Instructions for Telepsychology

Please review these instructions before having your first telepsychology session with me. (You can also download a version of these instructions here.) This will help you be prepared and will help the session go smoothly. If any of this is confusing or raises questions, call me a day or so before our session so we can go over it. We will be sure to take whatever time we need at the beginning of the session to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.

1. REQUIREMENTS: (If you do not have ALL THREE of these, we will discuss working together over the telephone, without video):

   • Computer, tablet or smartphone containing or connected to a video camera. For evaluations that involve presentation of test materials, the screen must measure at least 9.7 inches diagonally.

   • Private, secure connection to the internet that requires a password to access.Public connections (home networks without a password, public computers at libraries, your neighbor’s Wifi network) are NOT secure.

   • A quiet, well-lit room where you can speak at a normal volume without being concerned about being overheard or interrupted by family, children, pets, etc.

2. BEFORE YOUR FIRST SESSION:

   • Please download, read and sign the Informed Consent for Telepsychology Services. Take a photo of the signature page and text or email the photo to me. This consent form outlines the unique issues involved in doing psychotherapy and neuropsychological evaluations by teleconference. Feel free to contact me prior to the session with any questions. We will also go over this document at the beginning of the session and address any issues that doing the work this way presents.

   • We will be using Zoom, a HIPAA-compliant and reliable video-chat program.If you don’t have Zoom already installed, go to https://zoom.us/support/download and download and install the Zoom program on your device. (If you need help with this step, ask a friend or family member).

   • Optional Instructions for creating a Virtual Background – The process below allows you obscure your environment in the background, if you wish to do so. It is NOT required.

     • Open the Zoom program

     • In the upper right corner below the Search field, click on the small cog-shaped circle to open Settings

     • In Settings, on the left side menu, click on Virtual Background

     • Choose one of the optional backgrounds or use the plus sign on the right to upload a background of your own from your computer.

     • When you do this, you will appear on camera against a virtual background of your choice. Others will see only you and not what is behind or around you.I will do the same, so the environment we are working in won’t be too distracting.

     • Once you have chosen a virtual background, close the Zoom program. Your virtual background will be saved.

3. HAVING A SESSION:

   • Before the session begins, silence all notifications on the device you are using, close all other applications and turn off any other devices.

   • A few minutes before your session is scheduled, I will email you an invitation.This will contain a link to our meeting. Click on this to start the Zoom meeting. Make sure that the Zoom window is in Full Screen mode.

   • We will start by making sure that our cameras are placed in order to mimic the office setting as much as possible.If possible, place the camera at eye level about 3-4 feet away.This should be close enough so we can hear each other, but at a distance that is more similar to the office setting.We can experiment to find a placement that works best in your environment.

   • If we are doing therapy, it is important to recognize that this is a new way for us to interact. It may lead to thoughts and feelings that we want to be alert to and to talk about, in the same way that we talk about other thoughts and feelings that come up during the session.

   • If we are doing an evaluation, I may share my screen with you from time to time to have you look at stimuli and respond to them.  Keep Zoom in Full Screen mode at these times and also make sure that you and I can see each other’s faces.

   • If the session is interrupted for technical reasons, I will contact you by phone. If we cannot re-establish the video-connection, we will complete the session over the phone or at another time.

   • At the end of the session, we will take time to arrange the next appointment, review how the setup is working and talk about how we might want to change things for the next meeting.

4. BETWEEN SESSIONS:

   • We will continue to communicate in the same ways that we have when we were meeting face-to-face.