Everyone is facing challenges right now. Millions of parents are adjusting to working from home while managing kids who are primarily learning from home. The ongoing pandemic has and will continue to affect our everyday lives.
While we might feel stressed, we must also pay attention to how kids handle these changes. It is much easier to explain to an adult why they are now working from home than explaining why a kid can’t see their friends at school for a while.
We are all dealing with stress from multiple sources, but kids might be particularly unequipped to manage these unprecedented times. Without the experience of age, kids have no frame of reference or skills to deal with our current situation.
However, this does not mean kids are simply left to fend for themselves. Many adults have turned to telehealth for help with their stress, and kids can receive the same benefits.
From adults to kids, everyone can benefit from therapy. Telehealth is the best way to safely access treatment in light of the ongoing pandemic.
What is Telehealth
Telehealth is a relatively new invention. Instead of having patients drive to see their therapist, the entire session is done over the Internet or a phone call.
Each practice may use a different telehealth app. Still, they are all serviceable and work with practice management software to keep your records organized, and the majority is HIPAA compliant.
Your provider will schedule the session and give you access to the provider for the appointment time. However, each app or telehealth service has its own way of connecting patients. Whatever provider you select will ensure you are comfortable with the telehealth platform and cover any questions you have before your session begins.
Talk with your provider to see if you want to be in the session with your child. You can also let your child speak to the therapist alone. Therapy can be a personal choice. So, talk with your child and provider to determine what is recommended and make everyone comfortable.
Who Can Benefit From Telehealth
The honest answer is everyone and anyone can benefit from telehealth. Everyone has problems they silently deal with and stress that makes life more challenging. No one must keep their issues and stress bottled up. You and your child can get help and release therapy over telehealth.
Whether your child is having a hard time adjusting to the new way of life or is dealing with other mental issues, telehealth therapy can be an excellent way to work through problems in a healthy manner. You can also opt for family therapy, so everyone in the household can feel telehealth’s benefits.
Benefits of Telehealth
There are numerous benefits of telehealth. Each individual session is dependent on the provider and is tailored to each child.
The benefits and results of a telehealth session will entirely depend on your child’s issues. And also how the therapist helps your child work through problems. Telehealth is a service that offers many benefits.
One of the most significant benefits of telehealth is convenience. Not everyone lives close to a therapist’s office catering to children. Traveling during a pandemic is also not advisable, which makes telehealth a safer option.
Instead of going to and fro a provider’s office, you can get a full therapy session from home. Telehealth eliminates travel time, and also the issues travel causes. You won’t need a babysitter for a sibling, leave early to combat traffic, and you can maintain social distancing.
Telehealth also lets you add other people, like other family members who don’t live nearby, to a video conference session. Telehealth may also widen your list of available providers since physical distance doesn’t matter.
Maybe a provider you would like to take your child to has an office that is hours away. Telehealth allows you can see that provider digitally.
During these trying, challenging, and uncertain times, staying on top of mental health is critical. When our mental health declines, other parts of our life will feel the adverse effects and suffer, with academic performance being a common indicator of a problem.
Kids are often not used to handling stress and need help in understanding what is going on. You cannot eliminate stress from your kid’s lives, but telehealth can help them understand and manage stress in a healthy way.
Children who are stressed or suffer from a mental related illness are more likely to engage in substance abuse or do poorly in school. Here’s how you can promote mental wellness in your child.
Telehealth has removed so many barriers to getting mental health help. So, now is the best time to look into telehealth options for your child.
