Teletherapy Training: Does My Virtual Practice Need It?

As a therapy provider, you strive to provide the same level of care for your remote clients as your in-person clients, but teletherapy is a completely different world by nature. Currently, there are no laws that oblige therapists to undergo extra training to provide teletherapy, even though there are other legal and ethical issues such as HIPAA restrictions on technology. When the majority of your colleagues have not undergone telehealth training, you might wonder if it’s even necessary. With so many nuances to the issue, it’s time to set the story straight — let’s talk about the reasons why you should get a certification in teletherapy.

Learn About How Teletherapy Visits Affect Your Operations

If you’re only just starting to provide virtual visits to clients, you’re likely unfamiliar with how differently you’ll need to record these visits for insurance and billing purposes. You might also not realize the differences in obtaining sufficient informed consent or ensuring a completely HIPAA-compliant service. It’s possible to do the research and teach yourself as many teletherapists have done. To ensure you’re in complete compliance and not making any billing mistakes, though, it would be especially helpful and convenient to undergo telehealth training.

By undergoing the special training for teletherapy, you can feel confident in your knowledge of how choosing teletherapy over in-person visits will affect both your operations and your client’s experience. You’ll be able to talk them through their insurance coverage, how they’ll be billed, and how their visits will be conducted. With these expertise, you’ll be able to make the most of telehealth in your practice.

Will Teletherapy Make a Difference in the Services You Offer?

Both in-person and virtual therapy sessions have their benefits, but for many, teletherapy opens up a whole new world of opportunities to provide or receive the right care. At the same time, teletherapy can be overwhelming for those that haven’t experienced it before, and not being prepared can lead to unexpected problems. In addition, the option to choose teletherapy is a great addition to most clients’ care but, in some cases, it might prove challenging. A great teletherapy provider knows when it is or isn’t appropriate to offer teletherapy as an option on a case-by-case basis, and the best way to equip yourself with that expertise is to undergo telehealth training.

For example, a huge part of conducting therapy sessions is building rapport with your clients. It is easier for some clients than others to build a connection with someone over calls alone. It’s also not always easy for inexperienced teletherapists and clients to communicate with nonverbal cues remotely, leading to miscommunications or difficulties in assessing a client’s progress and needs. To overcome these barriers, it is important for teletherapy providers to become familiar with the software they use, learn techniques for improved virtual communication, and guide their clients through the process.

Beyond that, you’ll need to consider which types of patients should be offered treatment through teletherapy. Those who are especially high-risk or difficult patients might not be the best candidates. Of course, these judgments are never cut and dry. Undergoing training for teletherapy can help you make those decisions with more confidence. You’ll also be able to learn techniques for establishing boundaries with technology and better virtual communication.

Can You Provide a Seamless Virtual Experience?

Not all of us have the gift of being tech-savvy, and even fewer of us have experience running a virtual practice that offers teletherapy services. To run a successful teletherapy practice, you must be competent with the technology you’re using and aware of how your virtual office affects the client experience.

If you’re considering extra training in teletherapy, ask yourself how you’ll translate all your in-person therapy techniques and office tasks into your virtual workspace. Will you be able to provide visual aids and materials over a video call in an effective way? Will you be able to easily exchange information with your clients to ensure informed consent and avoid violations of HIPAA? If you’re not sure of the answers, then teletherapy training will help you consider all your options and prepare accordingly.

In conjunction with training, simple user-friendly teletherapy platforms like Markee can provide the perfect meeting place for teletherapists and their clients. You can build your virtual workspace to meet your needs and apply your branding to create a comfortable and familiar environment for your clients. With this all-in-one tool, you’ll have a much easier time being tech-savvy and conducting all your services to the fullest extent. Keep all your notes, documents, and conversations in one place, and conduct HIPAA-compliant video calls right from the platform. Markee offers so many intuitive features for telehealth providers.

Successfully Run Your Teletherapy Practice With the Right Tools

Therapists deserve all the support they can get, especially when they’re making the effort to extend their services virtually. Obtaining a teletherapy certification will increase your confidence while providing services to clients, and it won’t hurt your marketing, either. In fact, your clients will feel more comfortable working with you knowing that every minute of their time is spent on their care and not on technological issues, billing errors, and communication difficulties.

Markee is proud to offer an intuitive teletherapy platform for practices committed to the highest quality of care for their remote clients. With teletherapy training and a comprehensive virtual practice tool, you’ll effortlessly run a successful practice. If you’re not sure how Markee can fit into your practice, you can schedule a demo or a needs assessment with a consultant.

Create a Markee account today to get started with a free 30 day trial.