What’s An Online Psychiatrist Visit Like?
Online therapy can refer to psychological or psychiatric support. Given the convenience of online visits, many people prefer online mental health counseling via teletherapy, as compared to in-person visits.
In this article, we explore what a visit with an online psychiatrist might entail. If you are not sure if online therapy is for you, we hope that this article provides clarity.
Is a Visit for Online Psychiatry Different from a Visit for Online Therapy?
Online therapy refers to any therapy that uses telecommunication. Technically, online psychiatry falls under this larger umbrella of “online therapy.”
Visits for online psychiatry may entail going over your personal and familial medical history, giving medication prescriptions, adjusting doses for prescriptions, discussing any side effects of medication, and helping patients find the right treatment plan. Unlike online therapy, psychiatrists do not focus on cognitive or behavioral treatments; however, they may work in tandem with your online therapist.
Psychiatrists can also work with your primary care physician to understand your medical history and help you find additional support.
How Do Online Psychiatrists Prescribe Medication?
Online psychiatrists have medical training and are qualified to prescribe medication. We recommend going with a mental health provider that you trust. HomePsych offers a team of licensed professionals, for example, to help you receive the support you need. As mentioned in an additional online therapy article, you can always ask your provider if they can connect you with the medicine you need. You can also research the teletherapist yourself: did they go to medical school and do they hold an active license in your state? If so, then they should be able to prescribe medication.
The expectations of online psychiatrists are the same as psychiatrists who see patients in person. To prescribe medication, most online psychiatrists conduct an assessment of your physical and mental health. Since 2020, and depending on updates from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), psychiatrists can prescribe medication without an in-person visit.
After filling out a contact form or requesting an appointment, you can expect to hear from your online therapy provider about the availability of psychiatrists, the prices, and any additional features. In terms of payment, you might pay a copay each session or front the bill and be reimbursed later by your insurance after filing a claim.
Pros and Cons of Online Psychiatry
If you are too anxious or depressed to leave your living space, online psychiatry makes receiving care possible and easy. Given global health crises such as Covid-19, online psychiatry made it possible for people to monitor their mental health with professional support, during a time when in-person visits were not safe.
The pros of online psychiatry can include more flexible scheduling, just as effective treatment as in-person psychiatry, zero commuting time to an in-person office, and a reduced delay in receiving adequate care. The cons include that some insurance companies do not cover online psychiatry, there is less direct human contact, it may require a stable internet connection, there can be problems with technology, and different platforms have different privacy.
We summarized the benefits of online therapy to explain in more detail why many people prefer the flexibility of online visits.
Schedule a Visit with an Online Psychiatrist
From the flexible scheduling options and ease of receiving quality care, millions of people find balance in their life with the help of online psychiatry.
At HomePsych, our licensed therapists offer talk therapy while our psychiatric team provide medication management. This means our psychiatrists can prescribe medication and help you find the right dosage. To begin, simply check the box for “Medication Management” when you request an appointment with HomePsych.
