Online Counseling- Telehealth

Online counseling is a great option for many reasons, such as:

• It can be convenient. Online therapy can take less time away from the office or your workday or worry about traffic. No need to travel miles to meet up with your therapist. Login to a site, and the session can happen wherever you are comfortable.

• Online communication is very comfortable for many people, especially younger adults or those who use technology often. More people are using email, webinars and text messaging to communicate, and it can seem more comfortable or easier than talking to someone in person, especially when revealing personal or private information.

• It can provide access to those who can’t get to an office. In some rural communities, the nearest therapist office may be an hour or two drive away. Some people with chronic illnesses or disabilities may not be able to drive or they may have difficulty leaving their home. In these situations, online counseling may be the only option for help.

 

At Winding Rivers Counseling LLC, we value our clients and the ability to connect with them which online counseling can facilitate in the face of challenges to in-person sessions. 

 

How Online Counseling Works

 

You may have fears and anxiety about beginning counseling and that is completely normal.  If you decide to do online sessions, you may ask yourself:  How do I log in for an online appointment?  Will it be strange talking with someone through a screen?  Is online counseling as effective as an in-person session? Is my session still confidential?

 

Online Counseling is a way to begin your journey from the comfort of your own home. Online counseling is offered via a HIPAA compliant video server and can conveniently be accessed anywhere you have internet access and privacy. Prior to your appointment, you will receive an email with a link to log into the session at your appointment time. EMDR can also be facilitated through online counseling and clients have found it both easy and effective. 

 

Scheduling an online appointment may be intimidating, so we created a simple step by step guide to help you feel more at ease. We are also available to walk you through each step if you get stuck. Here is your guide for scheduling an online therapy appointment.

 

Steps to Take

 

1. Call our office – When you call our office, a friendly staff member will ask questions to learn your needs and goals for counseling.  We will set a time and date for your first appointment.

2. Complete Paperwork- Once your counseling session has been scheduled, you will receive a link to create a client portal account and fill out the new client paperwork.  This paperwork can be filled out electronically and submitted back to us through your client portal. You do not have to print a thing! If you have any issues accessing your paperwork, you can call our office, and we are happy to walk you through the process over the phone.

3. Begin your session – At the scheduled time for your appointment, you will click the web address link from your reminder email to login to your portal account. You will be asked to give your date of birth and allow the program to access your mic and camera. You simply follow those prompts. This will take you to your session where your therapist will be there to meet you.  The primary virtual platform that we use for sessions is both HIPAA compliant and secure, so you can be at ease knowing that your session is completely confidential.  If you have any trouble accessing your session or have any technical issues logging into it, you can call the office and speak directly with your therapist.  Your therapist will then help you get logged into the session.

4. Complete your therapy session – After meeting your therapist in the online session room, you will finish out your initial counseling session.  The first counseling session, or intake session, will be a time for you and your therapist to get to know each other and discuss the issues that you are facing, as well as your goals for therapy.  Our clients tell us that they usually leave their first session feeling both excited and hopeful about their counseling journey and the progress that they will make.

5. Schedule your next appointment –At the end of your therapy session, you and your therapist will discuss a consistent meeting time for your following appointments.

I recommend that clients attending telehealth counseling sessions adhere to the following suggestions in order to have an optimal counseling session experience:

 

• Wear ear-buds with a microphone and ensure the microphone is enabled on your computer.

• Set up for your session in a quiet and private room free of distractions. 

• Ensure your lighting is sufficient.

• Prepare for your session by setting up 10 minutes prior to your session start time.

Why Online Counseling May Be Right For You

Oftentimes, clients consider online therapy over in-person therapy for a number of reasons.  For some, online sessions allow them to have regular therapy appointments without the fear of seeing someone they know in or around the office.  Others prefer online therapy due to travel, health issues, or convenience.  

 

We are happy to offer online counseling as an option.  If you have questions about the process or would like information  about scheduling, please call 715-602-4321 or email our office at Front-Desk@windingriverscounseling.com  We look forward to working with you!