It is the use of telephone/cellular device or videoconferencing technology to provide the same mental health services you would receive in person. It can be completed with or without video. However, the preference would be with video as non-verbal’s are important to the therapeutic process. It is a decision you and your clinician would make based on the overall effectiveness of therapy.

• Improved access to counseling as it can virtually be done anywhere where privacy can be upheld. This is also a plus for areas in Tennessee that don’t provide a lot of counseling services within a reasonable distance.
• HIPPA compliant software (this means that as long as you are in a private, confidential space that your sessions will uphold the same confidentiality and in-person session would have).
• More options in terms of scheduling as you do not have to factor in things such as drive time/traffic etc. and can even be scheduled during lunch breaks at work etc.
• Continuity of care (as in the pandemic that affected us all when Covid began, telehealth still allows services to continue).
• Reduction of exposure to infections such as the flu, covid, strep throat etc. By doing telehealth, you reduce the potential to spread illness or becoming ill from others.

• Privacy (in order for telehealth to be effective and uphold the same confidentiality an in-person session would have; privacy is important but may not always be held such as in the case of children in the home etc.)
• Reliable technology and internet/cellular services are needed.
• Technical difficulties can occur whether it be from the counselor or the client. 
• Visual/Audio quality may not suffice what is needed to conduct an efficient therapy session.

Telehealth can be just as effective, if not more effective than in-person sessions. Often times, telehealth allows a clinician to witness the client’s environment or even their boundary setting within their household, etc. when telehealth sessions are conducted that one wouldn’t ordinarily see with an in-person session.

A cellular device or computer is needed for Telehealth services. Majority of our clinicians use telehealth via our EHR system which you would access via your patient portal. However; a select few clinicians do use other HIPPA compliant software such as Google Meets or Psychology today based on either preference or if they are having issues with technology across various platforms.