COVID-19 and what it means for Telehealth

Over the past two weeks I've been talking to all my clients about what the potential response would be if the COVID-19 crisis worsened. At first I got some quizzical looks, and mostly was shrugged away when I brought up the potential for video therapy if a situation arose where it was deemed unwise to be out and about. It seemed unlikely and even unimaginable. 

Last week as I continued to trudge on with my speech about preparations the mood started to shift. On Monday people were more aware that some other companies were adapting, but it still seemed like a far off thing from Central NY. By the end of the week people were paying close attention to the plans I was talking about. 

As the news has intensified over the weekend and Onondaga County reported its first confirmed case yesterday, video sessions have become inevitable. I feel a huge sense of responsibility to each and every one of my clients. Leading up to this week I'd been diligent about disinfecting surfaces in the office, however the more I read and learn about the spread of this virus the more I feel a responsibility to help flatten the curve. While therapy is usually one on one- or just a Couple and myself in the room, it gives the illusion of safety and certainly fits within the CDC guidelines for social contact. But in actuality I myself am sitting in close proximity to dozens of people all week long, and my fear is that I unknowingly could be spreading this virus to my entire case load if I came into contact with it. 

The decision to move to solely telehealth during this global pandemic has not been easy. I feel split between being thankful I can still do sessions and provide support to my clients, and absolute dread that it will cause anxiety and discomfort for some of my clients. I urge you all to reach out and discuss your concerns with doing video sessions. All current clients with sessions booked in the coming weeks have received a detailed e-mail discussing the plan moving forward. My hope is with such extreme measures on all of our parts it means we can all get back to normal soon. ​