Online Therapy

During 2020 and because of how the global pandemic affected our lifestyles, the landscape of healthcare is forever changed in the United States. One of these big changes is the widespread acceptance of telehealth methods. Among these methods are online therapy and teletherapy. You can take advantage of these more convenient ways of receiving face-to-face counseling as part of treatment by a licensed psychologist through Greene Psychology Group in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Therapy is a rewarding experience that helps you overcome hurdles in your everyday life, so you can start achieving your personal goals. Now, teletherapy and online therapy make this experience so much easier and even more private. You can seek treatment from the privacy of your own home or even within your office. You only need a smartphone or other internet-connected device.

What is teletherapy or online therapy?

Teletherapy is virtual delivery of mental health treatment services by means of live video conferencing. You can access this virtual therapy through a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer over cellular service, WiFi or other internet connection.

Common names for this type of therapy include:

Virtual therapy

Teletherapy

Online therapy

e-therapy

Video therapy

This method of delivery is much like using Skype, Zoom or FaceTime for video conferencing or phone calls. But the encrypted connection used for teletherapy offers better security with your psychologist or other counselor providing therapy services.

Telehealth has become much more widely accepted in the past several decades. But 2020's pandemic acted like a catalyst for this type of medical service delivery. Driven by necessity, more patients and doctors accept telemedicine like teletherapy than ever before.

Who does teletherapy benefit?

Teletherapy works well for a wide range of people. You can receive the same quality of care through online therapy as you do through in-person office treatment. This method suits many types of counseling, ranging from depression and anxiety treatment to specialized therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In fact, through online therapy, more people can access care than ever before.

Teletherapy can work well for your individual counseling or group therapy, such as for family therapy or marital counseling. Of course, there are sometimes circumstances where online therapy will not work. If this is the case, your therapist will discuss treatment options with you to ensure you can receive the therapy you need.

What should I expect from my online therapy sessions?

You can expect your teletherapy sessions to work much like standard therapy delivered in your psychologist's office. The only major difference is that you are not physically in the same room.

To schedule your online therapy, you set an appointment as you would for a standard office visit. But instead of driving to their location and checking in with a receptionist, you will log into an online secure video platform at your scheduled time. You will be able to see and hear your therapist in real time, just as they can see you and hear you on their screen.

To hear better and enable seamless communication, if you need to wear a headset or earphones, feel free to do so. Otherwise, your therapist will use the same activities and techniques they would employ as part of an office visit. You can schedule online therapy and teletherapy appointments for a single visit or as part of a long-term treatment plan.

As with office visits at our Raleigh location, your Greene Psychology Group therapist must adhere to the privacy laws of North Carolina during and after your online therapy session. This means they must work from a private room to conduct your secure therapy. They will never record or share your therapy session, unless you explicitly agree to this.

As a patient, it is also important that you choose a private space to take part in therapy. You should ensure your own confidentiality, too.

Some of the benefits of online therapy include:
• No travel time or fuel expense
• Conduct your sessions at the location of your choice
• Greater confidentiality than when going into a therapist's physical location
• Fully encrypted, specialized software

The methods used by your therapist must adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This Act governs both face-to-face and online therapy visits. You can relax in knowing your teletherapy meets or exceeds these standards.

Is online therapy effective?

You can expect your teletherapy to prove as effective as in-person office visits, if not even more effective due to the convenience of attending your sessions. According to the American Psychiatric Association, teletherapy is "a validated and effective practice of medicine." Studies indicate that some patients actually benefit more from teletherapy than from in-office visits. This is the case for those who feel uncomfortable in a clinical or unfamiliar office setting.

Because your teletherapy takes place in your own home or other comfortable setting, you are more likely to feel relaxed and open to treatment. Although technology can present some hurdles for people new to using these devices, the process is easy to learn and accessible to almost everyone.

Where teletherapy does not prove as helpful is for certain types of treatment like play therapy for children. However, common benefits for talk therapy and many types of treatment include:
• Greater accessibility to more people
• Easier to attend therapy sessions
• Reduced wait times for appointments
• A safer environment with less stress

Schedule Your Teletherapy Visit Today

When you are a patient of Greene Psychology Group of Raleigh, North Carolina, scheduling your treatment is easier than ever before. Thanks to teletherapy appointments for people throughout the state of North Carolina, anyone can more conveniently access the mental health care they need. Call us at 919-205-5339 today to schedule your online therapy visit with a licensed psychologist.