COVID-19 has impacted us all in so many ways. When it comes to health services, we have seen many providers shift to offering services online. Telehealth allows you to connect with your therapist via laptop or your cell services through a HIPAA- compliant platform. This is a relatively new service for providers and for many clients. I understand there are many questions and concerns that may come up as we shift from in-person to virtual sessions. Here are five things you should know.

I have noticed an influx of calls with people wanting to engage in therapy. However, because of this many therapists are quickly filling up their schedules. I get it, you’ve decided to engage in therapy and want to get in pretty quickly. You may have even called a few therapists and were told they were not accepting new clients at this time. After a few calls, this can get pretty frustrating. If you find yourself in this situation, I have a few tips for you:

So you’ve made the decision to start therapy. Congrats! The only thing is you need to find a therapist and hopefully they have openings and availability to accommodate you. I’ve been there, too. In a search for my own therapist a couple of years ago, I was in the same position. You may have already browsed a few profiles who have resonated with you and you are thinking about making a phone call or writing an email to ask about openings. As a therapist, I want to thank you for taking those first steps and reaching out to start the process. There are few tips I want to share with you with how to expedite this process.

If you’re new to therapy or have heard of other’s experiences, you may have some questions as to what kind of services may be beneficial to you or a family member. As a practice, clinicians are taught to assess an individual’s clients needs and treat or refer as applicable. Many times, people will seek treatment through a community provider or the local emergency room (in an event of crisis). Sometimes what service a person may need is clear cut, but other times, they may not know from where to seek help. This post is an overview of the three main levels of care for clinical services.