Eliminating Boundaries to Counseling Services
For North Carolina Residents
Evolutions Wellness is now offering online therapy and counseling services (otherwise known as telehealth or teletherapy) to clients who reside in North Carolina! Using a secure, online platform, you can stay connected with your therapist using a HIPAA compliant app to video chat.
Like Face Time, Zoom, and other video chat software, you’ll just log in, call your therapist, and chat face to face as if you were in the office together.
Huge Impact On My Life
Kayla and the team are wonderful and have made such a huge impact on my life. I would send anyone to them and expect great things! Compassionate, caring, straightforward and awesome!
Carrie T. Read All Reviews
When is Online Counseling
the Right Option?
There are so many reasons why you might want to use online counseling options. Why do you choose to video chat with friends, family, or coworkers instead of meeting in the same location? So, all those things you just thought of are likely some of the same reasons you’ll have for choosing online counseling. Some common reasons our clients choose teletherapy include:
- Struggling to find a babysitter, so you can make your counseling sessions
- Needing to work and not being able to find a therapist available after 5 pm
- Traveling frequently
- Worrying about explanations for your boss, your loved ones, or your friends – Where do you disappear to every Tuesday?
- Struggling to find transportation or time in the day to travel to and from your therapist’s office
- Living in a small town (everyone knows everyone’s business in your immediate community – privacy regulations be damned)
- For other counselors who don’t want to cross a boundary with another professional counseling colleague in the area, you’ll have access to clinicians a little further away without dealing with a commute
Secure, Convenient, and Easy Online Counseling Sessions
Evolution Wellness utilizes Zoom to facilitate therapy sessions with our clients. This platform is 100 percent free for you, and it can be utilized on your smartphone with an app supported by iOS and Androids or online on any computer.
This software is HIPAA compliant, secure, and user friendly.
Online Counseling Frequently Asked Questions
For most of us, online therapy is still a relatively new idea (even though it’s been around for more than twenty years! Who knew?). We understand that you probably have some questions about the whole process. One of our team members would love to help you, so don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re also giving our answers to some of the questions we hear most often below.
Is Online Counseling Less Effective than Counseling in the Office?
You won’t get to smell the amazing essential oils that we have diffusing in the waiting room, but you’ll save travel time. Seriously though, we can get just as much accomplished in a video session as we can in the office. Our evidence-based modalities and caring therapists don’t get distorted over the internet *insert wink here*.
Do I Have to Be In North Carolina for Counseling Services?
No, but special approval must be received from the state’s licensing board before the first session. For this reason, sessions may be scheduled 2-3 weeks out to receive approval first.
Will Insurance Cover These Sessions?
Yes! In North Carolina most insurance companies have recognized Telehealth as a valid modality of psychotherapy for a while now. In light of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the recommendations for people to “quarantine in their homes” or “shelter in place,” insurance has further loosened their restrictions. This is a world crisis. Our economy is taking a huge hit, relationships are under a lot of pressure, we are isolated from our social network, and insurance knows that this is the BEST possible time for people to get mental health treatment from a licensed therapist.
Is Online Therapy Secure?
Privacy is one of the most important ingredients for a good counseling session. It takes a high degree of safety to feel like we can really open up about our vulnerabilities and hardships. Through the advancement of technology in the past several years, there are platforms, like the teletherapy service we offer through Doxy.Me, where your sessions are secure and guaranteed to be HIPAA compliant just like in person sessions.
What if I Don’t Have Adequate Privacy at Home?
It is pretty awkward talking about people when they are in the next room. For some, it can even be a safety issue to discuss things that may be overheard. Our counselors have brainstormed strategies to overcome this barrier, and we can help you. Some ideas we recommend include:
- Find areas in/around your home that are more private such as your backyard or a closet (no, we won’t judge you!).
- Switch to a telephone session and drive your car to the nearest public parking lot to chat.
- Some parking lots (such as McDonalds) may connect to Wi-Fi and therefore you could still do a video session via your phone – We don’t usually recommend using public Wi-Fi, but if this your best/only option, we’ll help you make it work safely.
I’m Not Great with Technology – Will I be Able to Figure it Out?
That is totally understandable! We live in a digital world, but many of us don’t have to use were raised in a time when technology wasn’t predominant or just don’t get it – there really is no such thing as a digital native. We can walk you through the process step by step. If you just don’t feel comfortable, we will work with you to find a better solution. If you would prefer to talk with your therapist on the phone, we are more than willing to do that with you! Most insurance companies are covering phone sessions for clients who are uncomfortable with video to ensure everyone has affordable access to mental health options.
Are Phone & Video Sessions Good Options During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The silver lining of the Coronavirus pandemic is that it is giving us all some down time to consider our future goals and how we can get there. Even if you are doing well, this down time can be a great opportunity to work with a licensed therapist to evaluate and address long established behavioral patterns or past traumas. If we assign “homework,” we can email clients their worksheets AND our therapists are armed with a ton of community resources that can help you through this time.
Begin Online Therapy in North Carolina
