Teletherapy
Why Choose Online Therapy?
Online therapy is private, convenient, affordable, and portable! I honestly believe it is the best of both worlds; you can get great care AND keep your privacy. You can schedule online and ‘meet’ with me in the comfort of your home or a private area with internet access anywhere in Texas. Whether you call it online therapy, internet therapy, telemental health, or counseling it’s really easy to get started.
Going out of town last minute? No worries… you won’t have to reschedule or miss your appointment. Not able to drive, but have a session scheduled? No problem! Online therapy makes worrying about traffic, weather or missing appointments due to sickness or emergency a thing of the past.
This format is especially nice for clients with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, or concerns about privacy. My separate online therapy site (Simple Practice) is HIPAA compliant, which means your privacy is 100% guaranteed. We can talk more about the convenience of teletherapy in detail in our first session. I want to make sure you understand and are comfortable with the online therapy format.
Advantages of Online Therapy
1. Texas is HUGE and it can be hard to find the right therapist in your area. Online therapy brings the therapist to you.
2. Physical limitations can make getting to or keeping appointments difficult. Sometimes surgery, recovery, or other physical situations can get in the way of keeping a session. Online therapy can bridge that gap.
3. Online therapy is convenient! Getting health care taken care of with all of the traffic and the distance involved in getting around the area can be challenging. No more panic attacks or anxiety about not getting to the office in time.
Disadvantages of Online Therapy
1. Online therapists have trouble responding immediately in a crisis situation. For instance, I will always make note of your location and a contact number before sessions because this mobile format means you can log-in to sessions anywhere in Texas. I need to be able to get emergency personnel to you if any kind of health event occurs (like an asthma attack).
2. Online therapy is not always recommended for serious psychiatric illnesses. There are instances where online therapy is not as hands-on as is beneficial and healing for clients. Some cases need coordinated care with a local provider.
3. Online therapy can sometimes miss important information. The missed information is primarily body movements that are important keys in the conversation that we have together. For instance, an uncomfortable topic might make you fidget or tense up. These are clues that I need to know so that we get the best conversational experience. We learn together to talk more about what is happening when we talk together (bodily sensations and movements.)
How Live Video Sessions Work
Video sessions take place through the client portal at Simple Practice. Upon registering on the client portal you will see your appointment time. To attend the appointment simply use a device with a camera, microphone, speakers, and screen. If using video conferencing on the client portal simply click on your appointment and then click on “start session”.
How Live Phone Sessions Work
Phone sessions simply take place by you calling Dr. Ward at 682-232-4453 at your appointment time.
How Live Chat Sessions Work
Email sessions take place only through the client portal. Upon registering on the client portal, and speaking to Dr. Ward about your email sessions, you will be able to securely message “email” Dr. Ward. Dr. Ward will respond to your emails within 24 hours’ time, excluding weekends and holidays. Please do not use your usual email client to send confidential information to Dr. Ward… it is not a secure platform! People at Google, Yahoo, or wherever can have access to your email and texts,
How to Handle Technology Issues
Technology issues are not expected. However, if you do encounter technology issues when trying to attend your session you can call Dr. Ward at 682-232-4453 to work through the issue.
Video Therapy Locations
State: Texas residents only
Privacy
All communication between you and Dr. Ward is designed to either take place via a phone call or by using strong encryption. All records are also kept using strong encryption and security procedures. Please do not text Dr. Ward using standard SMS texting since it is not secure.
Online therapy is private, convenient, affordable, and portable! I honestly believe it is the best of both worlds; you can get great care AND keep your privacy. You can schedule online and ‘meet’ with me in the comfort of your home or a private area with internet access anywhere in Texas. Whether you call it online therapy, internet therapy, telemental health, or counseling it’s really easy to get started.
Going out of town last minute? No worries… you won’t have to reschedule or miss your appointment. Not able to drive, but have a session scheduled? No problem! Online therapy makes worrying about traffic, weather or missing appointments due to sickness or emergency a thing of the past.
This format is especially nice for clients with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, or concerns about privacy. My separate online therapy site (Simple Practice) is HIPAA compliant, which means your privacy is 100% guaranteed. We can talk more about the convenience of teletherapy in detail in our first session. I want to make sure you understand and are comfortable with the online therapy format.
Advantages of Online Therapy
1. Texas is HUGE and it can be hard to find the right therapist in your area. Online therapy brings the therapist to you.
2. Physical limitations can make getting to or keeping appointments difficult. Sometimes surgery, recovery, or other physical situations can get in the way of keeping a session. Online therapy can bridge that gap.
3. Online therapy is convenient! Getting health care taken care of with all of the traffic and the distance involved in getting around the area can be challenging. No more panic attacks or anxiety about not getting to the office in time.
Disadvantages of Online Therapy
1. Online therapists have trouble responding immediately in a crisis situation. For instance, I will always make note of your location and a contact number before sessions because this mobile format means you can log-in to sessions anywhere in Texas. I need to be able to get emergency personnel to you if any kind of health event occurs (like an asthma attack).
2. Online therapy is not always recommended for serious psychiatric illnesses. There are instances where online therapy is not as hands-on as is beneficial and healing for clients. Some cases need coordinated care with a local provider.
3. Online therapy can sometimes miss important information. The missed information is primarily body movements that are important keys in the conversation that we have together. For instance, an uncomfortable topic might make you fidget or tense up. These are clues that I need to know so that we get the best conversational experience. We learn together to talk more about what is happening when we talk together (bodily sensations and movements.)
How Live Video Sessions Work
Video sessions take place through the client portal at Simple Practice. Upon registering on the client portal you will see your appointment time. To attend the appointment simply use a device with a camera, microphone, speakers, and screen. If using video conferencing on the client portal simply click on your appointment and then click on “start session”.
How Live Phone Sessions Work
Phone sessions simply take place by you calling Dr. Ward at 682-232-4453 at your appointment time.
How Live Chat Sessions Work
Email sessions take place only through the client portal. Upon registering on the client portal, and speaking to Dr. Ward about your email sessions, you will be able to securely message “email” Dr. Ward. Dr. Ward will respond to your emails within 24 hours’ time, excluding weekends and holidays. Please do not use your usual email client to send confidential information to Dr. Ward… it is not a secure platform! People at Google, Yahoo, or wherever can have access to your email and texts,
How to Handle Technology Issues
Technology issues are not expected. However, if you do encounter technology issues when trying to attend your session you can call Dr. Ward at 682-232-4453 to work through the issue.
Video Therapy Locations
State: Texas residents only
Privacy
All communication between you and Dr. Ward is designed to either take place via a phone call or by using strong encryption. All records are also kept using strong encryption and security procedures. Please do not text Dr. Ward using standard SMS texting since it is not secure.