The pandemic forced many professions — including mental health professions — to adopt technology and web-based conference calling to allow or even increase access. In fact, nearly half of mental-health visits were conducted electronically by the end of 2020
Although telehealth exploded during the pandemic, it continues to be an efficient, effective way to get the mental healthcare you need, without leaving your home. In many cases, in fact, telehealth may be your preferred mode of care.
At The Soho Center for Mental Health, our caring and experienced counselors offer both in-person counseling at our offices in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, and telehealth from the comfort of your own home. Our HIPAA-compliant teletherapy sessions can also be combined with in-person visits, if you wish.
Is telehealth the right mental healthcare choice for you? Following are some reasons why it might be.
You don’t have to leave the safety and comfort of your home to access highly experienced, caring, mental health experts anymore. If you have anxiety about appearing in public spaces, such as agoraphobia or a panic disorder, telehealth lets you start healing from the place where you feel most at ease.
In addition, telehealth frees up your time. Because you don’t need to travel to or from our offices, all the time that you allot to your session is dedicated to helping you feel better. Telehealth makes it easier to schedule one or two sessions per week without causing undue inconvenience to your already busy life.
All our telehealth counselors are licensed in New York State and provide in-person sessions at our offices, too. You can be assured you get the same top-quality care that you would if you came for an in-person visit. Our counselors offer telehealth for most mental health issues, including:
If you aren’t sure whether you’d benefit from teletherapy, please call our office for answers and guidance.
The most important aspect of telehealth is that mental-health counseling over HIPAA-compliant lines is just as effective and helpful as in-person therapy. In fact, one small study showed that lasting improvements three months after the completion of therapy for depression were better for telehealth patients than for those who’d sought in-person care.
As with in-person therapy, one of the most important aspects of teletherapy is establishing a relationship with your counselor. Over time, the counselor gets to know you and your issues intimately and can therefore custom-design a treatment plan. The consistency of using the same counselor also allows you to build trust and feel supported in your healing journey.
If you’re in a situation that may cause you to feel stigmatized or endangered by seeking mental healthcare, telehealth allows you to access mental-health support without anyone knowing. You call from the safety and privacy of your own home, or any other location of your choosing.
You don’t have to adjust your schedule to allow for travel time or arrange for transportation. We may even be able to schedule your sessions during your usual break times.
Our telehealth lines are HIPAA-compliant. HIPAA is an acronym for the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.” HIPAA is a federal law that prevents healthcare providers from sharing your personal or medical information without your knowledge and consent.
You never have to worry that your session is viewed by anyone but you and your counselor. We can even “scan the room” with our camera (and you can do the same) to ensure that nobody but you and your counselor are in the therapy session.
If you’d like to have a caregiver or interpreter present at your sessions, please let us know ahead of time. We may need them to fill out paperwork to guarantee your privacy. If you’d like to share information from your therapy with another healthcare provider, you fill out paperwork giving us permission to do so.
Because telehealth services expanded during the pandemic, many insurers now cover all or part of your teletherapy sessions. Be sure to talk to our staff so that you know ahead of time whether your telehealth sessions are covered fully or partially. If you must pay out-of-pocket, we may be able to help you make financial arrangements so that you get the care you need.
Don’t delay mental healthcare and support because you’re afraid to leave your home or don’t have the time for both sessions and travel. Contact our helpful team by phone or online form today to find out if teletherapy is right for you.
