You may have questions about teletherapy, or as it is also known, virtual therapy, online counseling, tele-therapy mental health counseling, or virtual psychotherapy. These terms are all referring to the same concept - reaching people wherever they are.

Tele-therapy uses telecommunications (i.e., telephone and other tools that combine real-time chat, content sharing, and video), to provide counseling.

Help really is just a call away. So long as you have a place for privacy you can access the resources you need.

Some of the reasons to do virtual therapy are:

*You are surrounded by your own things and can feel more comfortable in your own environment

*Save time and gas by not having to travel to the appointment

*Easier to fit into your schedule

*Same efficacy as F2F

*Convenience

To safeguard your confidentiality and privacy, all your interactions with me will take place using HIPAA-compliant video, email, and telephone.

Differences between face-to-face counseling and virtual therapy, or online psychotherapy, or video mental health meetings?

The main difference between traditional therapy sessions and virtual is the proximity of you to the therapist. You are in the same room together, smelling the same scents, aware of the same noises, you could reach out and touch the other. In virtual, you are not in close proximity and that may feel foreign at first. There may be some technical issues, such as how synchronous the video and audio is, but in terms of counseling effectiveness - research is showing the online and offline sessions are equally effective.

Teletherapy actually has been around since the 1970s, by telephone and written communications, which evolved into smartphones, videos, webcams, emails, and text messages in the years following.

Tele-psychology is obviously not new. What is new, is the prevalence of tele-counseling. The last few years with COVID have changed our expectations of many things, not the least of which is connecting with others through video, smartphones and other non-face-to-face meetings.

Research is supporting this movement. Research studies are demonstrating that telemental health results are equivalent to face-to-face care in various settings and provide an acceptable alternative for mental health care.

My clients see me weekly for 50-to-80-minute sessions, depending on the issues they are facing, which we will discuss during the consultation appointment. You’ll receive consistent, respectful, caring support enabling you to move out of feeling like you are in crisis. Therapy doesn’t have to feel scary and hard. It also can feel like a relief, a breath of fresh air, a safe place to explore things that matter.  

If you are ready to start living on your terms, trusting yourself and your decisions, then it’s time to contact me for a free 30-minute consultation. Call me at 815-661-5889 to discover how therapy with a plan and the right therapist can make the difference.

Counseling is usually more short-term than therapy. Psychotherapy is more long-term and focuses on a broader range of issues. The underlying principle is the same, your patterns of seeing the world, your responses to that perception impacts the way you interact in the world.

In short, you will be charged $150 per session, which calculates to $600 per month, based on attending weekly. Just multiply the fee (150) by the number of times you expect to attend therapy to get how much that comes to per month, and for a 3, 6 or 12 month period.

Now you are welcome to continue reading the nuts and bolts of it.

The No Surprises Act (Title 45, section 149.610 of the Code of Federal Regulations) was enacted with the primary goal of protecting clients from unexpected medical bills. These surprise bills often occurred when a client received emergency care at an in-network hospital or clinic, but an out-of-network physician provided the service and billed the client separately.

What this means for mental health: You should be notified all self-pay clients of the availability of a Good Faith Estimate. This notification should be given to clients both verbally and in writing before scheduling an initial session, and on request. It may be provided on paper or electronically, depending on client’s preference. It should also be posted on an easily searchable page of your website, and at your office.

You will be provided a Good Faith Estimate of Charges. The Estimate must be furnished within one business day of scheduling a service to be provided in three business days, or within three business days of scheduling a service to be provided in at least 10 business days. The Estimate must be provided on paper or electronically (client’s preference) in understandable language, and in at least 12-point font.

My Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) allows me to counsel any where in Illinois - so long as you are located in Illinois at the time of the appointment. I work out of my home office, which is situated between Rockford and DeKalb in northern Illinois.