Teletherapy, sometimes referred to as virtual therapy, tele-health counseling, e-counseling, tele-mental health and video therapy, is counseling provided through a video platform (or by phone). Teletherapy provides a similar experience to Skype® or Facetime®, but on a more secure, encrypted, and HIPAA complaint video platform.

You will find Teletherapy very similar to in-person counseling, but through a different medium.  Teletherapy will provide you the similar warm, relational connection with your therapist as you would in the therapist’s office. The physical connection with the therapist such as hand-shakes, shared warm beverages, and some body language are diminished. However, new therapy experiences become possible through the teletherapy platform. The therapist now gets to be virtually “in the home” of the client and can quickly learn a great deal about the client’s family life and interests. Clients, especially children and teens, often show off collections, trophies, and even family pets. Many clients feel more comfortable and disinhibited when sharing personal stories while safely behind a screen – which is well-documented in research on telehealth.

While privacy and confidentiality laws still apply to the teletherapy platform, some clients may find it challenging to find a private and confidential space in their home when other family members are present and near-by. However, most clients, with some creativity and support from others in the home, are able to create a private environment in which they can engage their teletherapy session.

The effectiveness of teletherapy is supported by research and is recognized as a viable and effective form of treatment by state licensing boards, governing bodies, and most insurance companies. Most teletherapy clients are pleasantly surprised by how warm and personal therapy can feel over video.

Wellness Counseling provides teletherapy using an upgraded version of Zoom for healthcare providers. This video platform is both encrypted and HIPAA compliant. Your privacy rights are exactly the same with tele-therapy as they are with in-person counseling. The guiding laws for both in-person and tele-health counseling are described by the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act (IMHDDCA) and also the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

We take great care to deliver teletherapy services in a secure and private setting. Information is also available to you to help ensure that your space is as confidential as possible. For more information on protecting your privacy during tele-health, download our “Cheat Sheet for New Teletherapy Clients” below.

As of March 19, 2020, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has issued an Executive Order that all health insurance companies are required to provide coverage for tele-mental health services, rendered by in-network providers, during the COVID-19 crisis. While we don’t have all the answers in regard to how this applies to every insurance provider, we believe that many, if not most, teletherapy sessions will be covered as if they were provided as in-person visits.

At this time, our research suggests that certain specific business-funded insurance policies may not be subject to the Executive Order. Therefore, we are requesting that if you choose to use your insurance benefits, that you call your health insurance company to ask if tele-mental health counseling is covered under your policy. We have an insurance questionnaire in our downloadable intake paperwork that can help guide you to ask the right questions to your insurance company.

If for some reason your insurance does not cover teletherapy, our team of therapists, during the COVID-19 crisis, will consider fee reductions to help make counseling more available to you and your family.

Download the form to help you get started with tele-health – a consent to receive treatment by tele-health under our resources tab.
The consent form should be completed and returned to the therapist prior to the start of teletherapy treatment.