The Center for Collaborative Health (CCH) now offers teletherapy in Minnesota, also referred to as telehealth psychotherapy. Teletherapy involves the use of electronic communications to enable CCH mental health professionals to connect with clients using interactive video and audio communications. Teletherapy includes the practice of psychological health care delivery, evaluation, diagnosis, consultation, treatment planning, therapy, and the transfer of medical and clinical data.
Teletherapy sessions work much like in-person sessions – the client makes an appointment in advance with their therapist, but instead of traveling to the office, the client gets on their computer, tablet, or smartphone and receives a HIPPA-secure link to their email to gain access to a video meeting. The client is able to have a session at home, in their office over lunch, or at any other location, without having to worry about things such as the weather or lack of transportation options. Teletherapy allows the client to be in a place where they are most comfortable and can be very helpful to those who live in rural areas.
Teletherapy is convenient and discreet. It offers more flexibility, which may help clients keep their appointments, when they might otherwise have to cancel (i.e. not feeling well, sick child, running late, stuck at work, etc.). Furthermore, teletherapy has been shown to be equally as effective as in-person therapy, especially when it comes to general anxiety, depression, life transitions, and family dynamics.
Teletherapy is not for everyone; your provider may determine that you would best benefit from other interventions, such as face-to-face sessions, and offer you those services. Additionally, some people may find that they prefer face-to-face sessions and chose to meet with their provider at CCH.
We use a program called 8×8. Here are some tips from our experience that might be helpful:
- Teletherapy will work on either a phone or computer
- Instructions will be the same regardless of whether you use a PC/Android or MAC/I-Phone
- Prior to an online session, you will receive an email with instructions on how to join the meeting
- If you try to join the meeting from your phone, you will be asked to download the 8×8 app. It will not cost you money, but you will have to download it prior to your first online meeting
- If you try to join the meeting from a computer, it is recommended that you use the Chrome Web Browser to avoid having to download an app
- Please do not try to join the meeting prior to your scheduled time
TO SCHEDULE A TELETHERAPY SESSION
Please contact us at 612-425-0090 or info@cfchealth.com
