TeleHealth

I now offer online counseling for adult residents of Texas who are unable to travel to my office in Mcallen!

I use a program very similar to Skype, called VSee. VSee has better privacy settings, which is important for a counseling setting. It functions just like the other programs. You open a free account on VSeeVSee, add me to your contact list, and with 1-click we can see each other and hear each other in real time. Sessions are still scheduled and last 50 minutes each, just like in person counseling.

Even though VSee is prefered, during this time, while we are dealing with the outbreak of COVID-19, I also support the following platform for remote counseling:

• Phone
• Text
• Video: FaceTime
• Video: Skype
• Video: Zoom

My clients tell me that they find online sessions very helpful, some even deny missing the in-office experience at all. There are occasional things that get missed when meeting online, for example, I will miss any body language that is outside of the camera’s frame. We compensate for this with increased communication to clarify what we are missing. Therapy conducted over the internet is fairly new in research terms, but so far studies show that it is quite comparable to in-person counseling success rates. This is great news for people who really want counseling but do not have local therapists experienced in their specific issues. Even for locals, sometimes the time spent in traffic is too much of a barrier to getting the help you need. It is also an option for clients who may be too anxious to leave their home or are unable to walk into my office.

You will need either a computer with a webcam and microphone, an iPad, an Android tablet, or a smartphone. You will also need an adequate internet connection for the device. If you are unsure if your equipment meets these requirements, you can always try it out before scheduling an appointment. Download the program from VSee.com or look for VSee in your app store.

I am licensed in the state of Texas, so I am only legally allowed to provide counseling services for clients who live in, or are currently in, Texas. So, unfortunately, I am not allowed to counsel American clients out of state. If you are international, feel free to contact me and I will find out what the rules are for your country.