There’s a certain irony in the concept of social distancing. At a time when we desperately crave human contact and companionship, we’re being told to stay away from other people. That’s tough for nearly everyone, but even more difficult for people who have been working with a counselor to tackle challenges in their lives.
If you’ve been through therapy, you understand the benefits of having predictable appointments with a counselor. Each session builds off the one before it, and when you’re faced with a situation between sessions, you know you’ll be able to discuss it with your counselor very soon.
To help people who want to continue counseling but have determined that they either do not wish to or should not go out in public right now, Care to Change has telehealth services. Through this option, we’re allowing our counselors to continue sessions with people they serve through secure video sessions. It’s secure and very simple. You receive a link that opens a video room similar to zoom. A PC, ipad or smart phone can connect, so it is very easy.
Tele-services isn’t appropriate for everyone, and your counselor has the professional expertise to determine whether you would benefit from the approach. The decision about whether or not to use telehealth services is entirely up to you and the counselor.
We don’t approach telehealth services lightly. In fact, we take special care and consideration to ensure these services are consistent with the standard of care we provide on an in-person basis. We have to ensure that we don’t sacrifice quality and effectiveness for the convenience of communicating electronically. Our counselors follow confidentiality policies and procedures that are consistent with relevant laws, regulations, rules, and ethical standards … and we use technology such as encryption software and firewalls to protect everyone’s privacy.
There’s no question that the telehealth approach offers benefits during this time of social distancing and quarantines to limit the spread of coronavirus. It allows the people we serve to continue therapy from the privacy of their own homes or other location, and it helps our team of professional counselors stay healthy by limiting personal contact with others, so they can continue to support the process of healing.
If you have questions about your sessions, call or text us at 317-790-9396 or email us at help@caretochange.org.