During these unprecedented times, we have had to find creative ways to continue to keep our lives moving as normally as possible. Oftentimes these creative innovations feel like more of a disappointment or hassle, especially compared to the ease of our traditional normalcy. But in this new normal, we may find that there are some advantages to doing some things differently. In terms of healthcare, specifically counseling and therapy, many patients have chosen to move their traditional appointments to the comfort of their own home.
Telehealth is how we do healthcare virtually. It simply takes a device, such as a phone, laptop, or tablet, and a portion of your day. You are able to video chat with your healthcare provider, or in the case of counseling, your therapist, or perhaps simply chat via an audio call. In short, it is up to you!
If you are not used to living your life or doing things virtually, this may seem like a challenge to you, but it actually can come with many surprising benefits.
PRIVACY
While all counseling and therapy sessions are private, (here at Hope Connection, we are HIPPA compliant), the first advantage of Telehealth is that it provides you with an additional layer to your privacy. Not only will your session be confidential, but you also do not have to leave your home and be in a public place, leading up to that session. If you are a first time therapy goer, or would like to keep the fact that you are in counseling a discreet aspect of your life, this may be a benefit of Telehealth to your therapy process.
COMFORT
When you come to a therapy appointment, we do everything in our power to make you as comfortable as possible. We meet in a private room, have comfortable furniture, and keep noise and distraction to a minimum. But just imagine if you were to take this session to the comfort of your own home. Be able to cozy up in your favorite chair, have a fresh cup of coffee or tea, maybe a blanket or furry friend? Your comfort is now in your hands and you can hand-tailor it to your personal preferences.
For individuals who may have difficulty leaving their home, due to a disability or discomfort of leaving that space, this may be an even greater comfort, as you do not have to change locations to receive these services.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Perhaps this is the most obvious benefit of Telehealth, but being able to do therapy virtually is much safer for your health and physical wellness. Whether you have a compromised immune system or live with someone who does, you no longer have to worry about putting yourself or loved ones in danger in order to partake in important mental health services. By doing your therapy sessions virtually, you are able to stay in quarantine and keep your exposure to a minimum.
PORTABLE
By using Telehealth services, you are able to do therapy at home, but that does not mean you have to. Through using your portable device you really can have your counseling session anywhere you would like as long as you have internet or phone service. This may be helpful to you if you do not have a consistent home base or would like to be away from other members of your household. It may even just be a nice option if you would like to take your session outdoors for a unique therapy experience. The bottom line is where you have your session is completely up to you and what you need or desire.
FLEXIBILITY
Finally, what is so cool about Telehealth is that it provides you with more of a schedule flexibility. By eliminating travel time, you are able to block out less time in your day for your counseling service. If you are someone who only has a spare hour in your day, this may help you to be able to spend more time receiving quality service, rather than scrambling to get somewhere on time. At Hope Connection, we also have made our hours more flexible to be able to meet your scheduling needs. Since we book by appointment only, we do our best to work with your schedule and now, quite literally, meet you where you are at.
All in all, there are many advantages to utilizing new Telehealth services and receiving your therapy at home. Whether you are a first time therapy goer, or continuing a healing process in your life, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to meet with you via your electronic device. Head to our home page and send us a quick message so that we can begin connecting you to our services.
