When Telehealth is not enough

By mid-March most if not all mental health providers had already made the shift to telehealth.  Just like all the college professors asked to put the rest of their semester online, it was not a smooth adjustment for everyone.  That included the students and clients.  So, like the classroom, now adolescents and adults around the world are trying to decide if telehealth is working for them.

It is diagnostic for a Therapist to see the inside of your living space.  This is entirely new information that they are not just hearing but seeing firsthand.  Or, when the client has angled their screen so that only half of their face is showing and they are not looking at the camera, this is also diagnostic.  What is most concerning for TeleHealth clinicians right now though is when their clients are in duress.  When they have shared that they have lost their job, or if their anxiety is leading to panic attacks.  If a client shares that they have relapsed, or they haven’t been sober during the entire quarantine.  These are all areas where it is important for the TeleHealth provider to refer out. 

Residential treatment is still operating during this pandemic.  In fact, these programs are more essential now than they’ve ever been.  So for client who has increased acuity and TeleHealth is not enough, think about all the potential resources available outside of their home.  Whether it’s mental health treatment, or addiction treatment, these programs are still admitting new clients.  Think about the benefit of going now rather than continuing to do telehealth sessions from home when nothing else is changing.

Telehealth is enough for some people, but it’s definitely not enough for a lot of people right now.  A pandemic can wreak havoc on one’s emotional, mental, and fiscal health.  For those where telehealth isn’t enough, seek out treatment today.

For questions or comments contact Joanna.