What Is Teletherapy and How Does It Work?

After our new normal developed through the COVID-19 pandemic, technology made communicating and engaging with our social circle easy.

Through FaceTime and numerous other video conferencing apps, we can connect with friends, family, and colleagues from far away.

Teletherapy may be an easy way for you and your provider to get therapy. You might’ve heard of teletherapy, and you may be wondering exactly what it is, how it works, and whether or not it’s effective. Read on to learn more from us about this expanding practice.

What is Teletherapy?

Teletherapy, also called telepsychiatry, uses a phone or online video conference to deliver mental health counseling. Teletherapy is “any remote therapy done using technology to assist the therapist and client in communicating.”

Teletherapy can consist of phone therapy sessions, group chats for group therapy, video conferencing for individuals, couples, families, and groups, receiving therapy via email or instant messenger, and using therapy apps that connect clients to therapists.

Through telepsychiatry, mental health providers can partner with patients from a distance to provide online therapy sessions, create healthy coping mechanisms and daily routines, and practice therapeutic modalities.

The telehealth model isn't new, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the mental health community to embrace this treatment model.

How Does Online Therapy Work?

Teletherapy sessions work similarly to traditional therapy sessions, with the exception that the client and provider are not in the same room. Patients can request one-on-one or group therapy sessions with a mental health professional and log into a live video appointment. Patients should treat teletherapy sessions like in-person sessions, planning and preparing accordingly.

Teletherapy is generally a session between a psychiatrist and a patient conducted over some kind of hardware, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Online therapy assists mental health specialists in offering services to patients in a live, interactive setting. Sessions run as if everyone is there in the same room.

Is Teletherapy Effective?

The big question: Is teletherapy just as good as visiting your therapist in person? In short: Yes, for most patients. How effective is teletherapy for different types of clients? According to the American Psychiatric Association, “telemedicine in psychiatry is a validated and effective practice of medicine that increases access to care.” Teletherapy has been a form of remote mental health care in the United States since the 1990s. While the use of teletherapy has grown, especially during the pandemic, it is a hugely effective therapy method.

The telehealth model was the best solution during COVID-19. Without this counseling method, we would have faced the choice of continuing in-person service delivery and putting ourselves and our clients at risk or closing our doors to the community.

Research shows that teletherapy can be more effective for some patients, including, but not limited to, those who are uncomfortable in unfamiliar clinical environments.

Teletherapy can make patients feel more relaxed and willing to express their thoughts and feelings to their provider. Due to technology, therapy can be improved while you stay in your own familiar home environment, as you can easily open up to your counsellors about your experiences in video conversations.

Yet teletherapy also has limitations. Some therapies, like play therapy for children, are limited by teletherapy. For specialty sessions, in-office visits will be a better experience.

Final Thoughts

Teletherapy is an excellent choice if you struggle to access therapy in person. During and since the COVID-19 pandemic, teletherapy is a great way to slow the spread of illness. If you or a loved one are experiencing mental health challenges, schedule an appointment with one of our providers at Healthy Families Albuquerque. We advocate mental health and wellness for all. Please get in touch with us today at 505-842-9911 to start.