Is Telehealth here to stay? It is a good for the clients? And is it good for the therapists? As we move forward, out of the pandemic hopefully, these are a few of the questions therapists and clients considering therapy will be asking.
During the summer of 2021, I took a informal poll of my caseload to see if clients were ready to come back to the office. And what I learned was that while many like the office conceptually, when push came to shove, clients preferred the convenience of Telehealth. Most cited that Telehealth lessens the time in traffic and, for many, the need to secure childcare, making therapy, particularly couple's therapy more convenient as it can be more challenging to align two schedules than one person fitting in an individual therapy session. The majority of my caseload, at the time, wanted to stay with Telehealth. They unanimously expressed that the experience and goals of therapy had not been compromised with the on-line modality. This was the concern when we started Telehealth in March 2020. How would it work for the client, particularly couples? But it has worked very well. On occasion, I would like to see a couple in person, to facilitate an emotional experience ("Turn and look at each other" "I wonder, can you hold each others' hands as you discuss this") that can be challenging online, but now that the pandemic seems to be quelling, I will likely request periodic in person visits if that seems clinically beneficial.
Telehealth is not new; there is information in the scholarly literature over the past twenty years, but there will be so much more. The efficacy of in person therapy versus telehealth is important as is the attrition rate of in person therapy versus telehealth. I have felt good about the work couples have been able to do in therapy via Tele health. And in the near future I plan to offer both Telehealth and in person therapy options. However, I suspect that I will have more Telehealth sessions in a week than I do in person because I think the demand for telehealth will remain high.
In business, as in life, I'll have to remain flexible as needs change. But for now, people like Telehealth and options, and so I will ofter both. I plan to return to the office one day a week and more as the demand warrants in-person therapy sessions. Besides, I love my office, and I rented the space for FIVE YEARS! Argh! Who would of thought that was a risky move in 2018? In my next post, I'll talk about how I've managed my anxiety about this financial decision and if I will make it again. As I share with clients, we all have anxiety, we are either managing it well or we are not...including therapists.
About the counselor: Dr. Melissa Hudson, LMFT-S has been a Plano couple's counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist since 2012. She offices near the Shops of Legacy in West Plano conveniently located to serve the communities of McKinney, Allen, Richardson, and Frisco as well as offering statewide services via Telehealth. She also specializes in working with those contending with depression and anxiety as well as a wide spectrum of other psychological concerns you can learn about here.