As of March 16, 2020, I have been conducting my psychotherapy practice and mindfulness groups via telehealth, per federal, state, and county shelter-in-place guidelines.
Telehealth usually refers to video, and in order to be HIPAA-compliant, requires a level of data encryption and security beyond what is available via FaceTime and Skype. My video set-up is HIPAA-compliant. As of March 31, Medicare and most private health insurers have relaxed their coverage restrictions to also cover therapy sessions via regular phone calls, so all my clients are welcome to choose either phone or video.
Are you a current or former client who has lost either your job or your health insurance due to the current situation? I would like to offer you a free phone or video therapy session, during which we can discuss options for continued mental health support.
As of June 15, 2021, I am scheduling some in-office sessions, to provide an opportunity for those who have not been able to do telehealth sessions to meet with me, as well as an opportunity for those who have been doing phone or video sessions to have an in-person session for a change. Even though I am vaccinated, and ask that anyone coming in is too, we will continue to follow protocols established by the Alameda County Health Department.