What is Telehealth?
(Also referred to as Telemedicine or Teletherapy or On-line therapy)

 Telehealth is a form of video conferencing allowing therapists to provide services to clients outside of the traditional office, for example at the client’s home or workplace.  Situations such as COVID-19 make face-to-face appointments a challenge for many people.  A safe, convenient, social distancing option is Telehealth — when a therapist communicates with you remotely through the Internet, providing psychotherapy using a secure platform. You can talk with them using a computer, tablet, smartphone, and any other device that can use an Internet connection. 

*Due to COVID-19, most insurances are now covering Telehealth video conferencing and voice calls.  This may be temporary and varies based on insurance.

 
Video Conferencing:

Video chatting is always ideal if you want an experience that is similar to visiting traditional counselor in person. You can see both body language and tone.

 

 

*If you don’t have access to a computer, tablet or video enabled device, voice calls may be an option depending on your insurance plan.

 

 Voice call

Using a landline or mobile phone, you can speak to the therapist through voice. This allows for tone and emotions to come through, but no body language. Some insurances are covering this form of therapy temporarily due to COVID-19.

Many clinical studies find that there are no statistically significant differences between study groups for symptoms, quality of life, and patient satisfaction for in-office therapy vs. Telehealth.   There is a strong hypothesis that videoconference-based treatment obtains the same results as face-to-face therapy and is a useful alternative. There are also additional benefits in accessibility, especially for people with illness or disabilities.  On-line Telehealth also solves transportation problems, can help with scheduling and is conducted in the confidential setting of your own home.

 

Every client situation is unique and although the telehealth delivery may have similar benefits, it’s not capable of substituting for traditional face-to-face therapy in every case. 

 

 How Telehealth works and is it safe:

Complete an appointment request form online.  Our office will contact you within 2 business days.  We will verify your insurance and notify you of any co-pays.  We will schedule your appointment and send you an email to complete the required intake paperwork.  Your therapist will contact you via email or phone at your scheduled appointment date and time.

BMH adheres to the highest standards of client confidentiality and is utilizing a HIPPA compliant software platform that meets all privacy and security regulations.

 

Telehealth is NOT the best option for you if you can answer yes to any of the following:

  • You have thoughts of hurting yourself or others
  • You are a minor or you are under the care of a legal guardian
  • You are in an urgent crisis or an emergency situation
  • You have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness, or if you have been advised to be in psychological supervision or psychiatric care
  • You were required to undergo therapy or counseling either by a court order or by any other authority
  • You do not have a device that can connect to the Internet or you do not have a reliable Internet
    connection.

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