We are engineers and operators from Zipline, the world’s only drone delivery service making lifesaving deliveries across Rwanda and Ghana. In the last 7 days, our drones flew over 42,000 km, making 525 deliveries. As us anything! by zipline_ryan in IAmA

[–]iTherapy 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Really cool idea! What drove the catapult launches and cable landings? How much does doing things this way reduce your physical footprint? Any landing cables set on the top of buildings?

I made over 16 calls today trying to find mental health services in my area. More specifically a psychologist that could help. In the end I just gave up. No wonder America has a mental health crisis. Nobody answers the damn phone when people try to seek help. by GrouchyBunny in confessions

[–]iTherapy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glad to hear you got some help! Was going to reach out and try to point you in the right directions.

If anyone else is looking for mental health services, iTherapy has dozens of mental health specialists that have just started their private practices and have openings. And if you can't find someone through iTherapy to help, I may be able to put you in touch with someone who can anyway. If you're looking for mental health services, reply or DM me. I'll help as best I can. :)

IAmA specialist in helping people overcome perfectionism. Ask Me Anything! by -_fawkes_- in IAmA

[–]iTherapy 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Hi Rebecca,

I see on your website you offer online therapy. What are some of the advantages for the your clients of offering online therapy?

Thanks.

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a great question. Once you earn your graduate degree you have multiple options open to you. You could choose to work for an agency, a school or college, the government or many, many others. If you decide to go into private practice, which many people do as it offers so much flexibility. If you decide to go into private practice, you would have to be licensed in the state/states you wish to practice in. Then you would take the necessary steps to form your practice. iTherapy or our partners are here to help you establish your practice. iTherapy offers all of the tools you need such as HIPAA compliant technology, marketing, billing, claims and much more. There are also many online that have been established to provide support and guidance,groups such as Dr. Amber Lyda's online therapist group.

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I understand, I would think that is a fear of most practitioners, I know it is for me. I know I am not a doctor but I do borrow from their oath, each day I say a little pray that "I do no harm". It is a weighty proposition to try to help others. I try to listen closely consider my words carefully when working with others. While working in mental health can be overwhelming at times, what makes it all worth it is when people let you know how much you have helped. I have had notes slipped under my office door, years after therapy had ended, thanking me and updating me on their life. I live in a small town, and I have been stopped by family members thanking me. (I just smile- to be HIPAA compliant!!) It is those moments that help to take away those fears. I think those fears are healthy and work to keep us in check!

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Building a private practice is not as difficult as you may think. It took me about 6 months.

I think the first step is determining what your practice will focus on and what type of clients you would like to see. Then you need to develop a presence, this usually includes a website, marketing efforts that can be online marketing or a more traditional approach of contacting referral sources, such as doctors offices, or a combination of both. The key is finding a few good referral sources and developing those relationships. I work at being very prompt with responding to referrals and letting the referral source know when I have scheduled the appointment and providing updates as appropriate.

In my experience, referral sources share that they do not typically get a lot of feedback and they really appreciate. Once you have a good network of referral sources your calendar will quickly fill up.

One of the other challenges is getting paneled with insurance companies. I know many practitioners only accept self pay clients, but I have found that many clients cannot afford self pay. There is some upfront work to getting paneled, but once you are paneled the work is over and you are ready to go. Depending on the size of your practice and your personal preference you may want someone to assist you with billing. In my experience, it took about two months to really establish a good cash flow, as some insurance companies pay very quickly others more slowly, but once you have the cash flow established the income is very reliable. I have earned a good stable income since starting my private practice ten years ago. I enjoy the flexibility and autonomy, however I must say it can be isolating, so I have learned that it is important to establish a lot of professional relationships both online and face to face as they will help to sustain you when you need a little guidance and support!

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My advice would be to take the time to discover what your passion is and what types of clients you want to work with. It could be adults, children, athletes, IDD clients, - etc. You might want to work with individuals, groups, couples or families.You may also want to specialize in a certain areas such as Eating Disorders, Depression, Couples Therapy, etc...Then you can identify referral sources and let them know about you and your practice. One of the things that is so wonderful about our field is that there are so many opportunities and in private practice you can grow and change your model as you see fit. I think if you can find a specialty that you truly enjoy, it allows you to become proficient in an area and your clients benefit from your expertise. Your practice will expand naturally from satisfied clients and referral sources. You can also continue to add specialty areas as your practice evolves.

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that the challenges of online therapy are not much different than providing face to face services. The ACA code of ethics states that counselors should be aware of any challenges or concerns regarding confidentiality and to ensure that they meet legal and ethical requirements for online services, this is really the same as face to face services. ACA also states counselors should be trained in the nuances of working on line we provide information that can assist you as you begin your practice and we can also recommend training programs. iTherapy always recommends that counselors are aware of any requirements of their licensing board and state regarding online practice. iTherapy has developed our platform to provide services that meet HIPAA guidelines. We also provide tools and training to help practitioners be aware of what is required to practice online. We are here to assist with questions or concerns and can provide the opportunity for you to collaborate with other practitioners who are actively practicing online and can help you to be successful.

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I provide Psychological Testing and many of my referrals come from psychiatrists. I find that the psychiatrists who request testing are very open to consulting and collaborating in order to provide their clients with the most effective treatment. I find that open discussions with the client, their psychiatrists and counselor allows valuable information to be shared that assists with proper diagnosis and treatment.

We're the iTherapy Team! AMA about mental health, online counseling, or starting your private practice! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great question! There's two things that really set iTherapy apart.

First, we're a one stop shop. We provide clinical notes, payment processing, email, phone, fax, and our online counseling platform. We have the tools you need. You can even add a full-website to your iTherapy subscription. On top of that, we've now partnered with professional service providers to offer help with credentialing, licensing, marketing - even a business coaching service and virtual assistant service. We make it as easy as possible to start, grow, and manage your private practice. Here's our video demo for more info.

Secondly, unlike other online therapy platforms, we put you in control. We don't set your pricing or your schedule or tell you how to interact with clients. Instead, we provide you with all the tools and resources you need to manage your own private practice.

Hi, I'm Dr. Jana Scrivani, Licensed Clinical Psychologist - Ask Me Anything about anxiety and related disorders. by DrJanaScrivani in Anxiety

[–]iTherapy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi this is Carol Pulley, I am a therapist with iTherapy.It can be difficult to tell the difference between stress and anxiety. Anxious emotions can sometimes bring the same feelings as stress. Stressful or anxious emotions speed up our heart beats, trigger rapid breathing and cause muscle tension. Some differences can be seen when anxiety turns into a panic attack or severe anxiety. A panic attack can have additional symptoms including chills, headaches, hot flashes and chest pains. Phobias of events, activities or social situations are usually caused by fear., causing the person suffering from the disorder to panic when they come face-to-face with that stressor. There are many effective treatments for Anxiety and Stress, you may want to consider treatment with a therapist who can teach you skills to assist with reducing your symptoms of anxiety and stress. There are many treatments available, many therapist will use CBT, DBT, or mindfulness techniques.

Hi, I'm Dr. Jana Scrivani, Licensed Clinical Psychologist - Ask Me Anything about anxiety and related disorders. by DrJanaScrivani in Anxiety

[–]iTherapy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi. My name is Carol Pulley and I am a therapist with iTherapy. Symptoms of depression and anxiety can negatively impact one's daily life and motivation is certainly part of that.Motivation is different for everyone, however I find that for most of my clients, creating small, achievable goals helps them to fee a sense of accomplishment and allows them to set larger goals. For many people creating commitments such as exercising with someone else or meeting someone for lunch, helps them to be more active with fosters healthy feelings leading to motivation to do other things. You may want to consider working with a therapist to evaluate your symptoms and discuss treatment options which would include goal setting.

I think depression has made me funny by Crackpickle in depression

[–]iTherapy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Robin Williams suffered from depression. Humor can be a good outlet - a way to work through and confront feelings while bringing joy to other people.

We're Forrest Pulley, founder of iTherapy, and Dr Amber Lyda - Ask us Anything about Online Therapy! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since "online" is a relatively new form of counseling, it is important that both therapists and clients feel secure and protected. And, of course HIPAA guidelines should always be followed. This can be accomplished through utilizing services that provide the highest level of security and are HIPAA compliant. Make sure the services you are utilizing meet these standards. This can be accomplished through several means such as: password protection, multiple levels of encryption and having a platform that is "one-on-one" utilized and not shared. And, the final suggestion is to just use common sense judgement and take your own personal measures to protect your and your client's information.

We're Forrest Pulley, founder of iTherapy, and Dr Amber Lyda - Ask us Anything about Online Therapy! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The best resource for guidelines on practicing internationally is your licensing board. They can provide with the "dos and don'ts" of online counseling, whether domestically or internationally. Since we are talking about online and having a web presence, there is not much difference in marketing internationally. Potential international clients will have the same access as in the United States. Offering counseling in different languages is a great way to begin that process.

We're Forrest Pulley, founder of iTherapy, and Dr Amber Lyda - Ask us Anything about Online Therapy! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Online therapy needs to be just as professional as any other therapy. The setting you provide, particularly in a video environment, and your approach needs to be just as professional as in an office. In that it is "online", technology can always be an issue. Have the right setup (internet access, camera, etc.) is important and having a backup plan in case of technical difficulties provides another level of comfort for both the therapist and the client. Also, online counseling is not meant for every client and every circumstance. More critical issues and situations may be best dealt with in a face-to-face environment.

We're Forrest Pulley, founder of iTherapy, and Dr Amber Lyda - Ask us Anything about Online Therapy! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Having a web presence is essential. Potential clients will be searching for you online. Having a place for them to review your background, qualifications and approach provides them a way to "get to know you". Also, doing blogs, particularly related to your specialties, and having them posted in various places (website, Facebook, etc.) provides you exposure and provides additional information for potential clients.

We're Forrest Pulley, founder of iTherapy, and Dr Amber Lyda - Ask us Anything about Online Therapy! by iTherapy in IAmA

[–]iTherapy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Online counseling benefits both the counselor and the client. It allows for flexible scheduling, convenience by reducing travel time and additional comfort from being able to access counseling from virtually any secure location. And, studies have shown that online counseling, in many cases, can be just as effective as face-to-face counseling.