- What is Online Therapy?
- Why should I consider online counseling?
- What about privacy and security in the online world?
- What kind of security does the software provide for?
- How does online therapy work?
- Can you tell me more about the Secure Client Portal?
- How does secure email messaging work?
- Do you send out appointment reminders?
- What about the usual forms, pricvacy act and office policies?
- How are secure video sessions delivered?
- Is live online chat secure?
- How is email counseling kept secure?
- How do I use the client journal?
- Do you provide telephone sessions?
- How do I book an appointment?
Online therapy or Distance Counseling is professional, secure, convenient, ethical, online, HIPAA compliant counseling or psychotherapy using communication technology in place of face to face communication. My secure client portal incorporates the latest technology to ensure your privacy, security and comfort with technology.
Online counseling is a convenient, comfortable and affordable way to see a therapist. Online therapy is proving to be as effective for most mental health concerns as face to face counseling, and is a competent therapeutic tool. In today’s busy world online therapy offers great flexibility, especially for persons who might be traveling often, commuting for long hours, living in rural areas, or busy with caring for children or family members. E-therapy provides services to those who may not be able to otherwise receive care.
Your safety and security is my top priority. My secure client portal is safe, HIPAA compliant, encrypted technology that allows for secure communication between client and therapist. The online office provides you with your own personal Secure Client Area where you can complete and view forms, make payments, schedule appointments, set electronic appointment reminders, and keep a personal journal. This online application provides for secure email, a journal that only you can see, with the option to share it with your therapist, it has a secure chat function, and secure video conferencing. The application is a safe, secure and user friendly system of service delivery.
The application is HIPAA Compliant. This state-of-the-art service is designed to protect your privacy keeping all communications strictly confidential. All required components have been employed to assure that this site is HIPAA compliant and more. Servers housed in Tier-IV data center with SSAE16, HITRUST, ISO 27001 & PCI 2.0 compliance. PCI (used by the payment card industry) standards applied to the internal systems and software. All traffic is required to use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with 256-bit encryption. There is a unique login for all users and logging of all user activity, and 256-bit encryption of all sensitive data. Data is backed up hourly using 256-bit encryption. When it comes to e-Counseling, my first priority is to make sure that my clients' privacy is secure and protected.
Online counseling works much like person to person counseling. After the initial contact your counselor and you will schedule an assessment. This is usually accomplished by you filling out a questionnaire for your counselor and other information about you. Your counselor with then go over the questionnaire with you and focus on the problems you seek help for. Usually the second session is dedicated to further exploring problem areas and then setting goals and focusing on problem resolution. After that session you will work with your counselor actively to resolve the problems you are experiencing through therapy, behavioral changes and focusing on improving problem areas. You will also continue to check on your goals so you can measure your progress and know that you’re on track with your therapy. Once you and your counselor are satisfied that you have reached your goals you will terminate your treatment.
My client site will allow you to login to view your secure emails from me, schedule your appointments, view/pay your bills, and write in your private journal. You will also be able to access secure online video and chat sessions at the client site. Following the Client Portal features in more detail.
You can now send and receive secure emails to your therapist instead of having emails sent to your personal email address. When you communicate with me you will be sent a notification to your normal email address that there is a new message in your secure area. No sensitive information will ever be sent via email - only email notifications. Then, you simply login to your personalized Secure Client Area, to view your emails. The secure email system helps prevent others from reading information communicated between you and your therapist.
Automatic appointment reminders are sent to you 24 hours before your appointment time. Appointment reminders can be sent by email, text message or phone call recording. These reminders will only be sent to your specified contact method.
After you have decided on E-therapy with me, you will first register in my secure client portal; then you will login. You will be prompted to complete the New Client Registration Form and the Assessment Questionnaire. Just like in your on ground provider offices you will have to acknowledge that you have read and understand the HIPPA rules. My professional disclosure is located there as well, and you will be prompted to electronically sign that you have received it. These forms must be completed before the system will permit you to schedule your first appointment. All completed forms are safely and securely stored. There is no need for you to bring them in, mail them or fax them. If you would like an emailed copy of the HIPAA form and the practice disclosure I will be happy to furnish you with them.
I offer secure live online video counseling to you. I use the ”Counsol Therapy Suite” which designed the service specifically for counselors and clients who prefer counseling online via video sessions. My online video counseling service provides safe and secure video sessions by having a secure admin login for the counselor and a secure login for the client via the custom client portal site. There is no software download; making this very simple to use.
My online chat sessions are the safest method to preform instant messaging for counseling. As with the video sessions I will log into my secure admin and you will log in to your secure client site to ensure full security and privacy. All you have to do is to log in and begin the chat session at the designated time.
Email counseling offers ongoing asynchronous (counseling not at the same time) therapeutic intervention. The use of email as a modality for receiving professional counseling is ideal for people whose demanding schedules do not permit the luxury of a scheduled appointment time. Email therapy exchanges can occur in a response schedule that matches your available time and you are free to work on therapeutic issues at your own pace. The secure client portal offers an additional level of security when you use the email feature there. Tne emails will not enter the www.
You can login to your secure account and write in your personal journal at any time. Client journals are private. Although, you do have the option to share your journal entries with me through the secured site if you choose to do so.
I provide telephone sessions if you choose this method of counseling. You will schedule you sessions the same way as you schedule any of the sessions in the secure client portal.
You can login to view my available time slots on my calendar any time. You can then schedule an appointment as available. Online booking gives you the flexibility to book appointments according to your schedule, which gives you great flexibility and control of your own schedule.
To Schedule Your Appointments: In the calendar section of the Secure Client Portal you will see my availability. You will then schedule an appointment time and the kind of communication (phone, video, chat) that best suits your schedule. For email counseling simply send me an email through the secure client portal to request a session.