Since COVID-19, teletherapy has become a popular way to receive mental health care. Proponents cite its convenience for individuals who may not otherwise have access to treatment, such as those in rural areas or disaster areas, or those with mobility issues. Time- and cost-effectiveness are other frequently noted benefits in that teletherapy users don’t have to travel, pay the cost of transportation, or take time off to attend sessions. In many cases, these benefits provide a critical lifeline to populations that normally do not have or seek access to in-office mental health care.
While high achievers typically don’t experience these same challenges, their personalities and lifestyles do present unique challenges that make teletherapy an interesting option to consider. So what benefits does it offer, and what factors should you consider to determine if it’s a good fit for you?
A Quick Word About High Achievers
High achievers are ambitious, extraordinarily talented, and highly committed. They gravitate toward extreme jobs, which often make their work hours exceedingly long and their workloads exceptionally heavy, and the pressure they put on themselves to excel is enormously high. All laudable qualities; however, a consequence of these qualities is that they don’t always recognize or acknowledge the stress that comes along with their work and life choices, making them particularly vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and burnout. When they finally realize they need help, their lives have become so overcommitted that they often can’t (or won’t) find time to get the treatment they need.
Fortunately, research has revealed some benefits of teletherapy that suggest it might be a good fit for high-achievers.
What Is Teletherapy?
Teletherapy is a subcategory of the broader modality known as telehealth, which is defined as “the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health administration, and public health” (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2022). Teletherapy is simply the use of these technologies to provide mental health services.
Provider Options
Today, all types of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, addiction counselors, and case managers, utilize some form of teleservices (Mace et al., 2018). The largest US-based telemental health provider is the Veteran Affairs Department, which provides telehealth care to more than 2 million veterans (2020). However, mental health providers in all sectors of care are increasingly offering some form of telecare, making it an easily accessible option for more clients than ever before (American Psychological Association, 2024; Cantor et al., 2024; Worthen et al., 2024).
Modality Options
Teletherapy options include videoconferencing, telephone appointments, electronic chats, texts, emails, webinars, social media, and other electronically driven applications to provide clients with a wide range of diagnostic, therapeutic, and educational services (Langarizadeh et al., 2017; SAMHSA, 2016).
Service Options
Teletherapy service options include intake screenings, medication management, individual counseling, assessment, consultation, crisis services, group therapy, chronic disease management, and other targeted treatment and prevention services (SAMHSA, 2016).
More recently, the use of more innovative teletherapeutic approaches, such as artificial intelligence-driven chat boxes and virtual assistants, gamification interventions, and virtual support communities, has begun. While these approaches represent a departure from traditional therapeutic care and raise some ethical considerations, preliminary research suggests that, at least as an adjunct to traditional forms of therapy, these innovative options provide clients with interactive activities and exercises that mimic real-world scenarios, increase therapeutic involvement, foster skill development and coping strategies, and show promise for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Fleming et al., 2017; Odugbose et al., 2024; Pramana et al., 2018).
Benefits for High-Achievers
Although teletherapy research continues to evolve and expand, researchers and teletherapy providers have identified numerous benefits that suggest it would align well with the typically overcommitted lives of high-achievers. These include the following:
- The convenience of receiving mental health assessment, therapy, and medication management without having to travel, take time off of work or school, or find childcare, elder care, or pet care in order to attend sessions (Nalongo, 2024; SAMHSA, 2016).
- The benefit of more flexible time slots and quicker appointment times than in-office care (Chen et al., 2020).
- Expanded choices in the selection of providers, especially those who specialize in specific areas of care (e.g., burnout), specific populations (e.g., high-achievers, women, LGBTQ+, ADHD), or providers who are culturally or linguistically competent to address their needs (Nalongo, 2024; SAMHSA, 2016).
- For those who may be hesitant to attend therapy due to stigmas associated with it, teletherapy can remove the concern of being seen entering a facility that offers mental health care (Chen et al., 2020).
- Research has found that the effectiveness of teletherapy is comparable to in-office therapy for a wide range of conditions and symptoms, including addiction, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, ADHD, and chronic conditions (Greenwood et al., 2022; Langarizadeh et al.).
Potential Negatives
- Some states require providers to have an in-person session before offering telehealth services to a client.
- The availability and quality of services can intermittently and unexpectedly be affected by connectivity problems.
- Teletherapy adds to the potential for unanticipated distractions during a session, such as children, pets, and visitors at the door.
- Some insurance companies may not cover teletherapy services.
- Although providers are supposed to use secure platforms with verification, confidentiality, and security safeguards, privacy concerns may make some clients more reluctant to seek teletherapy or, if they do, more hesitant to share important personal information with their providers.
Selecting a Teleprovider
Whether you see a therapist in person or through teletherapy, it’s always a good idea to vet their skill set, qualifications, and client reviews to better ensure that they’ll be a good fit for your specific needs and wants in a mental health provider. However, it’s also important that the provider you select advise you of their areas of competence, as well as help you fully understand what teletherapy is, the parameters of teletreatment, its strengths and weaknesses, treatment alternatives, and insurance coverage so that you’re able to give informed consent to treatment.