Online Therapy in California

Online therapy tele-mental-health or telepsychology refers to providing psychotherapy services remotely using telecommunications technologies, such as video conferencing or telephone.

Dr. Moshfegh offers online therapy to all current California residents.

Benefits of Online Therapy

One of the benefits of telepsychology is that the client and clinician can engage in services without being in the same physical location. This can be helpful in ensuring continuity of care if the client or clinician moves to a different location (as long as they are still living within California), takes an extended vacation (with some limits), or is otherwise unable to continue to meet in person. Most people find that online therapy is more convenient, comfortable, and takes up less time.

Most research shows that telepsychology is as effective as in-person psychotherapy. Some studies have also reported online therapy to be more effective than in-person therapy for various reasons including the following:

• Allows for more sustained and durable participation

• Easier to integrate loved ones into your care if beneficial to your progress

• Provides care and support at your fingertips, whenever you need it

• Enhances reliability and dependability on both ends of care

• Creates more comfort and less stress

How Online Therapy Works

Online therapy is a professional mental health therapy delivered via a confidential, secure, HIPAA-compliant video conferencing system. Dr. Moshfegh utilizes TherapyNotes as her integrated electronic health record and telehealth system. Any device with a camera, microphone, compatible web browser, and Internet access is suitable for a telehealth session. All calls use peer-to-peer connections with end-to-end encryption for maximum privacy and security.

You will be able to create an account through a secure online portal called Therapy Portal where you can easily access the video session through the web browser of your choice on any device (i.e., laptop, cell phone, tablet).

Tips for a Successful Online Therapy session

• Try to find a safe, comfortable, and private place with limited distractions to conduct the session.

• Be sure that you're using an up-to-date web browser, such as the latest version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, or Mozilla Firefox. Please note that you cannot join telehealth sessions using Internet Explorer.

• Make sure that you're connected to a strong, secured Wi-Fi signal. If you're joining a telehealth session on your phone, connect to Wi-Fi instead of using cellular data, if possible. If the Wi-Fi connection is not strong, disable Wi-Fi and use cellular data only.

• Close any applications or browser tabs that you don't need prior to the session. This allows your device's processing power to be dedicated to maintaining a high-quality video call.

• Grab a pair of headphones to use for your session. Using headphones helps to prevent voice echo.

• Try to have some tissues in hand just in case you may need them.

• Have a phone number you can use to call your provider in case you get disconnected.