Teletherapy

About teletherapy

Teletherapy (also referred to as telehealth or telepsychology) is a method of treatment that enables the delivery of psychological services in long-distance situations. This enables clients to still receive clinical treatments even when they are unable to meet for in-person sessions. This treatment format is commonplace among cognitive-behavioral psychologists in clinical practice, and is supported by an abundance of research. Teletherapy has been shown to meet the practical needs of most clients. The process is user-friendly, confidential, and has been shown to be equally effective in the treatment of several child and adult conditions when compared to in-person sessions.

 

Who is eligible for teletherapy?

Our therapists can provide
to individuals located in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and all PSYPACT participating locations.
 
PSYPACT locations include:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Delaware, Washington DC, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
 
The list of PSYPACT locations is updated regularly. For the most updated list of PSYPACT locations, visit https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap.

 

How Teletherapy Works

At the Center for CBT, our teletherapy services are provided using a HIPAA compliant video conferencing software to ensure your privacy while seeking treatment. Teletherapy treatment is simple and user-friendly, and requires no downloads or complicated setup. Clients only need access to a computer with a microphone, camera, and stable internet connection to participate in a teletherapy session with one of our doctors.

On the day of the scheduled sessions, clients will receive an email from their doctor with a unique link to join their private session. The meeting can be joined simply by clicking the link or pasting the URL into a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). Further details and requirements of setup are emailed to clients a few days before the scheduled session.

 

Benefits

The use of teletherapy is especially beneficial to those who cannot access in-person treatment, whether it be for reasons of impairment, limited local providers, or in the event of a global pandemic. This increases the accessibility of care since the online platform can be conveniently accessed from the comfort of your own home. Since travel is not a factor, it also enables greater flexibility for clients in terms of scheduling, and potentially minimizes the anxiety that may come when sitting in a waiting room or visiting a new place.

Additionally, teletherapy can help our doctors get a more accurate picture of what’s happening in the home, allowing them to offer even more effective treatment strategies. Video sessions give doctors the opportunity to observe challenging behaviors, like tantrums and other complications, first-hand. This makes it possible to offer real-time coaching to help manage these behaviors in the moment and effectively reinforce the implementation of parenting and coping strategies. It is also helpful in exposure treatments for youth with anxiety, allowing clients to face their fears in the settings where they actually occur, while having the benefit of their doctor’s support in real-time.

 

Limitations 

While the benefits are many, teletherapy is not without limitations and does not fully replace the advantages of face-to-face treatment. We also recognize the inconvenience that this causes for some, which is why it is not our preferred method in typical circumstances. However, we now find ourselves in an unprecedented situation, and are acting in the best interest of the health and safety of our clients, staff, their families, and our community as a whole.

At this time we are using teletherapy as our primary treatment method until further notice, and we are confident in this approach as a means to continue to meet your treatment needs while in-person sessions are not an option. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility during this time.

 

Getting Started

To discuss details and find out if teletherapy makes sense for you or your child, we encourage you to reach out to our office directly via email at info@centerforcbt.org, or by phone at 732-994-3456. For more information about how teletherapy services are currently being used at the Center for CBT, please read our Covid-19 update.