What to Know About Virtual Therapy

The Benefits of Virtual Therapy

So, you’re thinking about starting therapy and in our digital world you’ve been hearing about virtual therapy (or sometimes called telehealth therapy) as an option. What are the benefits to seeing a mental health practitioner online versus in person?

Virtual therapy can provide support for people of all ages, backgrounds, and mental health concerns through the click of a button. Families, couples, and individuals can find a provider that best fits their needs and be able to hop on their session in seconds. Children, teens, adults, and seniors can all benefit from virtual therapy. It is important to consider, especially with children and in young adolescence that sometimes a more hands on, play-focused approach, may be more appropriate and difficult to mimic in a virtual setting – but there are numerous online games and activities play therapists use for the kiddos who are a good fit!

Wider accessibility for people from all walks of life is another pro with virtual therapy. If you live somewhere remote that has little in-person options, if you are immuno-compromised and have concerns around illness, if you have disabilities and worry about accessibility to an office space, or if you have difficulties with reliable transportation – telehealth therapy could be the right fit for you.

What about if there are children in the home? Or noisy roommates? Thankfully, virtual therapy allows flexibility in where you take your sessions. Plan your therapy during nap time without having to worry about childcare. Park your car at a vibrant park and take the session from your phone where you can get privacy and a relaxing view. And when our cold, snowy Minnesota winter comes, you don’t have to worry about driving out in the storm to try and get to session to avoid the late cancellation fee. Avoid the fight through traffic at the end of the day to get to session on time by taking the session over your lunch hour.

Another benefit of virtual therapy is you likely get to stay in your own safe space with access to all the comforts you might want during session. Pets, fidgets, blankets, a favorite beverage, candles – you can have it all right there with you during your appointment. If a furry friend wants to say hello during the session, they are more than welcome!

If insurance coverage is a concern, the great news is that telehealth therapy is more than likely covered by all major insurances at present. And CARE Counseling is in network with all major Minnesota insurances as well.

Is Telehealth Therapy Just as Helpful as In-person Therapy?

Research has shown that the benefits of virtual therapy are akin to in-person therapy. What matters most is the connection between you and your provider. Finding a good fit could still be challenging, so it is important to do research into options to find someone you feel like will be a match for you. Read clinician bios, check their specialties and availability, and double check they are licensed in the state you live in (or plan to live in). If you start with a Minnesota provider, but are headed to Wisconsin for college in the fall, it might be important to double check if they have a license for both as state guidelines will prevent providers from continuing their care even with virtual therapy.

The Experience in Virtual Sessions

Just like in-person sessions, it is important to have a quiet, private space to feel comfortable opening up to your provider. Having your own white noise machines or background sounds and/or headphones could help you feel more engaged with the session. The provider will also honor this by having a private HIPAA compliant office space with minimal risk of disruption.

Accessing the appointment will look like a link via text or email you simply click on, or logging in through a client portal and clicking a button to join. It may be good to check internet speed ahead of time, and double check your internet browser is up-to-date and compatible with the telehealth system. Though you usually won’t have to download any software to your device for session, technological difficulties can be avoided through those steps. It is also helpful to ensure the device you will be using is charged and plugged in. Sometimes technology still gets the best of us and there may be some troubleshooting that has to happen – thankfully, virtual therapy can be flexible with that too! If the session has to be a mix of audio through a phone and a camera on a laptop, it can be done.

You will still be meeting with your provider “face-to-face” and get a sense of who they are just as you would in-person. Below, you can see photos of what it looks like for my own clients in session with me and what my office space looks like.

Above all, your comfortability and what you need during your therapy journey are the most important aspects. You get to decide what feels right for you, including who your provider is and the setting you access therapy in. Virtual therapy could be the first step in your healing journey no matter where you come from or the concerns you bring to the table, and we as the clinicians are happy to meet you where you are at.