Telehealth Etiquette for the best therapeutic experience
Telehealth counseling sessions are just as important as in person sessions when it comes to etiquette. The value of making sure the experience is professional online is more challenging, but very important for therapeutic results. Here are some etiquette tips to make the most of your telehealth experience.
1. Find the best location possible.
· Therapists have guidelines for confidentiality, privacy and setting locations on their end; clients are encouraged to do the same.
· Find a comfortable place to settle in. Be creative if needed; go outside or sit in your car.
· If possible, place your device on a solid surface, with you seated in front of it.
· If using a phone for a session, again, try to sit still. Walking around can make the other viewer distracted and even nauseous.
2. Try to protect your privacy.
· In order to maintain confidentiality, inform your family members that you are in an important meeting and need to not be disturbed.
· Parents of youth receiving services are asked to respect the ability for the youth to receive these services without others overhearing.
· Use a headset so that at least half of the conversation cannot be overheard.
3. Limit your distractions.
· Turn off notifications on the device you are using and remove other devices from your vicinity.
· Other noise and visual distractions should be limited as much as possible (pets, children, potential interruptions).
4. Dress for the public.
· Therapists are expected to dress professionally.
· Clients are encouraged to dress comfortably, but in normal public attire.
5. Reconnect, if the connection is lost.
· At the beginning of your session, be sure to confirm with your therapist how you will reconnect if your session is interrupted.
· While Wellspring uses HIPAA compliant video platforms for our telehealth, HIPAA compliance guidelines have been loosened during this crisis to allow for non-HIPAA compliant means of communication such Skype, Facetime, and phone use, if necessary.