Let’s be honest…telehealth is not for everybody. If you prefer to do your own grocery shopping, or if you still park and walk into the lobby of your local credit union to deposit a check like I do, there’s a good chance that you are a face-to-face person. And even if you’re not, you may remember from school that around 80% of communication is non-verbal. So, if your intention is to be as open and honest with your therapist about what is going on in your life and how you’re feeling about it, then you want your therapist to get ALL of what you’re saying, and not just the 20% of communication that is verbal.
But there is another side to this coin. In large geographic swaths of Kansas, access to in-person therapy is limited at best. And even if you live in Wichita or right next to a therapy office, you may have limited access to culturally competent care. In other words, to care that demonstrates an understanding of your language, your culture, your experiences, and to all of the other things that have shaped your mental health journey. In those situations, telehealth may be your only real option. And providers in Wichita want to be sure that it remains available to those who need it.
The fact is that therapists spend just as much time preparing for, conducting, and debriefing from a telehealth appointment as they do an in-person appointment. Your mental health deserves the same time and attention regardless of the method you utilize to seek it. However, you receive mental health care, please reach out in whatever way is most comfortable to you. And talk to your elected officials to advocate for the availability of the mental health resources that you need.
