
Life Change
Therapy Now, LLC

TELEHEALTH SERVICES
Telehealth is the use of video and audio technologies used by licensed health care providers for the purpose of providing diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of their clients.
Our therapists provide telehealth services through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform to conduct sessions. To be approved to provide telehealth sessions from their homes, our therapists must demonstrate adherence to approved safeguards aimed at protecting client confidentiality from unauthorized disclosure. They are also required to comply with federal and state privacy regulations, including HIPAA, as well as our practice's privacy policies.
However, clients also bear responsibilities for securing their own safety and privacy during telehealth sessions. We advise the following measures:
Choose a private and quiet location for your telehealth sessions to prevent overhearing or interruptions.
Ensure a secure and stable internet connection to minimize the risk of unauthorized access or disruptions.
Refrain from sharing sensitive personal information or discussing confidential matters in public or non-secure environments.
Use headphones or earphones to maintain privacy and prevent others from overhearing your conversation.
Keep your telehealth appointment link or access information confidential and refrain from sharing it with unauthorized individuals.
Exercise caution when using devices or platforms for telehealth that are not approved or recommended by your healthcare provider.
Promptly report any concerns about privacy or security breaches to your therapist or our practice for immediate action.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can help ensure your safety and privacy during telehealth sessions.
It depends. Therapists can only practice psychotherapy in states in which they are licensed. The location of the client at the time of their telehealth appointment is the state where the therapist is considered to be practicing in. All of our therapists are licensed to practice in Maryland State, however, some of our therapist have temporary waivers that allow them to provide telehealth to clients located in other states.
Please contact our Intake Coordinator to see if any of our therapists offer telehealth services in your state. If you are a current client and planning to be out-of-state for a session, please check first with your therapist to make sure they are approved to provide services in the state you will be in.
During Covid-19, some states have allowed out-of-state therapists to practice under a temporary waiver and under certain conditions. Because these exceptions are made on a state-by-state level, you will need prior approval from our office to work with one of our therapist if you live, or will be located, in any state other then Maryland during telehealth appointments.
We use a HIPAA compliant version of Zoom with end-to-end encryption, meaning we never store or access the video or audio content of your online therapy sessions.
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To join a telehealth session with your therapist you will need the following:
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A computer, tablet, or phone
An external or integrated webcam
An external or integrated microphone
Internet connection with a bandwidth of at least
150 kbps to 450 kbps for 1:1 telehealth sessions
225 kbps to 670 kbps for group telehealth sessions
You can check your internet speed here.
We recommend an Ethernet cable over Wifi when possible to ensure you
receive the best possible connection through your internet provider.
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Before joining your session, shut down all other background applications to ensure
that Zoom receives the majority of your internet’s bandwidth.
Yes. To join a Zoom meeting you will need to have the Zoom app installed on your computer or mobile device. Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link. However, you are not required to sign up for a Zoom account to participated in telehealth sessions.
For desktop computers: Download Zoom Client for Meetings
For mobile phones or tablets: Go to Zoom Mobile Apps option and select one of the following buttons based on the type of device you have.
If you don't already have Zoom installed on your device,
we recommend installing it
at least one day before your session and then testing it to make sure it works. This will
give you time to troubleshoot if any issues come up.
Click Here for Easy Steps to Test Zoom
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No.
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Not all private health insurance plans cover therapy sessions through telehealth. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many insurance companies have expanded their coverage or issued temporary coverage through waivers. If we are in network with your insurance provider then we can contact them to verify your coverage. Remember that it is always best practice to call your insurance provider directly to confirm benefits and eligibility.
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There are 2 ways to join a telehealth session:
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1. Join using the link found in your appointment reminder email
You will get a total of 3 emails prior to your scheduled appointment with a one-time use link to join your meeting.
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First email is sent at the time your appointment is scheduled
Second email will be sent one day prior to the appointment
Third email will be sent as soon as your therapist signs into the session
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To join, click on one of these links at the time of your appointment
2. Join through your Insync patient portal account
Sign in to your patient portal
Find your upcoming appointment on the Home screen to join.
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​When your appointment is 15 minutes away from its' start time the green JOIN button will appear. Click it to join your session.
No. You will be emailed a new link for each telehealth session.
If you do not receive this link within 24 hours of your scheduled session, check your junk or spam mail.
You must have signed the Informed Consent for Telehealth Services prior to your initial session.
You must be located in the State of Maryland during your telehealth appointment unless you have received prior approval from our office.
You must be appropriately dressed for the session (in other words, dress as you would if coming to our office for a session).
You must be in a safe and private location.
You must have adequate connection so that sessions are not disrupted.
You must be in one place during the session (i.e. no driving or walking through town while on your session)

In the event that you are disconnected from a session, you can rejoin using the same link. If you are unable to rejoin, call our office so that they can resend you a new link.
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If you are having problems with your audio or microphone, clicking herewill take you to a page in Zoom Help Center called "Testing computer or device audio". This page will walk you through the steps of determining the cause of the problem and recommended solutions.
If you are having problems with your video, clicking here will take you to an article on the Zoom Help Center called "My video/camera isn't working".
Here are a few other helpful resources from Zoom's Help Center
My audio is not working on iOS or Android
My video/camera is not working on iOS
Video not working on Lenovo devices
You can also watch this short video on how to configure your audio and video.
If your audio or video keeps dropping out or lagging, or if you keep getting disconnected"
First check that you have closed out on all other browsers, apps, or programs that might still be running in the background.
If the problem persists, check to make sure you have the latest version of Zoom on the devise you are using. You can update Zoom by downloading the latest version from the Zoom Download Center.
Next, run a speed test. If your bandwidth falls bellow Zooms recommendations (see section titled, "What are Zoom's bandwidth requirements?"), then we you try to connect to the internet through an Ethernet cable over WIFI or contacting your internet provider for higher speed internet. ​
If you hear audio echo or audio feedback during your meeting, clickling here will take you to a page on the Zoom Help Center called "Audio Echo In a Meeting". This page will walk you through possible causes and solutions.
Zoom will allow you to modify your audio settings so that any disruptive noises around you can be filtered out. Clicking here will take you to a Zoom Help Center page called, "Background Noise Suppression".
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If you participate in group of family telehealth sessions, where mutiliple people are logged in from different devices, then this option is highly recommended.
According to Zoom, the bandwidth requirements for video meetings are as follows:
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For 1:1 video calling:
For high-quality video: 600kbps (up/down)
For 720p HD video: 1.2Mbps (up/down)
For 1080p HD video: 3.8Mbps/3.0Mbps (up/down)
For group video calling:
For high-quality video: 1.0 Mbps/600kbps (up/down)
For 720p HD video: 2.6Mbps/1.8Mbps (up/down)
For 1080p HD video: 3.8Mbps/3.0Mbps (up/down)
In other words, you'll need internet speed between 150 kbps to 450 kbps to an adequate Zoom 1:1, and at least between 225 kbps and 670 kbps for a group Zoom call/session.
For more information on Zoom's bandwidth requirements, click here.
To test you bandwidth, click here.