Teletherapy

Teletherapy is the delivery of psychotherapy services through live video and audio conferencing. Instead of visiting your therapist in person at their office, you receive services from any location in Minnesota with an internet connection. This type of therapy is convenient. It allows you to interact with your therapist the same way as you would if you were in an office together. During the therapy session, you and your therapist will be able to see and hear each other in real time. If you’ve ever used FaceTime, Skype, Zoom or a similar type of technology on your phone, tablet or laptop, you’re already familiar with the telepsychology environment. Whether you’re brand-new to therapy or you’d prefer to switch to the benefits of telehealth for the first time, our teletherapy in Minnesota offers convenient and effective care.

Setting Up Your First Telepsychology Visit

Before you have a live video session with your therapist, you’ll speak with them or the office assistant on the phone. They’ll explain which platform is used and what you’ll need in order to access the live video session. For example, you’ll need a smartphone or a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam. You’ll also receive information about how to securely access the platform. Your therapist might ask how they can reach you in case there’s an interruption in the telemedicine session. You’ll also receive a few instructions for making sure the live video interaction goes smoothly, such as staying seated rather than walking around the room.

What Does the First Telepsychology Session Look Like?

During your first telepsychology session, you’ll virtually interact with one of our psychologists. A session works the same way as it would if you were seated in a chair in the therapist’s office. Each of our therapists is licensed to practice in Minnesota, so your therapist will verify that you’re in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or another location within the state. In your first session, you’ll spend some time on administrative or housekeeping issues. Your therapist will explain patient confidentiality, how they conduct their sessions, what’s expected of you during and between sessions and what you can expect from the therapist. The therapist will ask you what you’d like to address during the remainder of the session and for the next couple of sessions.

What Types of Therapy Can Be Delivered Through Telemedicine in Minnesota?

Our therapists offer all types of therapy through the telehealth option. We offer individual, marriage and family counseling. The types of modalities we offer are:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Brainspotting
• Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Interpersonal therapy
• Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)
• Family therapy
• Marriage therapy
• Mindfulness-based therapy

Conditions Treated By Teletherapy in Minneapolis

Teletherapy is of benefit to nearly all mental health issues people experience. If you have anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, trauma or interpersonal relationship issues, telepsychology sessions are effective and convenient way to get the therapy you need. Some other mental health conditions that benefit from telepsychology sessions include:

• Aging issues
• Relationship difficulties
• Lifestyle issues
• Anger
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Eating disorders
• Social anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Mood disorders

The therapist will work with you to determine the best type of therapy based on your condition and your personal preferences. People who like to take action may prefer cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety or stress, while people who want to develop better coping mechanisms might do better with dialectical behavioral therapy. Our therapists each practice several types of therapy that can be delivered through telehealth.

How to Prepare for Your First Teletherapy Session

If you’re used to meeting your healthcare providers in person, receiving therapy through a live video interaction may seem a little uncomfortable at first. There are several things you can do to prepare yourself for your first session.

• Choose a quiet, comfortable location.
• Use a headset to cut down on background noise.
• Ensure that you have privacy. Use a fan or white noise machine if you need to.
• Make a short list of one to three things you’d like to talk about during your session.
• Make a list of any questions you have about telepsychology services.
• Turn off audible phone and text notifications during your session.

It’s important to choose a location where you’ll have complete privacy and no distractions. If you have other household members, this can be a challenge. Before your session, tell other household members that you have an appointment, and it requires privacy. Close the door of the room you’ll be in. Consider placing a blanket or towel by the bottom of the door. Alternately, place a white noise machine or radio outside of the door.

If there’s no private area inside your home for a telepsych session, consider sitting in your vehicle. Many of our patients drive to a park or store parking lot and access their telehealth session there. Some libraries have private study rooms, which may also be an option for you.

What to Expect from Your Therapist

During your first session, your therapist will spend a few minutes discussing a few basics of the therapy process. This discussion is similar to what would take place during a first in-person visit. Your therapist will explain the ethics and rules regarding their care of you. For example, anything you tell your therapist is confidential, with few exceptions. Those exceptions are if you express a threat to the life of someone else or yourself. Your therapist will also explain their professional boundaries. If you need to contact your therapist between sessions, they’ll let you know the best practices for doing this.

How to Build Trust With Your Therapist Through Telehealth

It takes time to build trust with another person. Your therapist will be as professional, compassionate, and understanding during a telehealth session as they would be during an in-person therapy visit. Meeting through a live video session might feel less personal to you at first. However, as you get more comfortable with the technology and understand your therapist’s goals in working with you, it will be easier to build a trusting therapeutic alliance.

One of the most important parts of trusting someone is maintaining eye contact. You’ll be able to do this with ease during the live video session. Because you and your therapist will each be sitting close to a camera, you’ll clearly see each other’s expressions and movement.

Our therapists are experienced with providing care in the telemedicine environment. They will be present and engaged with you for the duration of the session. You might hear them typing as they take notes while you talk. These notes are used to build upon the discussion during the current session and to keep track of your progress from one session to the next.

Active listening is also important for building trust in telehealth therapy. The therapist may paraphrase back to you what you just said. After you talk, the therapist might ask you a question, such as how you felt about the experience you just relayed. Sometimes, therapists give examples. After they’re done talking, they may ask what you make of what they just said.

Several times during a telehealth session, the therapist will stop to summarize what you’ve discussed and to ask if the conversation is going the way you’d like it to. If you want the discussion to focus on a slightly different topic, you’ll be able to speak up and be heard. The telepsychology session is all about you and ensuring you get the help you need.

Why Teletherapy in St. Paul Is an Effective Solution for Mental Healthcare

Nearly all of our teletherapy visits in St. Paul and the surrounding area are now performed through live video sessions. We have few requests for in-person visits with our therapists. You might wonder if telepsychology is as effective as a regular, in-person visit with a therapist. For most patients, the answer is a definite yes.

Many people with anxiety, trauma or trust issues feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar setting or in a clinical environment. Just driving to an appointment may cause people so much stress that they cancel their visit or arrive in a stressful state of mind. When you choose telepsychology therapy, you’ll be able to get care from the comfort of your own home. When you’re at home and relaxed, you’ll be more willing to get at the heart of what’s on your mind.

The telehealth environment increases access to care. If you’re in a small town without a local therapist, teletherapy in Minnesota means that you don’t have to drive anywhere in order to access care. If there’s a snowstorm, you can receive teletherapy in St. Paul without having to navigate treacherous roads. If you don’t have transportation, telehealth is easier for you to access. People with busy schedules prefer telepsychology sessions. The appointments offer more flexibility, so a person may not have to miss work in order to attend their session. Insurance companies offer coverage for telemedicine, including therapy services.

Differences in Telepsychology Compared to In-person Therapy

There are some clear differences between attending therapy through a live video session and going to an in-person appointment. These include the technology, the nuances of the platform and your ability to pick the place where you join the session. There are a few other differences to consider. Some types of therapy involve doing exercises or homework between sessions. Instead of printed worksheets that you might get in an in-person session, your therapist might send you a link or load a file to your online chart. Before your session, you might get a digital questionnaire to complete about your symptoms since your last visit. Completing these exercises or questionnaires in advance will help your telepsychology session go smoothly.

How to Make the Most of Telepsychology Therapy

Whether it’s your first time in live video therapy or you’ve done it before, you can always ask questions. It’s a good idea to have a pad of paper and a pen next to you. If your therapist mentions something, you can jot down your question to ask later in the session. Your therapist may also offer tips, and having paper next to you allows you to write them down so that you don’t forget. You can use these notes between sessions to practice the coping strategies or other skills discussed during your session.

You’re in charge of what’s covered during a telepsychology session. While your therapist may want to coordinate around a common theme, such as stress or coping with uncertainty, the specific topics you talk about may vary based on what you’re going through. For example, if you’re in therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, but you have a job interview the next week, you might spend part of a session discussing anticipatory anxiety. Your therapist will support you in handling new issues as they come up and help you integrate them into the overall theme of your care.

Benefits of Getting Help Through Telehealth Therapy

There are many benefits of getting therapy through telemedicine. If you’re at risk of COVID-19 or have other health conditions, telemedicine is a safe way to protect your physical health and get the mental healthcare you need. When you don’t have to travel to a therapy session, you’ll avoid the expenses of getting to and from your appointments. The flexibility of telehealth therapy means that you could leave your office, walk out to your car, and have your therapy session during your lunch break.

Most people find telehealth therapy to be highly satisfying. You get to see your therapist’s face close-up. You may feel more at ease telling your therapist what’s going on in your life when you’re able to be in a familiar environment. Therapy through a live video session is also more private. You don’t have to wait in a busy waiting room and worry about whether or not someone you know will be there, too.

Schedule Telehealth Therapy

You and your therapist are a team in your mental healthcare. You’ll be a full participant in your treatment plan, goal-setting and progress assessments. Through the telehealth environment, you can build a strong therapeutic relationship that benefits your mental health. For more information or to schedule teletherapy in St. Paul, Minneapolis or other areas of Minnesota, contact us today.