Telehealth isn’t new. With technology advancing and becoming more accessible, telehealth has evolved with it. Having an alternative access to a doctor, therapist, public health professional, or any other kind of medical expert makes a huge difference. This is true for those living in rural areas, those who do not have access to transportation, and those who may be physically impaired.
Telehealth has now had to rapidly become that much more accessible and adapt to higher demand due to most of us being restricted to our homes and having limited healthcare access except for emergencies. This access to care is still important however, whether it be for routine checkups or ailments that may not require going to the ER, but are still necessary to check with your provider. Although it’s not the same as physically being there and getting testing done, something is better than nothing.
It’s also incredibly important to still have access to mental health care. This is needed more now than ever too: there’s another public health crisis paralleling COVID as fears about the pandemic and concerns with self-isolating (on top of other factors) on our psyche continue to grow. Even the transition to where we are today was sudden and quick, which can throw off our minds as we lose our routines and sense of stability.
Therapy is possibly one of the “easier” methods of telehealth since sessions mostly involve talking already. It can still be awkward at first having a video chat with your therapist: you aren’t in the familiar space you usually see them in, but studies have shown that therapy done virtually is just as effective as doing it face-to-face. There are also other benefits, including more flexibility about when you can meet, cost-efficiency (i.e. if you had to pay for parking or public transit to physically get to your therapist), and having the ability to still speak with your therapist if you’re physically sick.
Some may be concerned with meeting online and their privacy being invaded, however. This isn’t uncommon. A major barrier for therapy being done virtually in the past, and even now as it’s becoming the current norm, is that some video software is vulnerable to being stolen. Software like Zoom meets privacy standards, so it’s important to speak with your therapist to see how they want to speak with you. That being said, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have loosened privacy laws so it’s easier to access important mental health resources for the time being.
There may also be concerns for those who live with others and have a fear of housemates and/or roommates being able to hear what they are talking about with their therapist. If your child lives at home and has a therapist that can meet virtually with them, it’s important to remember that these sessions are just for your child and that their privacy and feelings of safety and trust should be respected.
If your child has been seeing a therapist, have they moved to meeting virtually? How has this been going? Do they have a space where they can do this privately if they live at home?