Telehealth psychology, online therapy, and teletherapy are all terms that refer to remote and online therapy given by a licensed professional therapist. If you need a compassionate, dependable, affordable therapist, visit Dr. Todi’s website for more.
What does ‘telehealth’ mean?
Telehealth refers to all healthcare administered through telecommunications and remote interactions. For psychologists, this means they see their patients over Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, Teams, or other online meeting spaces or phone calls.
Telehealth psychologists have limited to no physical contact with their patients, which means:
- You have great flexibility when scheduling appointments
- You won’t have to sit in uncomfortable waiting rooms
- You can eliminate traffic and extended commutes when therapy is done from your home or office.
Telehealth psychologists follow strict privacy policies, so you never have to doubt your privacy is protected.
Do psychologists like telehealth practice?
Telehealth psychology has been in practice for decades. There is, in fact, plenty of research investigating the efficacy of telehealth therapy.
A study done in 2018 for The Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare found that there was little to no difference between treating PTSD via videoconference or treating it with traditional in-person therapy. Telehealth therapy often has higher patient retention rates, implying that patients feel more comfortable and secure when being treated in the safety of their own spaces.
Telehealth is excellent in treating common mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, and other issues children and adolescents face. However, further research is needed to discover the efficacy of treating mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
Meanwhile, audio-only telehealth shows less impressive results, as patients and psychologists can quickly become distracted by incoming texts, notifications, or the desire to multitask when on the phone. Unlike video conference sessions, phone calls do not provide visual cues for a care provider that would allow them to understand a patient’s state of mind further.
Telehealth vs. traditional therapy costs
Traditional therapy is known to be expensive. Fortunately, many telehealth therapists offer more affordable rates for their therapy sessions.
Dr. Todi offers a free phone consultation session of 15 minutes for all new patients. After all, it is essential for patients and psychologists to feel comfortable and confident with each other. After the initial free consult, Dr. Todi charges the following:
- $175 for the first intake session (60 minutes)
- $150 for every other 60-minute session
According to Forbes Health, most traditional therapy sessions cost an average of $150 – $200 per session. As you can see, Dr. Todi remains competitive and cheaper than those options. Not to mention, insurance could compensate for your therapy if you have a great healthcare plan!
Feeling happier and healthier shouldn’t be a luxury item that remains out of reach – Dr. Todi and many other therapists would love to begin your mental health journey with you if you’re ready. You deserve to be happy.
Visit Dr. Nisha Todi’s website to learn more about telehealth and how it could change your life.
