Technology Self-Assessment Screening

Screening for fit: Is teletherapy right for you?

Since my service is 100% online, it is important for you to know if teletherapy will work for you. I provide this screening to help you decide if teletherapy is the right fit for you, or if you would be better served by in-person therapy.  The focus of this screening for fit is on the technology aspect of therapy, not on the therapeutic approach or me as a counselor. For information about my focus and approach, select the about tab at the top of the page and read about my methods.

The information and questions in this overview will guide you in reaching an informed decision about starting therapy online. At the end of this overview, I’ll ask you a bunch of questions to explore your comfort level with the technology I use in my practice - call it a check for fit. But don't skip ahead to the end! (I am so the kind of person who does that, too.) Before you check for fit, read about the programs I use and how these choices protect you. The screening is a self-assessment. Your answers are not scored or submitted anywhere.

In my Florida-based teletherapy practice, I use several HIPAA-secure telecommunications applications for video conferencing, phone calls, text messaging, and secure websites where I house interactive online content to support you in your therapy. If you want to know more about HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), my HIPAA notice of privacy policies explains it in depth.

 Did you know that calls placed between personal phone numbers are neither private nor secure? Unfortunately, this lack of security also applies to calls placed from HIPAA-secure business accounts to your personal phone. Calls to your personal number are vulnerable to data collection and hacking.

The same goes for text-messaging. In some cases, the apps on your phone require permission to view your text messages so they can collect information about you. SMS text messages are stored and read by your phone carrier's employees. This helps your service provider improve functionality, but it also subjects you to data mining for marketing purposes. 

Bottom line: Without a HIPAA-secure app, calls and texts are not private. 

To protect your privacy, I use an app called iPlum for HIPAA-secure phone calls, secure text messaging, and secure faxing. There is no cost to you to install the iPlum app. It's included with all my services. Your contact information is stored in the app - not on my phone, which keeps your personal health information away from third party apps and services. Our conversations and texts are encrypted in transit, and calls are securely routed through voice network or internet data - whichever has the clearer connection.  

You can read about iPlum on my tech trainings page if you'd like more information.

The ProtonMail service gives me the option to send an encrypted link in the body of the email so no one can see the message but you. All anyone can see in the email is that link. The message can only be read when you click on the link and enter a passcode. The message opens in a secure, encrypted web page. When you reply from that encrypted web page, your responses are also secure. You will set up your passcode during your intake process on your initial contact form. This method prevents anyone else from reading emails sent between us. I've got some tips for you on how to set up a secure passcode in my technology and security policies and procedures. You do not need to install an app to receive emails this way, although you can if you find that easier.

Please be advised that my regular business email is not secure. For this reason, and in keeping with the Florida law prohibiting telehealth by email, I will redirect all therapy-related emails to a HIPAA-secure text-messaging app.

The Workspace suite of business applications offers these HIPAA-compliant features:

• Secure Google Drive storage folders and files to protect your privacy.

• Secure Google Forms for your assessments and evaluations and for secure communications.

• Secure and reliable video conferencing.

• The ability to limit website permissions to a single client so you get your own secure, private e-library. That's where you’ll find reading material, worksheets, videos, and interactive learning content designed and curated specifically for you.  

My practice is 100% online. To receive telemental health therapy, you will need to complete several activities online.  

When you become my client, I create an individualized, private therapy and training website that only you can access. For this, you will need a Gmail login, because it’s built in the Google Workspace environment to keep it secure. You will also need a Gmail login to access the Google Drive folder where your documents will be stored - things like your treatment plan, informed consent agreement, reading materials, worksheets, etc.

Check out this video for tips on keeping your Gmail account secure. I strongly suggest you set up two-factor verification, also known as two-factor authentication (2FA). This article on two-factor verification (2FA) walks you through how to set up 2FA for your Google account and a variety of other platforms. Even if you already have a Gmail account, I strongly encourage you to set up a Gmail account specifically for this purpose. Keeping a separate Gmail account that you use only for therapy reduces the risk of a security breach.

I use Google Forms, Jotform, and PsychSurveys for assessments, evaluations, authorizations, and questions. When you fill out those forms, you will identify yourself with login credentials that may include your name, a passcode, and your electronic signature. Electronic signatures are legally binding, whether they are typed or drawn with a mouse/stylus/finger. For the purpose of teletherapy, a valid electronic signature is required by law. Your signature on each form applies only to that form unless otherwise clearly stated. Some of these forms will automatically collect your IP address and email address.

Once you sign and submit a form, the information you entered is stored in a HIPAA-secure Google Drive folder. I have access to that folder, and when it is appropriate to share a document with you, I may give you access to that document. There are no employees, staff, or other contractors who have access.

For an explanation of who can access your protected health information, when, how, and under what conditions, please read my HIPAA notice of privacy practices and my confidentiality policy. Those conditions are strictly observed. In almost all situations, your records will not be shared or accessed without your signed authorization for a release of information.

If you have a disability that makes it difficult or impossible for you to fill out online forms, teletherapy may be challenging and stressful for you. However, we may be able to accommodate your disability by arranging for your representative to assist you during the intake process. Additionally, I can assist you with forms during your sessions if your disability prevents you from completing them yourself. Examples of disabilities that might hinder your ability to fill out online forms include impairment of manual dexterity, visual impairment, and reading comprehension impairment.

You will need to install the following apps to use your mobile device for teletherapy services: Zoom, Google Meet, and iPlum. There is no cost for you to install and use these apps through my services. You will need to install the Zoom app on a laptop or desktop computer, but Google Meet can be accessed from a browser.

When you first click on a Zoom meeting link, you will be prompted to install the Zoom app. To install it in advance, download Zoom to your computer, install the Zoom app on your Android mobile device, or install Zoom on your iOS mobile device. Zoom gets glitchy if it’s not updated regularly, so check it once a week to make sure you have the current version. Read my technology and security policies and procedures and tech trainings for how to update Zoom.

You will not need to install Google Meet on a computer; the application will open in a web page. You will need to install the Meet app to access a Google Meet video conference from a mobile device. You will be prompted to install it when you click on a Meet link. Install the Meet app in advance on your Android devices or Apple devices. 

Do not install the iPlum app until you receive an invitation from me. This will ensure that you are accessing the secure connection that is hosted by my HIPAA-compliant account. I pay for the app; you do not. If you install it before receiving the invitation, you might inadvertently access the unsecured version. Once you receive the invitation by text, you will click on the link and it will prompt you to install the app. You will create a password to sign in. For added security, I suggest you enable two-factor authentication as well. Texts will come to you within the app. Calls will come to your regular phone number but will be secure because they transmit through my HIPAA-secure iPlum account.

You will not need to install applications to access Google Forms or Google Sites, but you will need a Gmail account to access your private therapy and training site. You can access Gmail from a computer or a mobile device. Set up Gmail on your Android device or your iPhone. You will not need an app to access ProtonMail. Encrypted emails will arrive in your regular email inbox and you will click on a link to open the messages on a secure web page.

You will need to either remember these login credentials, or store them somewhere no one else can find them and be able to retrieve them when needed. A password is a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, generally 6-20 characters. The more characters and the more variety, the safer the password. A passphrase is typically a short sentence, such as “I like blue bikes”. A passcode can be either a password or a passphrase. Passwords, passphrases, and passcodes are case sensitive. For helpful tips on how to create safe passwords, passcodes, and passphrases, read my HIPAA notice of privacy practices. 

For my teletherapy practice, you will need three sign-in credentials: 

1. A password for your Gmail account (the Gmail address is your user name). This gives you access to your therapy documents, private therapy and training materials, and the HIPAA-secure Google Chat app. You will not share this password with me and should not share it with anyone else.

2. An identity verification passcode (IVP) that you will set up during the intake process and provide to me at every session so I can confirm you are you. The IVP can be one word, a combination of words, or a short phrase. It should be easy for you to remember but not easy for someone who knows you to guess. You will also use this IVP to view encrypted emails. For details on how this works, see my technology and security policies and procedures.

3. A password for signing into the iPlum app which we will use for secure texts, phone calls, and faxes. I have provided additional information to help you get acclimated to the iPlum app on my tech trainings page. You will not share this password with me and should not share it with anyone else.

Your private, personalized e-library is designed to be a smart learning space. This means: 

• Fresh, provocative content and inquiry-based exercises will make you smarter by increasing your knowledge, improving your skills, and helping you develop your ability to make healthy decisions for yourself.

• I design the lessons using evidenced-based practices that help you learn better and retain what you learn. The worksheets will help you ask pointed questions that target the issues you tell me you want to work on.

• I pull content from sources all over the digital world, so we can build your skills at navigating the internet for information. Learning the art of finding useful, credible information will increase your confidence, your self-efficacy, and your sense of self-worth. 

• Best of all, I am available to support your therapeutic learning experience with feedback seven days a week if you reach out.

The law requires me to confirm your identity in order to provide teletherapy. I will ask you to verify your identity on forms and in sessions to prevent any third parties from pretending to be you. This will require photo identification and an identity verification passcode. You will create your identity verification passcode on your initial contact form, and you will provide it every time we make contact after that - on forms, in video sessions, and on the phone. Please see my identity verification policies and procedures for more details.

During the intake process, I will send you a HIPAA-secure online form where you can upload your driver's license or government-issued photo identification. This is the same process as when you meet with an in-person counselor or treatment facility and they take your picture or photocopy your ID. The only difference is that instead of someone else uploading it to your electronic chart, you are the person uploading it. Your ID is part of your protected health information and will be treated with the same security precautions as a medical record.

Some clients have asked if they can just show their ID during the first session. This will not suffice. I must have your confirmed ID on record in order to treat you so I can compare it to the person I am seeing on the screen.

I will ask you to show your government-issued photo identification at the start of your first video session so I can confirm your identity and match you to the ID on file. I must confirm your identity so none of your personal information is shared with someone impersonating you.

If your appearance has changed significantly since you last obtained a photo ID, or if you do not have a photo ID, please use my HIPAA-secure questions about counseling services form to reach out and we can talk about other ways to confirm your identity.

If you are a person with disabilities, please contact me and we will discuss ways to accommodate you.

Online Therapy in Florida

If you are a potential client located in another state and would like me to consider licensure in your state, please let me know by completing this form to request therapy in another state.

This is a private pay practice, also known as direct pay or self pay. Because this is a teletherapy practice, payment must be submitted online through the Square payment portal. Square accepts many forms of payment. It’s super easy to use on any device, and I will send you a payment link every time you schedule your appointments.