What are some pros of teletherapy?

• In-session skill practice with your child’s therapist in your child’s environment: Teletherapy gives me the opportunity to practice skills with your child in their home or other environments. For example, I often conduct "exposures" with children and teens struggling with OCD or anxiety disorders, which teaches them the skills to challenge anxiety in real-life situations. For children struggling in crowds or with social anxiety, teletherapy allows us the opportunity to go places, such as a crowded grocery store or park, with you and your child joining the teletherapy session through the secure client portal app on your smartphone. We would not have the relatively limitless possibilities for location of exposure practice without teletherapy.

• Deeper patient insight: Teletherapy allows me to observe children’s interactions within their home environment, which provides valuable insights. It offers me a comprehensive view of your child’s space and makes it easier to observe social determinants at home.

• Enhanced comfort: Children have become accustomed to technology. Using an online platform for therapy creates a more comfortable environment for some children compared to visiting a therapist’s office, which can be intimidating. This relaxed setting helps children open up and express themselves more effectively during sessions.

• Promotes confidence and autonomy: Teletherapy can enhance a teenager’s sense of confidence and control during therapy sessions, leading to increased engagement.

• Greater parental involvement: Parents often have greater availability to be present and available for parts (or all) of the session given the session takes place at home. Parents who actively participate in sessions are more apprised of their child’s therapy homework, and can therefore more effectively provide coaching and guidance when their child practices their therapy homework outside of session.

• Flexible scheduling: Online sessions offer greater flexibility for families with busy schedules. Since there is no need for travel, additional driving time during rush-hour in Seattle, or searching for street parking, managing therapy sessions becomes easier.

Will teletherapy benefit my child as much as in-person therapy?

Studies show that teletherapy is just as effective as in-clinic therapy for OCD, anxiety, and behavioral concerns, as well as many other concerns. Teletherapy offers me a unique opportunity to assist your child in practicing skills in their home and nearby community. This means that your child will be able to transfer the skills they learned in therapy to real life much more smoothly; applying skills from therapy to real-life situations is the entire purpose of therapy. Without teletherapy, I would not have access to different things at your home, in the community, or in your child’s social life that may be causing them anxiety; teletherapy allows me the ability to assist your child with actively doing skill practice rather than just talk about skill practice in an office.

My child’s attention span isn’t the best. Can they sit through a teletherapy session?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an active treatment, not “talk” therapy, so your child will be engaging in activities during the sessions.

Will teletherapy work for my child? Are they too young?

Parents of young children often voice concern about their child’s ability to sit in front of a screen for an extended time to participate in teletherapy. This is not what teletherapy looks like for young children. Therapy for young kids typically includes a parent coaching model, whether the therapy happens in clinic or through teletherapy. Parents practice skills with their child in their own home as their therapist coaches them on how to use specialized techniques. Research has shown that the parent coaching approach is effective for anxiety, OCD, and behavioral concerns.

What are situations when teletherapy should not be used?

Online therapy may not be suitable for all conditions. Examples of such conditions would be active suicidal behaviors or psychotic episodes.