What is telehealth and what are its advantages?
Telehealth is also sometimes referred to as telemental health (TMH), distance counseling, or internet counseling, and it means that therapy sessions are conducted with a video-conferencing app, similar to ones that many people have used to join work meetings or doctor appointments since the Covid-19 pandemic began, or over the phone.
Although much of life has gotten back to normal now, many people still prefer virtual options over in-person appointments due to their convenience. You may have a busy schedule or just want to be in the comfort of your own home; no transportation or commute time is needed; and having a cold or experiencing inclement weather are no longer barriers.
How do I prepare for a video or phone session?
You should plan to spend the duration of your appointment time in a quiet and private space. If you request a video session, you may want to try to access your first appointment a few minutes early in case you encounter any delays or problems. If you request a phone session, you will receive a phone call from your Provider at your appointment start time. More detailed instructions about both types of appointments will be in the New Client documents that you receive before scheduling. (Please also note that only Jessica offers phone sessions at this time.)
What will we do and what can I expect?
Most of what you will do is talk about what brings you to counseling and what goals you want to achieve, and your Provider will help you see things from a cognitive-behavioral or other evidence-based perspective while keeping your goals in mind, whether you are exploring your past, focusing on changing current behavior, or just figuring out how you can cope with a tough time you might be going through.
The length and frequency of your sessions will vary depending on your needs and preferences. Some people feel better after talking just a few times, while others might want support over a longer period of time.
As your relationship with your Provider nears the end, which usually happens once you've achieved your goals, you'll focus more on relapse prevention planning, which means coming up with concrete ideas about how you will maintain the positive changes you have made and how you can cope with potential future difficulties. This helps many people feel ready to have less frequent check-ins or to be completely on their own after therapy ends, but we do have an "open door" philosophy, meaning that we are happy to meet with you again at any time if needed.
Okay, so how do I get scheduled?
You can include your e-mail address in the Contact form below or e-mail us at [email protected], and a link to complete your New Client documents in the secure client portal will be e-mailed to you. We will automatically receive a notification once you have completed them, and then we will send you a secure portal message to arrange a day and time for your first session!
If you use the appointment request link to request a specific date and time, doing so will set you up with client portal access, and the New Client documents will be shared with you in the client portal and must be completed before your request can be approved, so be sure to complete them as soon as possible to avoid losing your preferred date and time!
Do you offer free consultations first?
If you have read about us and our practice here on our website and in your New Client documents and are still unsure if you'd like to proceed, we offer consultation time at a discounted pro-rated hourly rate, billed in 15-minute increments. Please note that consultation time cannot be billed to insurance as it is not considered treatment. If you would like your first session to be billed to insurance, select the "New Client" appointment type in the Appointment Request function in the client portal.
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