Telehealth
Online therapy, or “telehealth” is defined as the use of technology to conduct a therapy session. Cultivate Wellness uses thera-LINK which is a HIPAA compliant platform. This platform uses video and audio technology through a webcam on your device and the counselor’s device to connect securely.
thera-LINK uses encrypted data streams (AES-256) for video sessions. Any data stored outside of the video session on the thera-LINK platform is encrypted and meets or exceeds all HIPAA and HITECH guidelines.
With any technology there are limitations and potential for technical difficulty. While we try our best to minimize problems, there are some problems outside our control. We are unable to guarantee that services will be work as expected.
What to Expect
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You should have received the client portal invitation. It will come from theraPORTAL and is not spam. Log in and familiarize yourself with the portal. Note that your appointment will not show the camera/video icon until 10 minutes prior to your session.
You will also receive an email from SignNow with paperwork in a digital format to electronically fill out and send back. If you prefer to download the forms and upload them in the portal, you can send your counselor a message through the secure portal. The forms will include basic intake information, privacy policy, insurance/service contract, telehealth consent, and a client questionnaire.
Be thinking of what you would like to talk about, or any questions you have. Feel free to write those down and bring them in.
Make sure your computer is charged and connected to the internet before your session.
Verify your insurance. Click here for more information regarding insurance.
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You will be in a virtual waiting room and the counselor will let you in when ready.
There is a chat function in the platform to message with your counselor in the event of any sound issues.
After your appointment we will work together to decide if you would like to schedule another session. We will also determine if that will be scheduled at that time, or if it will be scheduled later. There is no right or wrong way to do it.
If there is a copayment, you can pay that in the portal.
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Be kind to yourself, you’ve done a lot of hard work.
You are welcome to contact your counselor with any questions/concerns between session. Email or the client portal are the most direct ways to get in contact. Please be aware we may not be able to return your message for up to 48 hours.
Our phones are answered 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. They are answered by a call center and are not physically in the same building. Phone calls are more difficult to return due to the nature of our schedule.
You can use the client portal to check your appointments or make/change any appointments.
Contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit your local emergency department if you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide. Cultivate Wellness is not a crisis center.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The only age group I do not see are kids under 5 years old.
Child specific information:
Oftentimes telehealth sessions are much shorter (often 30 minutes or less). Children’s sessions may seem short, but they are still working.
All child sessions are unique. Sometimes kids have parents/caregivers in the session, other times they do better without parents in the room. Parents/caregivers are almost always involved in the first session, and we will talk about these options.
We encourage parents/caregivers to treat this appointment as if they were in the office. Encourage privacy and limit distractions.
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If you are in the virtual waiting room and your counselor is not on 5 minutes after your start time try these things:
leave the session then come back and if that doesn’t work email your counselor and you will be sent a backup link for a different platform.
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Telehealth has been shown to be effective in treating several mental health diagnoses. Some clients prefer telehealth and others prefer in person.
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Not at all. You can choose to do some in person sessions and some telehealth sessions. It is up to you. These are YOUR sessions.
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Our professional ethics discourage practicing therapy in a place where we are not licensed. Different states have different laws about who can provide services in that state, even if it is not the state of residence.
In some cases, we may be able to contact the other state to seek approval to provide telehealth across state lines.
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Yes! Telehealth gives us a great deal of flexibility in sessions. Your counselor can help you determine if these options would be good fits for you.
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Scheduling your next appointment can be done at the end of an appointment. Or can be done through the client portal or by calling 515-212-7379. NOTE: the portal does not have the capability to choose telehealth for scheduling, so please be sure to make a note in the comment section indicating you would like telehealth. Counselors are not always able to accommodate same day appointments.
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We take your privacy seriously. This is suppose to be a safe space and confidentiality is vital to that. If you want someone to be able to communicate with us about your services. (including billing) you can sign a release of information. This is also something that can be revoked by you at any time. Best practice includes coordinating with your primary care provider, but again, this is your choice.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Privacy Portability Act) protects your PHI (protected health information). Our emails use HIPAA compliant encryption. Our client portal and our backup telehalth platform are HIPAA compliant.
Counselors are mandatory reporters. As such we are mandated by law to report any suspected child abuse.
Child Specific: During our first session we will go over confidentiality with children. It is my practice to keep conversations private and only tell parents general updates (ex: ____was open and talkative today), unless there is a safety concern or something that I feel the parents/caregiver should know. If this is the case, I try to be transparent with that so the child is not caught off guard.
42 CFR Part 2 affords special protection when talking about substance abuse. Therefore children 14 years of age and older need to sign a specific release of information for parents/caregivers to obtain information from the counselor about anything substance abuse related.
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While our emails use a HIPAA compliant encryption, it is safest to use our secure portal to communicate with your counselor.
Our phones are answered 9am-5pm Mon-Fri at 515-212-7379
We discourage coming in person without an appointment as we may be unable to help you. Our office space is shared with other counselors, but they are unable to see your information and will likely be unable to help.