  As health insurance companies are now covering teletherapy, experienced, high-quality therapists are now more likely to offer ongoing virtual care. 7 million Americans have tried telehealth and surveys show that people are satisfied.

Tele-health Guide

Why Choose Tele-Therapy?

• Convenient. It can access from your home or any other cozy, comfortable space that works for you.
• Access therapy from anywhere—wherever you can create a safe space ( office, home, outdoors).
• Therapy on-the-go. No more traffic. No more waiting rooms. Bring your therapist with you.
• Quality. Licensed and experienced therapists are now offering telehealth (often for the first time since insurance covers).
• People like it. A study from JD Power found that Customer satisfaction with telehealth services is high: “The overall customer satisfaction score for telehealth services is 851 (on a 1,000-point scale), and is 900 or higher among 46% of telehealth users. These customer satisfaction scores are among the highest of all healthcare, insurance, and financial services industry studies conducted by J.D. Power.”
• Flexible. Our remote therapists are able to offer more flexible schedules including evening and weekend appointments.
• Easy appointment. We offer day, evening, and weekend appointments.
• Affordable. Insurance now covers telehealth
• More providers. You now have a large network of therapists at your fingertips.
• Go for the best. You can access high-quality therapists from L.A.
• Insurance. Is teletherapy right for you? ( not for everyone). Is teletherapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Online counseling appears to be as effective as in-person therapy in most cases.  Research suggests that clients and therapists are able to build virtual relationship connections that are meaningful and intimate. The fit between client and therapist, a combination of therapist expertise and personality match, continues to be one of the most important factors in the effectiveness of therapy.

In this study of 60 patients diagnosed with depression, online therapy was found to be as effective or more. The participants were found to be very engaged with their homework assignments, and email correspondence, and 96% reported that the connection felt personal.

Wagner Birgit, Andrea B. Horn, Maercker Andreas. Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032 

Research also demonstrates that online therapy is working for a variety of mental health disorders including depression, trauma, eating disorders, pain management, and addiction to name a few. Therapists are using the same evidence-based therapy techniques that they would use in person.

Our therapists are prepared to deliver a wide range of therapy interventions via telehealth.

Evidence

Research suggests that teletherapy is as effective as in-person. Wagner Birgit, Andrea B. Horn, Maercker Andreas. Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032

• Trauma: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr/publications/assetfiles/2017/Turgoose2017.pdf
• Eating disorders: Tele-therapy for eating disorders/evidence suggests that video therapy is effective for delivering evidence-based therapy
• For addiction: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adaw.32673

Overall comfort with technology plays a huge role in satisfaction with online counseling. Overcoming technology resistance and allowing oneself to relax, tell your story, be vulnerable, share emotions and develop an authentic relationship with the therapist is beginning to happen for many people. Our collective experience with COVID-19 has given clients and therapists alike a crash course in exposure therapy to virtual social connection. Zoom for work and social interaction has normalized an online social life.

Here are some considerations for an optimal teletherapy session:

• Do you know how to operate your video and audio?
• Do you want direct eye contact by looking at the camera?
• Do you want to see your own image on the screen? Or do you want to minimize your image?
• How close to the screen do you want to sit?
• What kind of background do you want to display? Your room? Or a photo-background

What technology do I need? 

Technology Checklist

Here’s the equipment needed for a virtual session:

• Computer, phone, or tablet with internally integrated speaker, microphone, and camera. External cameras and speakers are available.
• Headphones (if your device does not have high-quality speakers integrated or if you want more privacy)

Additionally, you need to ensure you have access to a high-speed internet connection. Use Google’s speed test to test the quality of your internet. If either your download or upload speed is below 3 Mbps, you should consider upgrading your internet connection. Close all other browsers and applications to ensure a better connection.

Although Wifi is compatible with most telehealth platforms, when possible we recommend using a wired Ethernet connection instead of using Wifi. Wired internet provides a better connection that is more stable. If your computer does not have an ethernet port, you can purchase this ethernet adapter to switch to a wired connection.

When teletherapy is not appropriate?

Tele-therapy is not appropriate for emergencies. Tele-therapy is not suitable for someone thinking of attempting suicide or other forms of immediate self-harm. If you are having a mental health crisis, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

• Telehealth attitudes survey
• People are not getting adequate treatment
• Additionally, another 56% of Americans who have a mental health condition do not get adequate treatment.

We also offer other services like Addiction Specialist, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Personal Therapy, Teen Therapy, Trauma Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, OCD Specialists, Depression Specialists, and a lot more!