Tumultuous 2020 Spurs Creation of Private Teletherapist Network

The Teletherapist Network is member-driven and emphasizes quality over quantity.

A private online network for therapists is designed to provide professional and social support as the field transitions to teletherapy during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Mental health conditions have been among the top diagnoses treated through telemedicine since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. In August 2020, mental health conditions accounted for 48.93% of all telehealth diagnoses, according to claims data tracked by FAIR Health.

The Teletherapist Network was launched in July 2020 with 100 members and currently has about 120 members. Once the roster hits 200 members, a wait list will be implemented. The membership fee for the network is $24.99 every two weeks.

The goal of the Teletherapist Network is to create a vibrant, socially engaged, and knowledgeable community of therapists, the network's founder told HealthLeaders.

"I created the network as a way for clinicians to join and develop relationships with each other. I wanted us to get to know each other's clinical strengths and weaknesses, then take advantage of the community aspect and collective knowledge of a private group that interacts on a personal and professional level," says Kathryn Esquer, PsyD, MBA, MA, a clinical psychologist at Family Practice Center, PC, in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

The pandemic spurred creation of the network, she says.

"In March 2020, we had to switch to telehealth, which became a primary way to get healthcare, including mental healthcare. I struggled to find a quality group of peers from whom I could get information and best practices from. I found a lot of Facebook groups that were semi-private. There was a lot of information there but not quality connections or a high degree of trust in the information that was being shared. I wanted to make sure that we had quality connections, not just another large forum with impersonal posts," Esquer says.

The Teletherapist Network is well-suited to help therapists deal with the upheavals associated with the pandemic and other events over the past year, she says. "We as mental health providers have helped our clients through a pandemic shutdown with isolation, through political unrest, and through a social justice movement while experiencing these events ourselves. It's a very tricky situation, and it is something we have never seen before in our field. We are going through events with our clients on a large-scale level."

The network's tightly knit community enables peers to guide each other through the professional challenges of tumultuous times, Esquer says. "In therapy, it is important to recognize what we as therapists bring into a therapy session. The only way to do that is to look inward and to seek consultation with our peers—to seek trusted licensed clinicians who can help us see where we might be biased or where we may be missing things with our clients. The more personal perspectives we bring into a therapy session, the more pitfalls we could have."

Teletherapist Network offerings

The network allows members to connect professionally and personally in a range of ways, Esquer says. "Over the past year, there has been a need for community among therapists, with social support, mental health support, and clinical support. None of us have experienced a mass transition to telehealth all at once. So, the group power and support on the network has been tremendous."

• Daily discussions: In a post forum, members have daily discussions about personal challenges and developments in the field of mental health. "We talk about what we are struggling with in the moment in our own mental health. We offer personal and professional support. The daily discussions on professional topics can range from favorite HIPAA-compliant email platforms to addressing political topics during a therapy session when the client's views do not match your own views," she says.
   
• Social hours: Twice per week, members gather virtually to connect on a personal level or to discuss professional issues.
   
• Crowdsourcing: In an example of the network's emphasis on quality over quantity, members routinely share their exposure to new research articles and clinical information such as best practices generated at professional societies. "Instead of having one person having to stay up to date on the best practices coming out from all of the different research areas, we are crowdsourcing and sharing information with each other," Esquer says.
   
• Live events: Twice a month, members gather virtually for two kinds of member-driven live events. A live consultation event features an unstructured discussion, where members can talk about client cases in a private and confidential manner. The other member-driven live event is a "rumble," where members discuss and debate a controversial issue in mental healthcare.
   
• Outside speakers: At least once a month, the network hosts a virtual event featuring experts from inside the therapy field as well as experts associated with operational aspects of therapy practices. So far speakers have included clinical directors discussing therapy best practices, accountants addressing therapy practice tax considerations, and lawyers presenting information on contracts.

Teletherapy best practices

Besides discussing the Teletherapist Network, Esquer tells HealthLeaders about four best practices to determine whether a client is a good candidate for teletherapy. They follow below:

1. Client preference: A client should be asked whether he or she wants teletherapy as opposed to in-person sessions, and teletherapy should never be forced on a client. If you only offer teletherapy, you should have referrals ready for clients.

2. Technology considerations: Therapists should find out whether a client has the infrastructure to conduct teletherapy sessions such as a reliable Internet connection and access to a computer or smartphone. The client's ability to use electronic devices and to navigate the online platform should also be assessed.

3. Telecommuting location: The client should have a private and confidential space to conduct a teletherapy session. Ideally, the client should have a room where the door can be closed, so they can feel confident that what they say is private and confidential.

4. Clinical presentation: Teletherapy is not appropriate for some mental health conditions. "Teletherapy can help treatment progress, or teletherapy can be a barrier to treatment progress. For example, clients with agoraphobia who are afraid to leave their home may be contraindicated for teletherapy—you might be enabling them to not leave the home," Esquer says.

Related: Coronavirus: Help Line Launched to Support Mental Health of Physicians