Is telehealth/video therapy appropriate for children?
Telehealth, also known as video therapy, can be a good solution for families who aren’t able to travel to our office or are unable to leave home due to the recent changes from the coronavirus. Many children benefit from telehealth when meeting in person is not available. Meeting by video may not be a good choice for every child; but through the initial screening call with the office administrative assistant and during the initial appointment with your therapist, you will be provided information that will help you decide if telehealth is appropriate. Our therapists are highly skilled at navigating the challenges that come with telehealth.
What if my child is uncomfortable meeting by video?
If you find that your child is struggling with feeling comfortable meeting by video, there are a few options we can turn to in this situation. Having a parent present can ease a child’s reservations about meeting by video. Reminding children that meeting by video with the therapist is similar to having video calls with other people in your life – it’s simply a means of talking when we aren’t able to be in the same place. Helping a child ease into video appointments is similar to easing into any other situation s/he may be uncomfortable with; if done slowly and often, the discomfort can diminish. It’s common for the discomfort with therapy, whether in person or by video, to decrease and oftentimes be eliminated after several appointments.
How do you handle a child who has difficulty paying attention during the appointment?
Strategies that are helpful for managing inattentive behavior in an office setting are also helpful during video appointments. These include breaking the appointment into designated segments so children can focus on sustaining attention during a single short segment. Identifying the best environment within the home that minimizes distractions is helpful for parents to consider. If your child continues to struggle with staying on task and the telehealth appointments are no longer helpful, your therapist will talk with you about alternatives to meeting the therapy goals.
What are the options if telehealth isn’t appropriate?
If it’s determined that telehealth isn’t appropriate for your child or you’ve tried several appointments and your child isn’t able to adjust, an effective strategy would be to transition to parent coaching. Through therapy work directly with parents, it’s entirely possible to make considerable progress in reducing your child’s anxiety.
Are your therapists familiar with doing therapy by video or is this a new service?
Our therapists have been doing telehealth for several years now and we’re comfortable with this form of therapy. We use Zoom for Healthcare, a HIPPA-compliant video platform, and make it as easy as possible for client use. When connectivity is an issue or technology is intimidating or difficult to use, we can easily switch to a phone appointment if needed/wanted.
How To Get Help for Your Child
The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley specializes in therapy and counseling for children. The Silicon Valley office in Saratoga serves the Santa Clara County communities of San Jose, Saratoga, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Campbell and surrounding areas. Contact us for more information on how we can help your child overcome problems with anxiety.