Telehealth

Telehealth at Honest Counseling & Psychological Medicine is a live video session through our secure app.  Our app allows you to see your therapist from anywhere- your laptop, phone, or other device. It is like an in-office session, except you will be responsible for making sure that wherever you are is private and has minimal distractions.

You will spend your first session getting to know your therapist, and them you. You will spend this time also working out what your goals for therapy are, why you are seeking therapy, and how you feel the therapist can help you. At Honest Counseling & Psychological Medicine, there is a consultation process to determine if your individual situation is appropriate for our online services.

After that initial session, additional sessions will be spent working on the goals you outlined in your first session. The therapist may have a variety of methods for reaching those goals. Not every method or concept works for every person. You may have some trial and error throughout your counseling experience, this is the same in online counseling.

Although counseling is conducted through technology rather than in person, sessions will hold much of the same structure. You will have a set amount of time, usually 30-60 minutes, to work with your therapist during each online session. How frequently you have sessions is entirely up to you, although your therapist will offer clinical suggestions based on your goals for therapy.

Online therapy (sometimes called Telehealth counseling) may seem like a great idea, but you may be wondering how it works. It’s common to be skeptical of new things, and seeing an online counselors for something like marriage counseling or teenage depression is probably new to you and your family. After all, while it may seem daunting to talk to a therapist you have just met in person, it may seem even more strange to have such a personal exchange through technology. However, the process is really quite simple, and it offers a great deal of flexibility.

There are several methods for using telehealth with counseling. The most common way that people consider using telehealth is to talk to a therapist through a live real-time (synchronous) video application, so that you can see and hear each other as though you are in the same room. This is how we typically use telehealth counseling at Honest Counseling & Psychological Medicine. We use a secure app for confidentiality of our clients and therapists.

Limits to confidentiality & safety plans would need to be addressed by your licensed therapists who has specific training in telehealth therapy.  In the end, online therapy is really not much different from traditional counseling. The only real difference is that you are not in the same room with the therapist. How therapy works, how sessions are run, and the relationship you can build with your therapist all remain the same with telehealth services. If you can be comfortable with the remoteness of the sessions, online therapy is a valid option.

YES!! Many of our clients do both in-person and telehealth appointments. Simply request to have telehealth sessions with your therapist.  Your therapist will set you up!

You can request an appointment or call our office at 334-603-8360 and our front desk staff will walk you through our simple process.

You will meet your therapist in the secure app.  Your therapist will begin the video call when it is time for your appointment.  It is suggested that clients are ready about 5 minutes prior to their appointment.

One advantage of seeing a therapist online is that nobody will see you walking into a counseling center. You also don’t have to worry about seeing someone you know in the counseling office waiting room. In these ways, you have more privacy when participating in telehealth therapy. Some people do wonder though, “Is online counseling really secure and private?” We want to assure you that at Honest Counseling & Psychological Medicine we use a HIPPA secure platform for our online video counseling. Therefore, your privacy is protected.

There is no additional cost. The cost of the appointment is the same as your regular session. 

Your therapist will send you and invitation.
Being a quiet, private location about 5 minutes before the session.
Your therapist will connect with you when it is time for your appt to begin.

Most of our clients already have a credit card stored on file. If you do not, your therapist can gather that information from you during your session.  You can also pay at each session if you prefer.

Most commercial insurances cover telehealth the same as an in-person appointment. You can call your commercial insurance to verify that telehealth is a covered benefit under your specific policy if you would prefer. If you need assistance with this our billing specialist would be happy to help.