The Basics and Ethical Considerations of Virtual Therapy

This course examines the benefits and risks of virtual therapy. Virtual therapy has been a must over the pandemic and continue to grow and evolve in the mental health industry. Randi Williams, Dr. Letitia Browne-James, and Dr. Carla review what to consider when conducting virtual therapy and how to make the most of technology in practice.

You will learn to:

• Access different perspectives on tele-health model and how to execute therapeutic methods virtually.

• Address compliance issues when conducting tele-therapy including HIPAA and cybersecurity.

• Identify how to prioritize client needs and honor client’s privacy in sessions.

• Analyze the ethical considerations behind tele-therapy and protective practices to consider.

Virtual therapy - an ever-evolving topic with so many facets to explore. We narrowed it down to a few aspects: security, compliance, and access. Looking at the benefits and risks of virtual therapy and even down to what we call it… virtual therapy, tele-therapy, telehealth therapy, and why.

There are multiple ways to incorporate safety into the conversation with clients in a non obtrusive way. Our panelists discuss the balance of prioritizing client’s needs and practicing ethically. Flexible while ethical is not always easy.

This course includes a role play of an initial call where the therapist (Letitia) sets the ground rules and expectations for a client (Randi) starting out in virtual therapy.