Distance therapy—could it be for you?

While in-person therapy continues to be the gold standard for mental health treatment, it presents obstacles that prevent individuals and families from receiving counseling. Fear of being seen at a practitioner's office, lack of transportation, mobility issues, and time constraints are just some of the reasons why a person might avoid traditional in-person counseling. Many clients have managed to bypass these issues with distance therapy (also called "online therapy" or "telemental therapy"). This non-traditional approach to counseling allows providers to deliver mental health services via modern communication technology. With distance therapy, clients may communicate with their counselor via telephone, text message, email, or videoconferencing. Although distance therapy is a convenient alternative to traditional counseling, not all clients are eligible this service. 

Many clients take an interest in distance therapy because it provides a convenient alternative to traditional in-person visits. 

Clients can face a variety of issues when seeking adequate mental health care based on the traditional in-person modeling. 

Common barriers to traditional counseling include:

• Transportation or mobility issues
• Concerns about being seen at a mental health facility
• Clients are more comfortable and open while at home
• Cellphone is a dedicated phoneline, offering privacy & convenience
• Texts/messages allow clients more time to structure their thoughts

Distance therapy allows Dr. Ervin to deliver counseling through phone calls, exchanging messages, live chat, or video conference. If you are eligible for distance therapy, following your initial consultation, Dr. Ervin will work with you to develop your distance therapy treatment plan.

If you are interested in learning more about distance therapy with Dr. Ervin, don't hesitate to contact her.

Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for distance therapy. Dr. Ervin is unable to provide distance therapy to clients who are:

• suicidal
• homicidal
• have court-involvement
• currently involved in an abusive situation

If you are a prospective client struggling any of these issues and are not in the Seattle area, Dr. Ervin urges you to seek in-person treatment from a local licensed mental health professional or clinic. Visit Dr. Ervin's Resources page for more information.