Do Your Circumstances Make In-Office Therapy Challenging?

Does your demanding work schedule leave you little time to take care of your mental and emotional well-being? Perhaps you’re a young adult, caregiver, or parent whose daily responsibilities make traveling to a therapist’s office and spending time in traffic impractical.

Is it difficult for you to find the support you need close to your location? Living in a remote area can make regular transit to a therapist’s office more difficult and time-consuming, especially if you can’t find the right therapist on your island. As a result, you may be looking for a more flexible solution than in-person therapy sessions.

Are physical limitations or emotional reservations keeping you from getting the help you need? Maybe overwhelming anxiety or grief has made it hard for you to even leave the house, let alone go to counseling and be around other people in an unfamiliar place. Making things more difficult, the COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified your existing worries and sorrow to the point that you’re beginning to feel hopeless.

Whatever your situation or circumstances, online psychotherapy can provide the options and flexibility you’re seeking, give you access to professional support, and help you feel empowered to address your anxiety, grief, trauma, and any other issues you’re facing.

Teletherapy’s Popularity Has Been On The Rise

Over the past couple of decades, the popularity of social media has made many of us—even those ordinarily averse to technologically—very comfortable with connecting online. Consequently, more therapists and clients are coming to realize that online psychotherapy can be a comfortable and intimate way to talk to a therapist with greater convenience and in the privacy of our own homes or offices.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, early in 2020, we have seen an explosion of web therapy services. And it’s no wonder. Online counseling not only brings therapy sessions directly into our homes, but it allows us to address our concerns with more flexibility. We can work around our busy schedules, have access to support even in remote areas, and avoid having to deal with sitting in heavy traffic or seeing other people in a therapist’s waiting room.

Moreover, since therapy is still taboo in some families and cultures, the increased privacy of online therapy services makes it an attractive option for some people who would previously have shied away from counseling. And that includes those who fear going to new places or who feel ashamed to seek a therapist because they think they should be able to handle their problems on their own.

The reality is that issues, such as anxiety, grief, and the likes, do not go away on their own. In fact, they often get worse if you neglect to address them. You may resort to unhealthy coping strategies (smoking, heavy drinking, overeating) in an effort to find relief, but that only compounds the issues.

Thankfully, teletherapy offers a convenient, accessible approach that is just as effective as in-person therapy.

Online Therapy Is A Powerful And Flexible Treatment Solution

Many of us—especially caregivers—often put our self-care last on the agenda. Online therapy sessions allow us to navigate personal and professional challenges and prioritize our mental and emotional well-being.

As part of the University of Hawaii, Hawaii UTelehealth team, I have participated in providing virtual mental health counseling for individuals affected by COVID-19. I was able to work with this grant program designed by the John Burns School of Medicine to bring telehealth to people living in rural areas of the Hawaiian islands. In addition, I was a part of the Dr. Dean Ornish Cardiac Reversal Team, where we facilitated a 9 week, 72-hour program to folks on the island of Oahu. I facilitated support groups and stress management sessions online. These groups included folks ranging in age from 30-90, and many of them had never used and been skeptical of telehealth video platforms. The participants were pleasantly surprised by the level of connection and support received during the time the program was run virtually.

Of course, I realize that trying something different and connecting with a therapist online can be intimidating. Yet, many of my clients prefer to talk to a counselor online because the benefits outweigh the challenges. To make it easier for you, I take a flexible approach. Together, we’ll find the scheduling options that work best for you, and we’ll walk through the online therapy process to assure you are as comfortable with virtual counseling sessions as possible.

To conduct teletherapy sessions, I use secure, encrypted HIPAA compliant software. With improved internet access these days, connecting to your counselor has become as easy as downloading and navigating an app on your computer, laptop, or smartphone. At the time of your appointment, you’ll receive an email with a secure link. All you have to do is click on it to start your private session.

Of course, you will need a device with a camera and a microphone, and preferably, headphones to increase privacy and minimize distractions. If you live in a crowded household, I would invite you to do some planning to create an environment that sets yourself up for success. While we can deal with interruptions if the need arises (the dog barks, the kids need your help, etc.), there are often solutions that will allow for maximum privacy, such as getting into your car for sessions.

My approach to therapy sessions is no different online than it is during in-person counseling. Even if we’re not physically in the same room, we can still build a rapport and achieve the same depth of communication, healing, and growth.

One of the most important benefits of online counseling is that it gives you the opportunity to start therapy when you really need support—whether you live in a remote area of Hawaii, on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kaua’i, Moloka’i or Lana’i, or you can’t leave your home. It also allows you to stick with the same therapist regardless of any changes in your life during the treatment program. Having this continuity lets us address your issues without interrupting the healing process, whether you decide to continue with online therapy after COVID-19, switch to in-office sessions, or use a combination of both.

Perhaps you’re considering online psychotherapy, but you have questions...

Does online therapy really work? How effective is it?

I understand your uncertainty—I shared your concerns initially. But after doing the research and conducting online sessions myself, I have found that if a person is willing to be vulnerable and receive support, virtual mental health counseling can be just as effective as in-office therapy. As one study noted: “It promotes an equality of access, a sense of empowerment among patients, and high levels of satisfaction.”

Of course, you’re a unique person, and what researchers say works for many may not work for you. In-person or virtually, it’s important that you feel comfortable with me and the platform we use to conduct sessions, and that’s just something we won’t know until we try. Some of my clients had never done counseling before, but when they tried online therapy, they felt supported, knowing they had a safe space where they could talk and learn new skills whenever and wherever they needed it. And if teletherapy isn’t right for you, we don’t have to keep meeting this way.

I’m concerned about the privacy of online counseling sessions.

I use HIPAA compliant encrypted software and conduct sessions from a completely private work or home office. We will book our appointment and my biller will email you a few simple forms to be filled out and completed prior to our first session.

Is online therapy covered by insurance?

I do accept insurance, and I’m also open to private pay.

Let The Flexibility Of Teletherapy Work For You

No matter if you live in Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, online counseling allows me to serve you wherever you are. I can also offer extended therapy hours—evenings, weekends, early mornings—to provide the choices and the flexibility you need. Please call 808-351-5311 or contact me online to schedule your first session.