Imagine this…
You and your child sit down, open up the laptop and within minutes are connected with your therapist and beginning to work on the issues that brought your child to therapy. All in the comfort of your own home - skip the hassle of rushing to get out the door, the parking, and the long commute.
This becomes possible with online counseling and virtual therapy.
Whether you are receiving virtual therapy, exclusively or an adjunct to office visits, it is an easy way to get the support your child needs. Instead of needing to skip a therapy appointment if you are running late, just getting home from practice, snowstorms, or anything else life throws in your way, you can keep your child's counseling consistent with online therapy. Virtual Counseling is similar to Skye or FaceTime, and allows you to have access to your therapist from the comfort of your own home.
I first began offering virtual therapy as an option for clients before the pandemic when I was transitioning from the Twin Cities to the Duluth and Cloquet Minnesota area. I did all my research about the effectiveness of online therapy and how to best setup virtual therapy sessions for clients, but honestly I was still worried that kids and teens wouldn't be able to connect with me virtually in the same way as in the office. I was also worried that they would not be able to make the same progress we were making in person.
After over multiple years of providing online therapy I can confidently say I was totally wrong!
Does online counseling even work?
Research shows that virtual therapy works just as well, if not better, than traditional office visits. Most kids and teens say when they are in the comfort of their own home they feel more relaxed, regulated, and able to do their therapeutic work. Some clients actually say the connection can be better than in office and have chosen to continue online even after therapy offices opened back up during the pandemic!
Virtual sessions are very similar to the therapy services you receive in the office. The good news is there is no confusing software to download and all you need is an internet connection and a device with a web camera!
Who is virtual counseling a good fit for?
Virtual therapy is not a good fit for every child and family. Upon intake and assessment your therapist can identify if your child is a good fit to receive therapy in this way.
I have a younger child. Will online therapy work for them?
Some parents worry that Play Therapy or therapy for younger children can’t be effective online. And for some children it is true that they engage better in the therapy office and Playroom. However there is a lot of information available to support virtual therapy as effective for children!
For younger children there is definitely more preparation work to create an effective online therapy environment as well as some extra materials. For the children I work with that are very young I provide a play therapy kit for you to keep in your home during our therapeutic work to use during the therapy sessions with the same materials I have in my Playroom! Other times it may mean that parents and children engage more closely in our therapeutic work together.
During the first sessions and during the assessment process we will always evaluate if virtual therapy is right for your child!
How exactly does virtual therapy work?
Virtual therapy is nearly identical to therapy in the office except instead of being face to face we are doing the therapy over a computer. All Virtual counseling sessions will be held on Doxy.Me or GoToMeeting, both which are similar to Skype or FaceTime but are secure HIPAA Compliant programs.
That’s it! After that it is exactly the same as if we were in the office - all the therapy content and modalities is the same!
Want to know more about what it takes to set up virtual sessions? Check out the information below!
The gear:
All you need to do to get setup for online therapy is an electronic device like a laptop, iPad, or phone and an internet connection!
To prepare for your child’s online therapy appointment take the following steps:
When the session begins:
Safety Planning:
Does my child have to be at home for virtual therapy?
One of the wonderful things about virtual therapy is how flexible it is! The two main things that we need to consider are that your child needs to be in a safe and confidential space somewhere in Minnesota. I have some sessions with kids and teens at home, some meet with me during their school day at school (with permission and consent from their school), and others meet with me in other locations that work for them!
What if my child isn’t from the Duluth or Cloquet area?
Virtual and online counseling can be done with anyone across the state of Minnesota! I actually started my online therapy practice prior to the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to continue to provide therapeutic support to clients from my practice in the Twin Cities area who weren’t ready to end the therapy process and didn’t want to transition to another therapist!
Online therapy is also a great way to have better access to therapists that may have a specific skill set that isn’t offered in your immediate area like Play Therapy or EMDR!
What are some tips you have to make my child’s virtual therapy session go as smoothly as possible?
I’m ready! How do I get started with online counseling for my child?
Click the link below to schedule online counseling for your child. Learn more about Ann HERE!
Mental Health Services at Create Wellness Center for Child and Adolescent Therapy
Our Cloquet, Minnesota practice offers therapy services exclusively for children and teens who are struggling with big emotions and difficult life events. Create Wellness offers mental health counseling for children and teens with anxiety, difficulties with anger, depression, and trauma.
We offer other specific types of specialty therapy including Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
You and your child sit down, open up the laptop and within minutes are connected with your therapist and beginning to work on the issues that brought your child to therapy. All in the comfort of your own home - skip the hassle of rushing to get out the door, the parking, and the long commute.
This becomes possible with online counseling and virtual therapy.
Whether you are receiving virtual therapy, exclusively or an adjunct to office visits, it is an easy way to get the support your child needs. Instead of needing to skip a therapy appointment if you are running late, just getting home from practice, snowstorms, or anything else life throws in your way, you can keep your child's counseling consistent with online therapy. Virtual Counseling is similar to Skye or FaceTime, and allows you to have access to your therapist from the comfort of your own home.
I first began offering virtual therapy as an option for clients before the pandemic when I was transitioning from the Twin Cities to the Duluth and Cloquet Minnesota area. I did all my research about the effectiveness of online therapy and how to best setup virtual therapy sessions for clients, but honestly I was still worried that kids and teens wouldn't be able to connect with me virtually in the same way as in the office. I was also worried that they would not be able to make the same progress we were making in person.
After over multiple years of providing online therapy I can confidently say I was totally wrong!
Does online counseling even work?
Research shows that virtual therapy works just as well, if not better, than traditional office visits. Most kids and teens say when they are in the comfort of their own home they feel more relaxed, regulated, and able to do their therapeutic work. Some clients actually say the connection can be better than in office and have chosen to continue online even after therapy offices opened back up during the pandemic!
Virtual sessions are very similar to the therapy services you receive in the office. The good news is there is no confusing software to download and all you need is an internet connection and a device with a web camera!
Who is virtual counseling a good fit for?
- Children and families from rural Minnesota areas who may have long commutes to a qualified therapist
- Kids and teens where it makes more sense to receive therapy at school during their school day
- Children and teens who may feel more comfortable opening up in the safety of their own rooms
- Families that have busy schedules and want to save the time of coming into the office
- Families who have difficulty with transportation to sessions
Virtual therapy is not a good fit for every child and family. Upon intake and assessment your therapist can identify if your child is a good fit to receive therapy in this way.
I have a younger child. Will online therapy work for them?
Some parents worry that Play Therapy or therapy for younger children can’t be effective online. And for some children it is true that they engage better in the therapy office and Playroom. However there is a lot of information available to support virtual therapy as effective for children!
For younger children there is definitely more preparation work to create an effective online therapy environment as well as some extra materials. For the children I work with that are very young I provide a play therapy kit for you to keep in your home during our therapeutic work to use during the therapy sessions with the same materials I have in my Playroom! Other times it may mean that parents and children engage more closely in our therapeutic work together.
During the first sessions and during the assessment process we will always evaluate if virtual therapy is right for your child!
How exactly does virtual therapy work?
Virtual therapy is nearly identical to therapy in the office except instead of being face to face we are doing the therapy over a computer. All Virtual counseling sessions will be held on Doxy.Me or GoToMeeting, both which are similar to Skype or FaceTime but are secure HIPAA Compliant programs.
That’s it! After that it is exactly the same as if we were in the office - all the therapy content and modalities is the same!
Want to know more about what it takes to set up virtual sessions? Check out the information below!
The gear:
All you need to do to get setup for online therapy is an electronic device like a laptop, iPad, or phone and an internet connection!
To prepare for your child’s online therapy appointment take the following steps:
- Find a suitable location with a room that is:
- Preferably on a different floor than the rest of the family
- Free from overstimulation or distraction
- Consider privacy needs
- Parents will ensure that siblings or other family members do not enter or disrupt the therapy session
- Join the session several minutes before your appointment is set to start (you will get instructions for how to access the online HIPAA compliant platform from your therapist)
- Your therapist will email you a list of supplies prior to the session to have on hand before the session begins
When the session begins:
- Parents agree to be available in person at the meeting location for the duration of the session and are able to join the session at any time
- For younger children
- Parents and children will join the session together and end the session together
- Sessions will begin with a parent check in and then transition into the child’s time
- For teens
- Parent involvement in the therapy process will discussed at the first appointment
- If a session is disconnected every attempt will be made to refresh and reconnect and if the ability to reconnect is not possible within 2 minutes your therapist will call the parent for assistance
Safety Planning:
- Parents agree to have their designated phone on hand during the appointment and have the ability to answer any calls
- An address of the meeting location will be given at the start of each session
- In an unlikely event of an emergency situation your therapist will use the given address to contact 911
Does my child have to be at home for virtual therapy?
One of the wonderful things about virtual therapy is how flexible it is! The two main things that we need to consider are that your child needs to be in a safe and confidential space somewhere in Minnesota. I have some sessions with kids and teens at home, some meet with me during their school day at school (with permission and consent from their school), and others meet with me in other locations that work for them!
What if my child isn’t from the Duluth or Cloquet area?
Virtual and online counseling can be done with anyone across the state of Minnesota! I actually started my online therapy practice prior to the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to continue to provide therapeutic support to clients from my practice in the Twin Cities area who weren’t ready to end the therapy process and didn’t want to transition to another therapist!
Online therapy is also a great way to have better access to therapists that may have a specific skill set that isn’t offered in your immediate area like Play Therapy or EMDR!
What are some tips you have to make my child’s virtual therapy session go as smoothly as possible?
- Make sure you are in a quiet environment and free of distractions
- Download a white noise app and place it outside of the room for privacy and confidentiality
- Use headphones for better call audio
- Make sure you are using a fast internet speed or Ethernet cable
- Close out of unused programs
- Use the latest version of your web browser
- Adjust the lighting so you can be seen clearly
I’m ready! How do I get started with online counseling for my child?
Click the link below to schedule online counseling for your child. Learn more about Ann HERE!
Mental Health Services at Create Wellness Center for Child and Adolescent Therapy
Our Cloquet, Minnesota practice offers therapy services exclusively for children and teens who are struggling with big emotions and difficult life events. Create Wellness offers mental health counseling for children and teens with anxiety, difficulties with anger, depression, and trauma.
We offer other specific types of specialty therapy including Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
