ATLAS MENTAL HEALTH
  • Home
  • Services and Rates
  • Meet The Team
  • Contact/Schedule
  • Resources
  • Research
  • Blog
  • Portal Link for Current Clients

My Writing

Telehealth, and Why it's the Future of Everything

8/23/2019

 
Everything I do in my practice, at least.

Telehealth is any kind of healthcare work (like therapy!) performed over the internet. Usually this is done through video software on your phone or computer, though sometimes, providers are coming to outlying or rural areas through video connection straight with another provider's office. Telehealth is a new, big thing in healthcare that you should probably know about, for a few reasons.

1. It's convenient

The biggest factor in making actual progress on your goals is how well you and your therapist work together, but you often have to narrow down a list of providers before you even start making phone calls. People tend to pick the providers for these shortlists, like their therapists and their doctors, based on proximity to other important places, like the your home or work, or a child's school. Basically, before we've even started, we already want treatment to be convenient. Usually, if you're seeking therapy, you're already running a little low on energy anyway. What could be more convenient that not having to take distance into account when shopping for a provider? What if you could just focus on finding the provider that would work best with you and your concerns, instead of having to take extra logistics into account?

This has been the biggest factor behind the clients who come to see me for teletherapy, and is especially important in rural areas where there may only be a handful of practitioners to see. I've also found this to be a handy back-up for people who can't make it to a regular session for some reason, like when my town had a "snowpocalypse" that buried everyone for a few weeks. No one had to miss out on their therapy because they couldn't get out of their driveway.

2. It's affordable

An internet connection is almost essential to participate in modern life at this point. Even without taking therapy into account, most people have an internet connection - yes, even people in those rural communities I'm talking about. If you're reading this, you have an internet connection, too. Aside from an internet connection and a device to use (like a tablet or a phone), there's no other technology you need. Even if you're using a PC to access your care, chances are, you can likely have therapy just fine by adding a $20 webcam. And more so than the lack of extra cost on your end? It's also way less expensive for a therapist to offer a practice from a remote location, especially if that location is home. That savings can get passed along to you, the friendly consumer.

The overhead costs of an office (and secondary services along with that, like office furniture, cleaning, and maintenance, to name a few) are significantly lessened when a practitioner can give up some or all of their out-of-home office time. Plus, I found that working out of a home office gives me an unprecedented level of control over my environment that I couldn't achieve in my outpatient offices. Being able to fully soundproof a room to my satisfaction is something I would have a hard time giving up, if I had to go back to a standard office for all meetings.

3. It's accessible

As a practitioner who specializes in disability and trauma , I know the importance of having care that is not only available to you, but is available to you in a way that's comfortable to access. Now, not everyone is comfortable talking to a practitioner through video chat - many people aren't, in fact, and that's okay.

We've already talked about the convenience factor in accessibility, but there are more angles to consider. For example, someone with a significant trauma history may have a hard time relaxing in spaces outside their homes, or may be highly sensitive to environmental triggers. These triggers can be difficult to handle in an unfamiliar space like a therapy office, and being able to have the option to have therapy in a space you know you are safe, such as home might be, can be a way to maintain some of that comfort.

For people with limited mobility or eyesight, navigating an unfamiliar environment can lead to not only unnecessary stress, but also unforeseen barriers. I've had so many therapist colleagues choose offices on the second floors of buildings with no elevators, and come to me to help them figure out why they aren't getting the chronic pain clients they're seeking. Navigating stairs, for example, can be a huge hassle, and not all clinicians are familiar enough with disability to consider describing their office on their website. Additionally, some locations (like those same rural towns we talked about earlier) may not have any accessible office space available. I knew of a therapy office whose practitioners would have to play "musical chairs" with the few accessible offices, and the front desk had to keep track of which clients couldn't navigate stairs so they could make sure to schedule them separately. Not only is that hassle unfair to the clients coming in, who now may be denied appointment slots explicitly because of their disability, but it's also completely unnecessary, if you are able to offer accommodations like a telehealth office can. 

4. It's practical

Most people under the age of 40 have essentially grown up in a world with technology as the norm, and often, a world where internet access was the norm. The strong success of online-focused businesses like Amazon is highly driven by a society that more and more values the use of technology to overcome what are more often than not now seen as unnecessary barriers. If your groceries can come to you, your errands can be done with a mouse click, and more and more, your work can be done from anywhere with an internet connection, why wouldn't you want to use the same convenient technology to meet your other needs? Especially when those needs revolve around stressors. Why shouldn't we work to eliminate any barriers that can be eliminated between a you and the help you want?

As our population continues to incorporate technology into every other aspect of our lives, it feels inevitable that this health sphere, too, should catch up to the times.

5. It reaches new people

For this one, you don't just have to take my word.

According to the keynote speech at the 2017 ACA Conference in San Francisco, presented by Dr. Irvin Yalom, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and mandatory reading for every therapist of the last century, Dr. Yalom participated in research around telehalth expecting to find that the distance and lack of physical proximity reduced the effectiveness of therapy. Dr. Yalom stated that the research showed teletherapy to be approximately as effective, but what he says was more surprising was that the people who tended to be drawn to teletherapy were people who said they weren't likely to ever seek out face-to-face therapy.

It turns out that everyone has their own needs, and we tend to gravitate towards things that meet our needs best. That's why I will always advocate for therapists to offer face-to-face sessions for anyone who wants them, in a calm and neutral office environment catered especially to the job. (This is not something I offer currently due to relocation for a PhD program.) But, for people who prefer telehealth, or even want to experiment with it or just not lose out on a scheduled session, I would encourage everyone to try it.

Titles, or "What Do Those Letters After Your Name Mean?"

6/3/2019

 
Picture

There are a lot of titles. Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Social Worker, Counselor, Therapist… What are you? What’s the difference?

First, an overview of what everything is:
  • Clinician and practitioner are fairly interchangeable terms that can apply to any level of training. Generally, these refer to anyone with related education who works with people on medical or mental health concerns in a therapeutic or medical setting.
  • Therapist is a general term for someone who provides therapy. This can mean the standard type of talk therapy, but it can also include things like art therapy, music therapy, etc. Basically, a therapist is a person who uses interventions to treat mental health conditions. Sometimes, the use of the term “therapist” or “psychotherapist” may be restricted to specific educational training or licensure. Some people may also refer to physical or occupational therapists as simply “therapists”, but I’ve never actually met one of those professionals who refers to themselves that way. (I’m sure they’re out there!)
  • Psychiatrists generally have MD or DO (Doctor of Osteopathy) after their name. They’re medical doctors who specialize in mental health and medications. Some psychiatrists see people for therapy sessions, some do not. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Physician's Assistants, and regular old doctors can also prescribe mental health medications.
  • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses – RN’s – who have lots of extra school that allows them to also prescribe medications. These practitioners may have some training in therapy, but tend to act in a more medical capacity.
  • Psychologists generally have PhD or PsyD after their name. One of the major differences between PhD and PsyD is that during the course of getting their degree, PhD programs tend to focus more on research, while PsyD programs tend to be more focused on clinical practice (aka, face-to-face counseling) and theory. Both are perfectly capable of providing standard therapy. Additionally, the term psychotherapy is often reserved exclusively for psychologists and psychiatrists to use to describe their practice.
  • Social Workers usually have Master’s degrees, and their education may focus more on systems work (ie, looking at people as parts of communities and groups) and social justice issues. They can work as therapists, and in general, provide very similar services to counselors.
  • Counselors also have Masters degrees, though some have PhDs. They have similar training to social workers, but their education generally focuses on clinical practice itself. Often, counselors wind up with a lot of experience working with clients over the course of their education.
  • Life Coaches are people who provide advice and coaching related to personal and professional goals. They are not therapists, and do not provide therapy. Becoming a life coach does not require any form of advanced degree; however, there is a certification/accreditation process that can be pursued. They do not treat mental health conditions, and generally do not work on past issues and concerns with their clients. Generally, they have not received training in psychology, but rather training geared towards productivity, motivation, and goal setting.

When it comes to the differences between psychologists, social workers and counselors, in my experience, the differences aren’t likely to be things you see as part of the counseling process. Generally, the differences lie in the focus of a person’s education, but we’re all capable of providing high quality and effective therapy.

Life coaches focus on immediate, lifestyle-related concerns, such as organization, goal setting, and wellness; however, the services they provide are not therapy.

Now, as far as what I do? I am a counselor first and foremost. It would also be accurate to call me a therapist, a clinician, or a mental health practitioner. However, I do not have a PhD or medical degree, so I cannot call myself ‘Doctor’ or prescribe medications.

Other acronyms you might see for all levels of practitioners:
  • PhD/PsyD- Doctoral level degree
  • MS/MA – Type of Masters degree (Master of Science / Master of Art)
  • LMFT – Licensed Marriage/Family Therapist
  • LSW/LCSW – Licensed (Clinical) Social Worker
  • LPC [Intern] – Licensed Professional Counselor [Intern]
    • Note: The “intern” status means a clinician is still in the process of fulfilling the requirements for licensure. In the state of Oregon, this includes having already completed an appropriate graduate degree, passing a licensure exam, passing an exam related to Oregon-specific rules and regulations, and accruing 2,400 hours of supervised therapy hours. This process usually takes between 2 and 7 years, after completing a Master's Degree program, in the state of Oregon.
  • RAT – Registered Art Therapist
  • CADC I/II – Certified Addictions/Drug Counselor
  • CRC – Certified Rehabilitation Counselor
  • NCC/NBCC - Nationally (Board) Certified Counselor
  • There are others – many others. If you don’t recognize something, search engines are your friends!

My full title is Emily Decker, MS, CRC, LPC. This means that I have a Master’s degree, I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (meaning I have passed the CRC Certification exam), and have met all of the requirements to be a licensed counselor in the state of Oregon.

Other websites with more information, if you're interested:
  • American Psychiatric Association (APA): Official organization representing Psychiatrists in America. Section entitled: 'What Is Psychiatry?'
  • American Psychological Association (also APA): Official organization representing Psychologists in America. Check out their definition of 'Psychologist.'
  • American Counseling Association (ACA): Official organization representing Counselors in America. Learn about what counselors do.
  • National Association of Social Workers (NASW): Official organization representing Social Workers in America. (HelpStartshere.org is created and maintained by the NASW.) You can find the official NASW website here.
  • International Coach Federation: Coaching FAQs.
​
If you have any more questions about this process, or my certification, I’m happy to answer them during our appointment time.

Please note, this article is based on my own experiences as a practitioner in Oregon, and is not meant to be exhaustive on a global or national scale.

    Articles

    This is a blog where I share articles I've written, research I've done, and answer some common questions about counseling as a whole.

    Archives

    August 2019
    June 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2022
  • Home
  • Services and Rates
  • Meet The Team
  • Contact/Schedule
  • Resources
  • Research
  • Blog
  • Portal Link for Current Clients