Virtual & Teletherapy
Access therapy from the comfort of your own home.
Research has shown that teletherapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health conditions, and may even be more convenient and cost-effective. Get started with teletherapy today.
What Is Teletherapy?
Teletherapy is a way to conduct therapy in your own home when in-person therapy is not an option.
Teletherapy can be operated out of any web-browser either on your personal computer or on your smartphone. We use a HIPAA-compliant platform called Doxy.me which allows for a secure channel to be used during your session. All sessions are not stored on the server, so this is the most secure way to engage in a video therapy option. In some cases where video sessions are unavailable or are “glitchy,” a phone session may also be used.
Common Teletherapy Questions
What Do I Need for Teletherapy?
You will want to find a relatively quiet and private place in your home to conduct your session.
Audio and video quality are greatly improved if you are on a computer with headphones. It is strongly recommended that you use a laptop or desktop computer to conduct your session as phone-based web browsers tend to drop these video calls on occasion.
If your video call does not work properly, your therapist can also conduct a session via phone as our phone lines are all HIPAA compliant. A video session is preferred, but we will roll with the technological punches, so to speak.
We are offering our teletherapy sessions through a site called Doxy.me (if you aren’t familiar with it, it’s like a HIPAA compliant Skype or FaceTime platform.) You will need to go onto Doxy.me and create a free account with them. At no point will you be charged to use this website. Your therapist has a unique link that they will send you so you can access the “virtual waiting room” within the site. You will need to be logged into the website in order to conduct your session.
What types of therapy can be done virtually?
Many types of therapy can be done virtually, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, and more. However, some types of therapy, such as play therapy, may not be as effective in a virtual format.
Can couples and family therapy be done virtually?
While it is strongly preferable to conduct couples and family sessions in person, we will make exceptions during these extenuating circumstances. Please contact us to to discuss how we can best make couples sessions work in this capacity.
Is teletherapy covered by my insurance?
If you use insurance for your session (either directly or through out of network reimbursements), please note that all major insurance providers in California have agreed to authorize teletherapy during this period. However, in the rare case that your insurance plan does not cover teletherapy services (we all know how annoying insurance companies can be), you will ultimately be financially responsible for your session fees.
Getting Started
At Cottonwood Psychology Center, we offer virtual and teletherapy services to patients who prefer this format or are unable to attend in-person sessions.
To book an appointment for virtual or teletherapy services, patients can call our office or schedule an appointment with one of our licensed therapists. Our team will work with patients to find a therapist who best fits their needs and schedule, and we offer flexible appointment times.
Ready to start healing?
Schedule an appointment today.