Have you started offering video therapy at your practice?
There have been many significant changes that everyone has needed to get used to in the last few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with these changes have come many innovations, including one that is entirely revolutionizing the way people receive mental health care: Video therapy.
Video therapy has been the only way for mental health professionals to keep in contact with their clients during the early stages of the pandemic, and it’s safe to say that it has been an enormous success. It all boils down to one word: Accessibility.
How Video Therapy Helps Your Clients
There are many reasons your clients may need or prefer video therapy. Whether they have anxiety that causes them to struggle with leaving the house, tend to forget about appointments due to having so much on their mind, or are worried about someone seeing them enter a mental health practice, video therapy can help.
While there are lots of people who experience anxiety about leaving the house in general, due to the pandemic, this issue has become more widespread. This is especially true of people who are at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19. Having to get on public transportation right now can be scary, even if everyone is wearing a mask. Offering video therapy is a great way to get your clients the mental health help they need while also accommodating their unique situation.
If one of your clients forgets about their appointment—even if you’ve sent them automated SMS and email reminders through Owl Practice—it’s often too late for them to get to the appointment on schedule by the time they’ve realized it. With video therapy, their commute is only over to their computer, tablet, or phone. If they forget, all it takes is one phone call to them and they can log in. This can be a genuine lifesaver for some clients.
If a client wants privacy, it’s tough to beat the privacy of their own home. They can log into your Owl Practice Client Portal and have a productive session with you while sitting comfortably on their couch. This relieves the burden of anxiety that can come with going to a therapist. Rather than having to enter an unfamiliar environment, they can stay in a place where they are 100% at ease.
These are just a few examples of how video therapy is changing mental wellness for clients. But how does video therapy impact you and your practice?
How Video Therapy Helps You
In the earlier months of the pandemic, video therapy became the only way mental health professionals could continue seeing their clients and keep their practice open. Today, many practices have reopened across the province, but that doesn’t mean the crisis has passed.
While everyone hopes that another shutdown won’t happen, there’s no guarantee. By proactively offering video therapy at your practice, you’ll be setting yourself up for success if another shutdown occurs. If the worst happens, your practice can easily and instantly transition over to video therapy without interruption.
What About Security?
Many mental health professionals are worried about security when it comes to video conferencing. There have been some legitimately worrying stories about Zoom and Skype security breaches. This is why you should be using a dedicated video conferencing service that’s entirely focused on mental health practices.
Owl Practice Video Therapy utilizes the same security we’ve always used for your professional notes, documents, client files, and invoicing information. Everything is run through our PHIPA-compliment servers in Canada so that you and your clients are protected by Canadian law. Moreover, Owl Practice Video Therapy is a service dedicated entirely to Owl users, meaning that there’s little chance a random person would be able to barge into a session.
Video therapy has been a game-changer for mental health practices and their clients. Even after the pandemic has finally ended, video therapy will still be a phenomenal way to offer your clients a choice in handling their sessions. Even if you believe that nothing beats an in-person session, video can provide an effective alternative for clients who request it for specific reasons. It’s just another reason why mental health pros across Canada trust Owl Practice with their practice management!
If you’d like to experience what Owl Practice has to offer, including video therapy, we invite you to book a 14-day free trial or a demo today. If you have any questions or comments about our services and video therapy tools, please contact us at support@owlpractice.ca.
As Always,
Practice Wisely
