Teletherapy can be a great way for therapists to branch out, refresh their careers, and work with students and clients from all over the country. It can also be a fantastic way to build more income, especially if you live in a remote area without many opportunities.

How do you get started in teletherapy and what you will need?

The process is relatively simple and very similar to getting started in any setting, with a few key pieces that help you to take your practice online.

Start a private practice or join a company

Something to consider when getting started in teletherapy is how you will receive and take on referrals for clients and students. You can venture out on your own as a private practice or you can work with an established teletherapy company. Either way has its benefits and risks.

Starting your own Telepractice

Venturing out on your own means you are responsible for all licensing, insurance, tax, marketing, billing, and building a client list, plus bunches of other small-business and compliance related things. It takes a lot of leg work, but fortunately there are many agencies and organizations that help people establish their own small business. If it exhausts you just reading through the list, then it may be too much for you now.

You are also responsible for your own technology. Teletherapy is built on video-conferencing tech, but happily there are many popular video conferencing platforms out there – Zoom, GoToMeeting, even Facebook Live. Choose one that you are comfortable using, then learn it well, so if anything goes wrong during a live session, you won’t panic.

Truthfully, setting up your own telepractice is a lot of work at the beginning, but once you get everything up and rolling, it should work fairly automatically. The best part is that you get to keep anything you bring in financially!

Working with an established Telepractice company

If you work with a teletherapy company, all the behind-the-scenes business details are taken care of. They will provide you with the proper paperwork and give you instructions that make it easy and quick. Companies, like E-Therapy have a team in place that handles things like billing and insurance, so you will not have to worry about learning how to keep track of these tasks.

Obtaining clients is easy too. For example, E-Therapy has hours for a particular state and can assign you referrals. You get to decide when you want to work, having total control over your own schedule.

How to find reputable Teletherapy companies

When you are ready to get started in teletherapy, try a simple Google search for companies that are hiring in your state or in a state that you would be willing to get licensed in. Once you find a few different teletherapy companies, see which ones fit your needs. It is important to look at things like hourly rates or salary, states and hours that are available, indirect vs direct time, how referrals come in, platforms used, and the overall “feel” of the company. This will help you decide if it is the right place for you to start your journey into teletherapy.

Submit your credentials to E-Therapy

E-Therapy works with more than 150 therapists and the need for more is growing. If you are interested in joining our team to provide live face-to-face online Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy or Counseling/Social Work and Assessments/Diagnostics, then sign up as a therapist here.

This article first appeared on the E-Therapy blog at: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/start-your-own-telepractice-or-join-a-teletherapy-company