Early in my career I worked providing crisis services in a community where they had no other services. There were no mental health clinics, private mental health providers, crisis centers, domestic violence services, sober living facilities, or homeless shelters within an hour of this city. Their small police department had no officers with training in dealing with situations involving behavioral health or substance abuse issues. And, ultimately, without these services, there were a lot of residents who ended up in crisis.
The community did have one small hospital where the head nurse exuded resentment towards her patients. They also had a specialty clinic for residents who were needing medical detox to safely come off of alcohol or narcotic pain killers. That was it. For anyone else who had gotten to a point in their lives where they were experiencing homelessness, psychosis, suicidal/homicidal thoughts, or in a dangerous relationship, I would get a phone call. I met these individuals in their hospital rooms, jail cells, or at their private residences.
I found that most of the time these individuals really needed a professional to talk to - to really work through their issues. My crisis intervention was a like placing a band-aid over a festering wound. If these individuals had had access to online counseling, where all they had to do was pick up their phone, or open up their computer, it would have prevented them from getting to a place where they had to call for emergency crisis services in the first place.
In turn, I now offer online counseling. In Arizona, it is very needed.
Online appointments also make it easier to see me from anywhere. There is no need to take time off of work, hire a sitter, or deal with traffic to make an appointment with me. And I, of course, partner with a HIPAA-compliant video platform to keep our appointments secure.
