Teletherapy Tips

​While many kids and adults are used to chatting casually over an online video platform such as Facetime or Skype, they likely are not used to chatting more formally on an online platform. 

​Our aim is to mimic an office-based session as much as possible during the telehealth sessions.
 
To do that, you’ll have to approach your telehealth appointments differently than you would a video chat with a family member or friend. Here are some tips to help you do that:

1. KEEP YOUR DEVICE AT AN EYE-LEVEL AND STATIONARY POSITION
  • Please keep your phone, tablet, or laptop stationary – in a stand or propped up against something.
  • Not only is moving your screen around distracting to me, but also it means your hands are not free to draw, write, or just talk with your hands.
  • Make sure the camera on your device is level with your eyes. If the camera is above your head it will look like you’re looking up at me. If the camera is below your eyes it will look as though you’re looking down at me (and I’ll be able to see straight up your nose!).​
Here's an example of having the camera close to eye level:
Do not worry much if you cannot make the camera eye-level. If you have to choose between having your device eye-level or stationary, choose stationary.
 
 2. HAVE A DESIGNATED SPACE/WORK AREA so that you have some room to do work.
  • The picture above shows a child at a table, but anywhere that can provide a work area for you/your child, including the floor, will suffice (keeping in mind to prop your device up to eye level if able).

3. HAVE SOME SUPPLIES AT HAND such as paper, pencils, markers, coloring pages, toys, modeling clay, tissues, etc.
  • We likely will be engaging in an activity during the session that will require some of these items.  
  • Referencing the picture above, the child has paper and writing utensils, a box of tissues, and something to drink during the session.

​4. USE HEADPHONES
  • For older children / teens or those allowed more privacy, they might be more comfortable talking at home if they know no one at home can hear what I’m saying. If anyone is concerned about others at home hearing what they are saying, use white noise right outside the area where they are. White noise can come from an actual white noise machine, a device playing white noise or music, a stereo, a TV, etc.

5. MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP…ALLOW TIME FOR TRANSITIONING TO YOUR APPOINTMENT
  • For an office-based appointment, you have to leave where you are to go to my office. You have some time to transition mentally and physically from what you were doing to what you will be doing, which is having a therapy session with me.
  • Please also do this for your telehealth sessions, especially if those sessions are with children. Stop whatever you are doing at least 10 minutes in advance of the telehealth session. Use the restroom, get something to eat or drink, set up your telehealth work space and make sure you’re able connect to the Internet and log into the virtual waiting room.
  • Please try not to be engaged in an activity up to the minute your telehealth session starts. Not only does it mean we likely will have to spend the first 10 minutes getting you mentally engaged in your session, but also this means we might lose time if you have technical difficulties logging in to your online meeting.
 

Please contact us with questions or comments. info@childcounselingplace.com  / 513-268-5828. 

Teletherapy Instructions

For Telehealth Clients who are Minors:

We use TheraNest's telehealth platform as our primary platform and Google Meet as our secondary platform. Both telehealth platforms encrypt all data within the platform, backup the data, and do not record sessions. Additionally, we use a "Client Portal" within TheraNest to communicate with clients via e-mail. Because the Client Portal is located within the electronic health record, no data is being transmitted through other Internet data centers -- it all remains within TheraNest. 

A telehealth consent form must be signed by a custodial parent/caregiver prior to initiating teletherapy.

Parents/ Caregivers must be physically present in the same building as the child, but not necessarily the same room.

Parents/Caregivers of young children likely will be asked to remain present in the same room as the child or close to the same room in the event the therapist needs to incorporate caregiver participation. The therapist might ask for both individual work and family work to be done during the same telehealth session.

Parents/Caregivers must provide the therapist with a phone number where they can be reached during the telehealth appointment in case of interrupted Internet connection, crises, or other situations in which the therapist needs to contact the caregiver directly.
​
Parents/caregivers will get an email or text notification on the day of their appointment that will allow them to access the telehealth meeting. That notification is sent directly to the parent. The parent/caregiver can use her/his discretion in forwarding that notification to their child’s personal e-mail address for the child to log into the telehealth meeting directly from her/his personal electronic device.

You must have a computer/laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a working camera and microphone and access to Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browsers. No extra app is needed.

To log in to the telehealth meeting:
1. Click on the link sent by your therapist
2. Type in your name
3. Hit “join session”

You might be in a virtual waiting room if your provider as not started the meeting. In that case, the "join session" button will reappear when the provider starts the meeting, and you will need to click that button again to join the meeting.
 
After you log in, you will see a screen with both your picture and your therapist’s picture. There will be several icons below your picture that allow you to leave the call, start or stop your video, mute or unmute your microphone, and share other screens for your therapist to see.
 
Parents of young children likely will be asked to provide paper, writing utensils, toys, and/or games during the telehealth session.
 
The therapist always will ask your physical location at the time of the appointment for several reasons:
1. To ensure the therapist is allowed by law to provide service (e.g. If a therapist is licensed in Ohio but a client is in Kentucky, the therapist is not allowed to provide services.)
2. In case of an emergency within the client’s home during session, the therapist can alert emergency responders to the correct location
3. Some insurance companies require a notation of location on notes and claims.
 
Additionally, the therapist will pan her/his camera to show privacy and will ask the client to pan her/his camera and state who else is in the room.
 
If your video call is interrupted and you are unable to log in, call 513-268-5828 to speak to your provider.
 
The guidelines set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Account (HIPAA) and other mental health regulatory bodies still apply.
 
 
Telehealth Instructions for Adult Clients:
 
We use TheraNest's telehealth platform as our primary platform and Google Meet as our secondary platform. Both telehealth platforms encrypt all data within the platform, backup the data, and do not record sessions. Additionally, we use a "Client Portal" within TheraNest to communicate with clients via e-mail. Because the Client Portal is located within the electronic health record, no data is being transmitted through other Internet data centers -- it all remains within TheraNest. 

You will need to sign a consent form for telehealth services.
 
You must provide the therapist with a phone number where you can be reached during the telehealth appointment in case of interrupted Internet connection, crises, or other situations in which the therapist needs to contact you directly.

You will get an email or text notification on the day of the appointment that will allow you to access the telehealth meeting.

You must have a computer/laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a working camera and microphone and access to Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browsers. No extra app is needed.

To log in to the telehealth meeting:
1. Click on the link sent by your therapist
2. Type in your name
3. Hit “join session”
 
After you log in, you will see a screen with both your picture and your therapist’s picture. There will be several icons below your picture that allow you to leave the call, start or stop your video, mute or unmute your microphone, and share other screens for you therapist to see.
 
The therapist always will ask your physical location at the time of the appointment for several reasons:
1. To ensure the therapist is allowed by law to provide service (e.g. If a therapist is licensed in Ohio but a client is in Kentucky, the therapist is not allowed to provide services.)
2. In case of an emergency within the client’s home during session, the therapist can alert emergency responders to the correct location
3. Some insurance companies require a notation of location on notes and claims.
 
Additionally, the therapist will pan her/his camera to show privacy and will ask the client to pan her/his camera and state who else is in the room.
 
If your video call is interrupted and you are unable to log in, call 513-268-5828 to speak to your provider.
 
The guidelines set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Account (HIPAA) and other mental health regulatory bodies still apply.
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