As our world continues to change in this fast-paced and high-tech era, healthcare providers are increasingly serving their patients through telehealth, telemedicine, and teletherapy services.
As Telemental Health providers, TheXponential LLC therapists provide Teletherapy through a secure HIPAA-compliant online platform. You and your therapist communicate through a live video and audio connection, and you receive the same high quality care as if you were physically in-person. As long as you have a computer or phone and an internet connection, teletherapy is available to you.
Teletherapy is available to Individuals, Couples, Families, and Adolescents. Teletherapy offers expanded access to care for our clients and improves continuity of care. It allows us to provide added convenience, and to be responsive to varying circumstances (practical and clinical) that might warrant remote care.
We serve clients in Illinois, New Jersey, and Florida.
Why Choose Teletherapy?
One of the most common struggles our clients face is finding the time to consistently attend therapy sessions. For people with busy schedules, back-to-back work and family commitments, frequent business travel, or being housebound, commuting to a physical location becomes a huge barrier to receiving mental health services.
How does Teletherapy Work?
Here is a checklist to help you prepare for and get the most out of your Teletherapy session:
- Privacy. Make sure that the room is generally sound-proof and your door is locked. Make sure people know that you are in an important meeting and are not to be disturbed for the next 40-60 minutes.
- Get comfortable. But not TOO comfortable. Feel free to settle into a nice, comfortable chair. Try to remain in a seated position with your laptop/computer/phone in front of you. Sitting upfront will help you stay alert and fully engaged throughout your session.
- Take care of the logistics. We’re not strangers to the potential digital glitches and technical difficulties of our devices, internet connections, and apps. Make sure that you have a solid and secure Internet connection. Make sure your device if sufficiently charged or plugged in so you don’t have to worry about an abrupt ending. Do a test run of the Teletherapy platform beforehand so that you can start the session smoothly and on time.
- Prepare some basics. Get some water, a box of tissues, comfortable clothing. But try to save a snack or a meal to before or after the session. Eating can be distracting to both parties. Ask yourself, would you do this if you were physically face-to-face with your therapist? If you are absolutely starving, grab something light to eat at the beginning, and allow yourself to have the rest of the time to yourself.
- Silence your distractions. Turn off your devices – leave your phone in the other room, face-down, on silent so you’re not distracted by a popped up alert on the screen; silence your computer notifications or turn on a “Focused” mode to silence alerts and reminders.
- Schedule in buffer time. Set aside 15-20 before and after the session to help yourself ease back into your daily activities. Some sessions take you to an emotionally deep place, sometimes bringing up uncomfortable memories and feelings. Acknowledge that you’ve just had a mental workout, and just like physical exercise, leave some time for a cool-down and light stretching.
- During the session, make sure your video window is maximized so that your therapist is in full view right in front of you. This way, you can better feel his/her presence, read facial expressions and body language, and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the interaction.
- Have a safety plan. Discuss with your therapist beforehand how to handle sudden interruptions in the video – do you use email, phone, or messaging to reconnect? In addition, if you are experiencing any safety concerns for yourself or others, have an emergency plan in place – with local police and hospital numbers, family/friends contact information, etc.
The main take-away here is that to the best of your ability, create an environment with the qualities that allows you to feel same, secure, and comfortable to be open with your therapist, share your true thoughts and feelings, and enjoy this time that you have set aside for yourself. Have plans and processes in place to ensure your safety, security, and privacy.