Elysium Consulting

DOES ONLINE THERAPY WORK AS WELL AS IN-PERSON THERAPY?
Online therapy works very well! It provides an opportunity for those seeking support to connect with a licensed mental health professional who may not otherwise do so because of access, availability, distance or comfort level. Several studies show there is little difference in outcomes in in-office versus online therapy for mental health conditions as depression and anxiety. See below for a list of articles that discuss the benefits of online therapy. However, it is not the best fit for all situations i.e. suicidal, homicidal, or severely depressed clients, clients in crisis (psychosis) and those wanting to explore severe trauma issues would not be suitable for online therapy. Before scheduling an online session, a brief screening will take place to ensure online therapy is appropriate in meeting your goals and needs.

WHO CAN SCHEDULE ONLINE SESSIONS?Currently I am licensed in Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Missouri and offer online individual counseling to residents in those states who are 18 years of age and older.

WILL MY ONLINE THERAPY SESSIONS BE PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL?
All sessions are private and confidential. You will also receive an Informed Consent and Notice of Privacy Practices that further explain HIPAA laws and practices to ensure confidentiality and outline limitations. In addition, I use a secure (HIPAA compliant) online video platform to conduct therapy sessions. Although I will always conduct sessions in a private setting to protect your confidentiality, I strongly encourage you to find a private space where you feel comfortable and no one can hear you.

ONLINE THERAPY DECORUM
Please remember that when you attend online therapy sessions, the same decorum is expected as if you were visiting my office in-person. Therefore, please dress comfortably but appropriately, silence your phones, and sit in area where you can talk privately. If you will be late to your session, please notify me via email, text or phone. Anticipate that I will try to connect with you at your scheduled session time. If I am running late due to a prior session, I will notify you. If you are not online at your scheduled time, please contact me when you are online. However if you are more than 10 minutes late without contacting me, you may be asked to reschedule (please see Financial Policy).

WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL I NEED TO DO ONLINE THERAPY?
You will need a high speed internet connection, computer (or smartphone), webcam(era) and microphone. Many computers and smartphones now have webcams and microphones built-in. You may also want to consider using earphones or earbuds but those are optional.

HOW DO I BEGIN?
Give our office a call at 678.960.9207 or email us at office@elysiumconsulting.org to schedule a consultation. If you will be using insurance, contact your insurance company to inquire if telemental health or online counseling services are covered under your plan. A credit card on file is required for online sessions.