get counseling online from anywhere in Florida!
Experience Counseling in a whole new way!
Welcome to Virtual Therapy!
It’s hard to make it to your counseling appointment right now. You’re busy, but you want to get the help you need.
You want to be the best version of yourself. And you know how important your mental health is to your overall well-being and happiness.
But you’re busy and it can be challenging to make time for it. It can take hours of time and effort to drive to an appointment, find parking, actually complete your session - and then still have to commute back to work or home.
However, lately, you’ve been struggling. And you know it’s time to address things and get the help you need. Also, you want a therapist who understands you and what you’re going through. But it can be challenging to find someone who is in your local community and who actually specializes in what you need help with.
Online Therapy is the Ideal Solution
Working on yourself and improving your future has never been easier or more convenient.
Via a secure platform, you can now participate in counseling sessions from the comfort of your home or your office (without having to miss hours of work in order to get to your appointment). The Carey Center is headquartered in the beautiful communities of Spring Hill and Brooksville, Florida, close to Tampa, Wesley Chapel, and Odessa, Florida. But, with online counseling, location is no longer a limiting factor.
So, maybe you live near Lido Beach in Sarasota or dwell closer to Disney in Orlando. Perhaps you spend your days in sunny St. Petersburg or prefer the island lifestyle of Key West. You might have settled in the relaxing, beautiful city of Naples. You could be in St. Augustine, Gainesville, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Wesley Chapel, Destin, Miami, Fort Myers, Clearwater, Tampa, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Ocala, Port St. Lucie - no matter where you find yourself in Florida, I’m able to help you!
In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to get the counseling help you need from the comfort of your home.
Is online therapy effective? Is it as good as in person treatment?
Yes! Online mental health therapy has been shown to be a very viable alternative. And, in fact, online therapy can sometimes have added benefits which a traditional therapy practice can’t compete with – notably, the convenience provided by being able to more easily meet with a psychotherapist from your home or office (no time wasted commuting) and the ability to see a therapist outside your local community (giving you far greater access to specialized care).
Importantly, research has consistently proven therapy completed online can be equal to face-to-face care.
A 2018 study which was published in the Journal of Psychological Disorders found online therapy is, "effective, acceptable, and practical health care."
A 2014 study published in Behaviour Research and Therapy determined online therapy to be effective in treating anxiety disorders.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill completed a study which revealed that online therapy for bulimia was as effective as that completed in-person.
Researchers at Chiba University in Chiba, Japan, conducted a study and determined that therapy “via videoconference for treating bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder” was beneficial and effective.
A study done in 2008 assessed 128 adults diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. The researchers affirmed that “adults counseled by trained therapists via telemedicine were able to stop disordered eating habits just as much as the adults who were treated in person.”
A systematic review and analysis of 17 studies was completed by Luo et. al (2020) and it was determined that electronically provided therapy worked better than in person care in terms of decreasing symptoms of depression.
An additional systematic review of studies (Gratzer & Khalid-Khan, 2016) also showed that electronic therapy services assisted in significantly lowering depression and anxiety symptoms. Results were shown to be equal to or better than in-person therapy.
A 2018 systematic review of 14 studies by Andersson et al. found electronic therapy resulted in a 50% improvement of symptoms for a number of diagnoses including anxiety, stress, and chronic fatigue.
Why should I choose online therapy?
There are a number of reasons to choose online therapy including the following:
Can be much easier to fit into your day since you can save hours of travel time
No money spent on gas
No looking for parking
No having to arrange for childcare
Not worrying about trying to find the office
No worry about whom you might bump into in the waiting room
No concern about whether the location is accessible if you have a disability
Helpful if you reside in a remote or rural area
If you have a pet, sessions at your home can allow you to sit with your pet while we meet, which can be comforting
You might find it easier to share personal details when you’re in a familiar environment as opposed to a therapist’s office
Is there anything about online counseling I should be mindful of?
As with all things, there are pros and cons to online counseling. Some of the things you’ll want to be aware of include the following:
Technological issues can come up and can’t always be avoided (but can usually be addressed and overcome).
Counseling sites and therapists that aren't reputable may not keep client information safe. For example, they may exchange confidential information with you via a non-encrypted email and/or may complete sessions with you on a video platform which is not HIPAA compliant. Please be aware that The Carey Center uses a secure, HIPAA compliant platform for your online therapy sessions and for completion of all paperwork, and also uses an email platform that allows for encrypted messages to be exchanged. I am heavily invested and mindful about keeping everything as safe and secure as possible for you. I do not want to compromise and risk your privacy, particularly when interactions concern exchange of your personal medical information.
Online therapy isn't meant for people with certain problems or conditions (such as suicidal intent or psychosis). Some concerns do require a different level of care and are incompatible with online counseling.
Does it matter where I am during online therapy?
You will be responsible for creating a safe, quiet, and confidential space during your online therapy sessions. You should use a space that is free of other people. This keeps things private and free from interruption. You might want to think about making it difficult or impossible for people outside the space to see or hear your interactions with your provider during the session.
It’s important to be fully present during your session. In other words, this isn’t the time to be driving or completing other tasks. You also don’t want to be in a public space such as a supermarket while you’re in session. Therapy is an opportunity for great growth, insight, and improvement – it deserves your complete attention and you’ll want to be mindful of avoiding distractions.
Am I able to record telehealth counseling sessions?
Please do not record video or audio sessions without your mental health provider’s consent. Making recordings can quickly and easily compromise your privacy. In particular, please be mindful of how a recording meant for you alone can end up in the wrong hands. The risk is always there, in spite of your best efforts at keeping something secure. Further, please be aware that recording sessions without your provider’s knowledge and permission is a violation of Florida law. Within Florida, you may be sued if you record without consent.