Teletherapy opens a world of mental health resources for many people, providing access to services that may otherwise be out of reach due to someone’s schedule, geographic location, functional abilities or financial resources. While many companies have cropped up in recent years to meet the increased need for flexible mental health care solutions, not all providers are equally equipped to administer high-quality care. Knowing how to screen teletherapy providers can help ensure the best return on the time and money you put into treatment.
Introduction: Recognizing the Need for a Reputable Provider
Whether you’re new to therapy or you’ve sought counseling in the past, finding the right therapist can be tough. However, a reputable mental health care provider is essential for receiving effective treatment and can make a significant difference in your quality of life.
Reputable Providers Have Training and Experience
Mental health is complex, and providing effective care requires a relevant educational and professional background and experience. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for treating complex mental health issues. The causes and symptoms of a disorder can vary significantly from one person to the next, and an incorrect diagnosis can lead to ineffective care. A reputable counselor brings a wealth of training and hands-on experience to their practice and is uniquely equipped to help you navigate major life and mental health challenges with effective treatment.
The Importance of High-Quality Care
If left untreated or improperly managed, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety tend to worsen over time and can lead to more severe physical or psychological problems. A provider who’s built a solid reputation can work with you to identify the root of the mental illnesses you’re experiencing and use evidence-based techniques and a tailored approach to care to prevent the condition from escalating.
Reputable Providers Can Support Your Journey
Finally, recovering from or learning to manage a mental health condition is a journey, and success doesn’t happen overnight. For treatment to be effective, you need a therapist who can provide support and motivation along the way, as well as connect you with additional resources outside of therapy sessions to get you through the challenging days.
Researching Options: Exploring Evaluation Methods
When you’re researching options for teletherapy services, you can refine your search by using a variety of evaluation methods.
Identify Your Needs and Preferences
As you’re vetting online therapists, it’s helpful to take a look at your therapy goals. Are you trying to develop healthy daily routines? Navigate personal relationships? Further your career goals? Address a mental illness?
Nailing down what you’re hoping to accomplish can guide your search and connect you with a therapist who has the background and training necessary to help you. It’s also a good idea to consider your connection preferences, whether you want text-based correspondence, video or over-the-phone visits or a hybrid approach that incorporates in-person and virtual sessions.
Consider a Therapist’s Qualifications
Not all online therapists have the same level of training and experience. As you’re researching your options, ask a therapist what their qualifications are, including how many clinical experience hours they have and whether they’re licensed.
Check Out Online Directories and Resources
As teletherapy becomes more popular, it can be difficult to know where to begin your search. Checking out resources such as online directories or your health insurance company’s provider list can point you in the right direction.
Look for Client Reviews
While everyone has different therapy goals and goes into their sessions with varying expectations, experiences and preferences, looking at client reviews can help you assess whether a service is right for you. Not every client connects with every therapist, but you can use consistently positive or consistently negative feedback to make an educated decision.
Understand the Technological Aspects of a Service
While teletherapy offers a lot of benefits over in-person visits, it does come with some extra considerations to pay attention to. For example, you want to ensure the service you choose has a secure website that prevents your personal information from becoming compromised. You also want to be sure that the app or website you choose is user-friendly so that you’re able to easily connect with your therapist.
Know the Services Available to You
It can be difficult to know whether a teletherapy service is right for you. To help you make an informed choice, some services provide trial sessions or free initial evaluations. This can help you get a feel for the quality a service provides before making a commitment.
By using these methods to guide your search for an online therapist, you can get your mental health journey off on the right foot.
Assessing Credentials: Verifying Licensure and Accreditation
Before you begin therapy, you may want to verify your provider’s license. This license shows that the therapist has the education and supervised experience, and has passed the standards and tests, established by a state board.
How to Verify a Therapist’s License
To verify a therapist’s license, you can do an internet search for your state’s licensing board website or the state from which the therapist is operating. Once you find the correct state board website, you can use the search tools to find a therapist.
In many cases, state boards are divided by license type. For example, there may be one board for licensed clinical social workers, one for psychologists, and another one for licensed professional counselors. Therapists typically specify their licensing type, making it easy to know how to verify their credentials.
The Difference Between Licensing and Certification
It’s important to recognize that a license is different from a certification. Therapists may earn certifications through academic programs or independent organizations. For example, they may get specialized training in areas of counseling such as addiction, mental health or family. However, this professional certificate doesn’t fall under state licensure, and licensing isn’t required to earn a certification.
Determining whether a potential therapist has the qualifications to help you meet your goals is important for getting the quality of care you deserve. Before beginning treatment, verify a therapist’s licensure and accreditation to ensure that they meet their state’s basic standards to administer mental health services.
Evaluating Services: Considering Quality Factors
To evaluate the quality of a teletherapy company, it’s important to weigh several factors to ensure you receive effective treatment and support.
Therapist Quality: Although teletherapy sessions aren’t face-to-face, being able to build a personal connection with your therapist is no less important. Look for a therapist who has the necessary credentials and experience to provide care, and look for feedback or reviews from other clients.
Accessibility and Convenience: One of the biggest benefits of teletherapy is its convenience, so be sure the service you choose offers an easy-to-use platform with technical reliability. You may also want to consider the availability of the service’s therapists and the level of flexibility in scheduling it provides.
Value for the Money: Before beginning your therapy sessions, it’s important to ensure the service you choose is financially sustainable. Educate yourself on the pricing of a service, as well as policies related to cancellations, missed appointments and late log-ins. Additionally, you may want to explore whether the service you choose has affordable payment plans or accepts your health insurance.
Additional Support and Resources: Find out if the service you choose provides support outside of therapy sessions through mental health articles, tools or community groups. Along with this, you may want to ask what kind of technical support the company provides if you experience difficulties with its platform.
Privacy and Security: Make sure the service you choose follows privacy laws and best practices and has security measures in place to keep your personal information secure. Most companies clearly outline their privacy policies and data handling practices.
Teletherapy services can be just as effective as in-person therapy for treating a wide range of conditions, providing a practical solution for those who want the benefits of therapy but face accessibility barriers. However, it’s important to do your research and understand how to vet a therapist online. By knowing the questions to ask a potential therapist and identifying the factors to consider before scheduling your sessions, you can be confident that the teletherapy service you choose will help your mental health journey.
