Welcome to our Mood-E Blog
Dr. Lisa Lovelace is a clinical psychologist and the founder of Synergy eTherapy and built a 100% online mental health group practice that opened their virtual doors in 2016!
Telehealth has many benefits including increasing access to high quality mental health care for many individuals, couples and families around the globe.
Want to learn a little more about online therapy and how it works?
Have You Tried Online Therapy Yet?
Welcome to the “online” couch!
Online therapy, otherwise known as online counseling, eTherapy, telehealth, etc is all about the delivery of mental health therapy by using electronic means.
- Video (secure and HIPAA compliant)
- Phone call
- Email and/or Text based conversations
Synergy eTherapy was a pioneer in building a strictly online therapy group practice! Since 2016, Synergy eTherapists have been providing high-quality mental health care from the comfort of our clients’ homes, offices, cars, vacations and in between all the demands of life!
What types of difficulties can be supported via online counseling?
Telemental health can also be helpful for kids/teens who are dealing with so many changes, developmentally, physically, socially and academically. They are changing rapidly and it can be a wild ride to support their healthy growth. We have many child/teen therapists who can partner with parents/guardians to offer coping skills to encourage healthy relationships with themselves and others.
Without electronic means of communication for healthcare providers, continuing our care with clients throughout the pandemic would have been a real challenge.
What happens before & during an online therapy session?
One of the most asked questions people new to therapy have (especially those who are new to online therapy) is how does it work? What happens during an online therapy session?
To begin, you need to find a therapist who is licensed to practice in the state where you are PHYSICALLY located at the time of your online therapy session. Until our state legislators hurry up and create new laws and regulations that reduce barriers for practicing across state lines (luckily. many are doing this such as PSYPACT and other regulating bodies), licensed therapists in your state are able to see you, even with telehealth. Due to Covid, some states have lifted the restrictions for licensed therapists to practice in a state they do not hold a license by way of Executive Order. Discuss these laws and regulations with your therapist during the consultation.
In our group practice, everyone has the option to have a free, brief phone consultation to make sure the therapist you choose is a good fit for you and that you would like to begin.
We have an onboarding process to get any new client set up in our systems! We send a few different things to get you started including downloads for our phone/text/video app and intake forms and consents to review from our medical record system.
After that, your therapist will contact you at your scheduled appointment time either by phone call or video call and will ask about your location. Because we are not in the same room as you would be at a traditional in person clinic, we need to ensure we know where you are and document that in case of emergency. Your therapist will discuss the informed consent as well as get to know more about your symptoms and distress that lead to your desire for treatment.
Therapy can be both short or long term, depending on your level of distress when you start and the treatment approach used in therapy. Therapists are also working hard to build rapport and trust as well as continually evaluating progress (or setbacks) with mood, behavior, relationships and coping abilities. A treatment plan is created so that you are on the same page as your therapist in knowing when you are improving and can slow down therapy sessions or when a higher level of care or adjunct care might be recommended.
I wasn’t sure how the session would work but I love it! I’m able to be in the comfort of my own home but still get to “meet” with her face to face in a more intimate setting than a phone call or an email. It is great because with a job and 2 small kids it is very hard to find the time to drive to a clinic, take time off work or away from the family, to get the help I need. I’m able to get the kids to bed and go down stairs, get my headphones on and meet in a very personal way. She also is super flexible so if I have to change times or make minor adjustments to our schedules, we are able to do so – many great things that can’t be done in the more traditional counseling setting.
Online Counseling sounds like a good fit for me…now what?
Like anything new, it can be daunting, scary, exciting, overwhelming…all at once.
Just know that we all got to HERE from THERE. Humans are resilient and no road is straight. There are many twists and turns, bumps in the road, and a lot of helpers and healers to provide extra support, treatment, and comfort along the way.
Seeking support takes COURAGE and STRENGTH. We cannot do it all on our own. Reach out when you or a loved one is ready (reach out when you are not ready, too!).
For more information or to set up a CONSULTATION, please feel free to choose your state, choose a therapist (read their bio and watch their video to get to know them more!) and fill out the consultation form. Their calendar will pop up so you can schedule easily.
Contact: Info@SynergyEtherapy.com
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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT
SYNERGY ETHERAPY
As an online mental health counseling practice, our mission is to offer a variety of online therapy services to help you focus on your wellbeing. We take the stress out of getting the treatment you deserve. Synergy eTherapists provide flexible, convenient, and easy to use mental health services.
We offer online therapy in several states including Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kansas, California, Florida, Colorado, and many other states. We add new states to this list regularly.
Our online therapists can treat anxiety, trauma, depression, substance abuse, maternal mental health concerns, grief and loss, and more.
Our therapists help teens, college students, adults, couples, and people with health conditions and chronic pain during online therapy. Additionally, we can offer psychiatric medication management in certain states.
Learn more FAQs about our online therapy group practice as well as the cost of online therapy.
