Guide to Starting Teletherapy in Massachusetts

The process and accessibility of therapy continue to evolve as the world changes. While many patients continue to schedule in-person appointments with their therapists, others are beginning to solely have sessions virtually. Both options are beneficial for a person’s mental health and communicating with a professional in a way they feel most comfortable.

If you’re new to the idea of online therapy and want to make sure it’s the right option for you or your child, this guide to starting Massachusetts teletherapy can give you all of the information you need to feel comfortable before your first session.

Learn more about the benefits of online counseling and how you can find the best teletherapist in Massachusetts.

What Is Teletherapy?

Teletherapy, also referred to as telepsych counseling, describes counseling or therapy sessions offered by licensed therapists through online sessions. These sessions are completed through videoconferencing and allow patients to complete therapy sessions from a distance. Teletherapy can include a variety of counseling services, like group therapy, individual therapy, couples therapy and family therapy.

How Does Teletherapy Work?

Online therapy sessions work nearly the same as an in-person therapy appointment. The patient will schedule an appointment with their therapist that includes a live video conference session. Patients should still prepare before these sessions as they would for a traditional appointment, like having essential documents and records on hand, prescription information and a list of any questions or topics the patient wants to discuss.

Advantages of Teletherapy

Patients who prefer teletherapy can find numerous benefits the service provides. From convenience to accessibility, online counseling can be a great option for you or your child.

Some of the benefits of teletherapy include:

- Accessibility: A prominent benefit of online therapy is its accessibility. People who normally wouldn’t have access to therapy sessions, like in rural areas, can access quality counseling services online. It helps individuals who are disabled or cannot leave their homes, college students and people who are sick attend therapy sessions easily.
- Convenience: Some people have busy lives or are uncomfortable with visiting a therapist’s office. Online therapy makes attending counseling sessions simple by giving you the freedom to join your appointments from any location. You can be comfortable in your own home or any location you have some privacy and access to the internet. Then, simply join in on the video conference call with your therapist.
- Flexibility: For the patients that need optimal flexibility in their lives because of their busy schedules, teletherapy is a great option. You can enjoy the simplicity of scheduling appointments around work, school and other obligations. You limit the time commitment of traveling to the therapist’s office, sitting in the waiting area and traveling back home. You can also always attend your scheduled appointments regardless of the weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
- Privacy: Online therapy can provide the highest amount of privacy for someone who needs it. Teletherapy helps break the stigma for patients because others can’t see you enter the doctor’s office. It also makes patients feel more comfortable to attend appointments from the privacy of their homes.
- Efficiency: Teletherapy is a great option for patients who need to spend their time wisely and strive to make their counseling appointments as efficient as possible. Wait times are significantly faster for online sessions because therapists can quickly log on to a video call with their patients. Online counseling also helps decrease delays in mental health care and improve follow-up care for therapy sessions.

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5 Things to Look for in a Teletherapist

When you’re looking for an online therapist for either yourself or your child, the most important decision you’ll make is selecting the clinicians or therapists to work with. Mental health and well-being are an essential part of a person’s life, and finding a trusted and knowledgeable clinician to work with online can make a big difference in your process through therapy.

Deciding to work with a therapist online is easy, and finding a teletherapist that meets your needs is simple when you know what to look for during your search. Look out for these five things when you’re trying to find an online therapist.

1. The Therapist Is Certified in Your State

While your telehealth therapy sessions will take place solely online, it’s important to find a therapist who is licensed in Massachusetts. Licensed therapists and counselors must follow guidelines for where they practice and offer their services because counseling regulations vary between states.

Teletherapy services have regulations and are recognized by the state licensing boards of Massachusetts, making it simple to find a local therapist with online services. Ensure your therapist is licensed in Massachusetts to help make the process much smoother for scheduling appointments, insurance and other aspects.

Finding telepsych counseling in Massachusetts also gives you the opportunity to schedule in-person sessions if you choose. You might start off with online counseling sessions, but giving yourself the option to visit your therapist in person might seem like a good idea after the first few sessions.

2. There Are Security Measures in Place

While the convenience and efficiency of teletherapy services make them appealing to many patients, some still have concerns about security. Concerns over keeping patient information safe are valid, as confidentiality is an essential aspect of therapy sessions.

The good news about online therapy is that all therapists must comply with state and federal guidelines for their patients’ privacy. The federal laws under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) pertain to online therapy and any personal medical information you share with your therapist before your sessions begin.

Your therapist should take proper precautions for online sessions, like using a secure video conference platform, encouraging patients to use a secure wireless network and conducting online sessions from private locations. While you can log into your therapy session from practically anywhere, it’s best to find a quiet and secure place to avoid people listening in on your session. These locations can be a quiet room in your house like a bedroom or home office.

3. The Therapist Has Certain Specialties

People seek out therapy for various reasons. When you’re looking for the right therapist for yourself or your child, it’s helpful to find a practice or therapist that specializes in the area of therapy you’re looking for.

You can schedule therapy sessions for various counseling services in Massachusetts, including:

Some clinicians will also specialize in certain therapeutic approaches that can make a difference in a patient’s therapy experience, including:

Cognitive behavior therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy
Motivational interviewing
Person-centered therapy

Therapy practices that offer the specific counseling service you or your child needs can help focus on the problem and handle a patient’s emotions, thoughts and behaviors effectively. Finding the right therapist can make your online teletherapy sessions more productive and help you see more progress in yourself or your child.

4. The Insurance Coverage or Cost Suits Your Needs

Financial considerations are a significant part of finding a therapist that matches all of your requirements. Some of the most common questions people ask when looking for a new therapist is:

How much are sessions going to cost per session or per week?
What types of insurance policies do you accept?

The counseling fees for your online therapy sessions can vary depending on the type of sessions you’re looking for and the therapist you’re scheduling appointments with.

Choosing to use insurance for your visits is another method of paying for online therapy sessions. It’s helpful to have a method to pay for your sessions with a therapist, especially if it’s not in your out-of-pocket budget. Review your insurance policy before scheduling an appointment to make sure it will cover everything you need for your therapy sessions.

There are a couple of reasons why a patient would opt to not use their insurance for their therapy sessions:

Your insurance may only cover some portions of your appointments.
Insurance providers may limit the amount of privacy your receive by requiring a diagnosis after the first session.
After receiving a diagnosis, the insurance provider may determine that they’ll only cover a certain number of sessions or no further sessions.

Speak with your clinician to understand the entire process of using an insurance provider versus paying out of pocket for sessions.

5. There’s an Easy Scheduling Process

Convenience and flexibility are two appealing benefits of online counseling. Search for a practice that provides simple and efficient scheduling services to help make your therapy process smooth.

Since online therapy eliminates the need to drive to your therapy sessions and saves you time in your schedule, finding a therapist that has an easy scheduling process can be a simple part of your search. Most therapy practices offer methods to contact them online or by calling to easily schedule your online counseling appointments.

Before scheduling your initial appointment for online therapy in Massachusetts, speak with the practice to set up a session with a clinician that will work best with your problems.

Is Teletherapy Right for Me?

The benefits of teletherapy and the convenience of finding a clinician in Massachusetts that can offer online sessions make it an excellent choice for people interested in therapy. While teletherapy is a great way to attend therapy sessions, is there a big difference between teletherapy and traditional therapy sessions?

Knowing if teletherapy is the right choice for you is about comparing your personal schedule and lifestyle to the qualities of online counseling services and in-person therapy. The obvious difference is that one option allows you to attend from home while the other requires you to visit with a therapist in their office. But does being out of the office impact how well therapy works? The American Psychological Association states that research currently shows that teletherapy is effective.

The process of therapy doesn’t alter between in-person and online sessions. The clinician or therapist that a patient meets with during their appointment will handle online appointments just as they would a traditional session. Patients can expect the same quality of care at attention during a teletherapy session as an in-person session.

Teletherapy in Massachusetts can be a great option for you or your child if:

Being at home is more comfortable than visiting an office.
Your busy schedule limits your scheduling options for in-person visits.
You’re comfortable using technology.
You want to work with exceptional therapists but don’t have any in your town.

It May Not Be Right for You If

Teletherapy may not be the best option for every person. Some reasons why people may opt for in-person therapy sessions include:

A person has hearing or vision problems, making it difficult to understand their therapist over a video conference call.
A person is not technologically savvy, making it challenging to set up a video conference account, turn on a webcam, log into a computer, etc.
A person prefers to visit in person with people and feels more comfortable sharing their personal feelings and stories face-to-face rather than over a video conference call.
A person feels they won’t have the privacy or comfort they require for therapy in their home.

How to Prepare for Your Online Therapy Session

After you find a Massachusetts teletherapist, you should begin preparing for your first session. Since you’ll be attending sessions online, it’s important to have your devices ready along with the typical preparation patients should do before an appointment. You can prepare by setting up the following:

Devices: Set up your laptop, computer, smartphone or tablet before your session. Make sure you’re able to access the video conference platform on your device and have the appropriate web browser downloaded for your session. Be sure to charge your devices, as well.
Privacy: Set up your device in a room that gives you the most privacy. This will help keep outside noise levels to a minimum, allowing you to fully concentrate on your conversation with your therapist.
Lighting: The lighting doesn’t have to be perfect, but make sure the room you’re in has some natural or overhead lighting so your therapist can see you. Having good lighting can help make the online conversation feel like you’re face-to-face with your therapist.
Paperwork: Like any therapy session, make sure you have all important documents, like insurance cards, medical history and identification, on hand before your appointment starts.
Important information: At the beginning of your session, make sure to tell your therapist where you’re current location is so they can provide support in case of an emergency.

Find an Online Counselor in Massachusetts With Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates

When you’re searching for an online therapist near you, you want to find a practice with expert clinicians that can help provide quality care to you or your loved ones. You can trust the clinicians at Merrimack Valley Psychological Associates.

We are dedicated to helping our adult, children, adolescent and family patients work through their problems both through online and in-office appointments. Contact us today to learn more about our online counseling services or schedule your next teletherapy appointment.

Reviewed By

Dr. David Rainen, PsyD.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with an extensive background treating a variety of different ages, situations, emotional and mental health disorders in individuals and their families. As part of my 10 year professional and training career in psychology, I have developed and refined my skills and approaches through my work in a variety of diverse settings including: hospitals, community outpatient facilities, college counseling centers, secure and unsecure inpatient/residential treatment programs, and therapeutic day schools.