Joseph Cooper, Phd
Counseling and Psychotherapy
2000 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
571-241-0826
COVID-19 And Counseling
These are unprecedented times that are having an impact on so many areas of our lives, from financial issues, loneliness, increases in anxiety, depression, and other psychological and emotional issues, to work-related stress and legitimate fear for both our own and our loved one's safety. We are all having to find new ways of adapting and coping to a quickly changing and stressful environment.
During these difficult times, to ensure my clients have access to counseling services, and to both comply with stay-at-home orders and to protect your safety, I will be temporally conducting my session via Video-Based Teletherapy using Doxy.me, a secure and private online Teletherapy platform.
Teletherapy and Online Counseling
What is Teletherapy (online counseling)?
Teletherapy, or online counseling, is the process of conducting a therapy session using a live video connection over the internet. I provide the same treatment to you as I would "in-person". If you are familiar with Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime, then you have a sense of the technology involved and how this would look.
Is Teletherapy secure and confidential?
Yes it is. I use Doxy.me for conducting online therapy sessions. They do not store or record any information between my clients and myself, and they use end-to-end AES 128 bit encryption along with SHA256 for all video & audio communication. To ensure privacy, you will want to make sure you can conduct the session in a private space where there is little chance of being heard or of interruption from others during the session.
What to expect with online therapy
When it is time for our session, you will log in using your web browser to the doxy.me "waiting Room", and I will admit you when I see the notification that you have arrived. Overall, I have found the video and audio connection quite good, and it is similar to a regular counseling session in that we work on issues and concerns just as we would during an in-person session.
Does online therapy work?
I admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but after conducting many online sessions over the last few months, I can say the sessions have been just as productive and meaningful as in-person sessions. Obviously, some people prefer in-person sessions, but given the current state of affairs, Teletherapy affords us the best opportunity to continue providing much needed counseling services to those who otherwise would not be able to have access to such services.