Blog Feed – Teletherapy | Online Speech Therapy

E-Therapy: How will it Benefit your District/School?

Over the last two decades, teletherapy has been used in many school districts across the country as an alternative to searching for hard-to-find and hard-to-keep therapists in their areas. Each year, teletherapy helps many districts solve their issues with hiring and retaining therapists to serve their student population from rural to inner-city schools.

At E-Therapy, we know, we understand and we get how hard the weird matrix of time during COVID over the last two years was. It was extremely challenging and nobody was hit harder than those in the education industry.

We also know how difficult it can be to change from the “norm” to try something new. To try something that other districts in the area aren’t doing. To break from tradition to ensure students are receiving the services they need in order for them to be successful. And because of this, E-Therapy continues to be right there to extend a hand to help out schools or districts. We believe in reaching every student, whether it’s one or 100. With this knowledge, we want to highlight the benefits of partnering with the E-Therapy platform to provide services to your students.

Each Student Matters

Over the past 13 years, our expertise in the field of teletherapy has allowed us to offer speech, occupational and physical therapy services to underserved students nationwide through our award-winning technology platform. Our mission is to support the whole school community’s well-being, ensuring lasting results for both students and educators. With our flexibility, each therapy program is tailored to fit each individual school to meet the needs of district partners. Full-time or part-time therapists are provided and can easily accommodate a district’s hours. We can work with a handful of students or an entire school. Our teletherapy solutions are tailored to fit your needs.

In addition, E-Therapy always works according to students’ IEPs and annual goals as well as what works best for a school’s program. If a school has in-house therapists but has no way to deliver services online, E-Therapy’s eSMART platform is the most resourceful, online, teletherapy services or management platform to ensure top-level support for a student services team. School-based teams are trained to get virtual sessions up and running with zero frustration.

Support Mental Health Needs

Furthermore, we recently introduced our new eWELLNESS program, a Mental Health Teletherapy for the whole school community. We are committed to holistically supporting students, staff, teachers, and administrators in developing their mental well-being while also partnering to break down common barriers in order to support mental health programming.

With these direct therapy services available to students, a data-driven, evidence-based screening assessment model to support students’ immediate mental health needs was created for staff to identify students in need. And because K-12 school administrators, educators, and staff often overlook their own well-being, we initiated an “educator wellness series” of interactive group sessions for teachers, school counselors, social workers, and administrators on a wide range of topics to help them handle emotional stress.

Compensatory Time

Additionally, lost service time from the past two years still is being made up, so pushing it back even further could result in more hours needing to be made up. What makes it even more difficult is that each student’s compensatory time will look different, so it is up to the school SPED team to determine the next steps for each student. This could be a headache and a backlog of services that may never get caught up on.

While it’s the district’s IEP team who needs to calculate comp time, determine who needs services, and how to provide those services, we have a wide variety of services that can help your school and ultimately your students make up for lost services. We can provide our certified speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and school psychs to keep your school complainant during this overwhelming time.

No Commitment. No Caseload Limit. No Automated System.

We offer a unique bundle of support which includes one-on-one training, personalized onboarding, complete student/therapist set-up, and a library of resource/training tools. One of the most helpful parts of training is that E-Therapy’s platform comes with a live trainer to help school therapists get online quickly and with ease.

New schools are offered a pilot program of any enrollment size so that our representatives can demonstrate the benefits of services while simultaneously addressing immediate online therapy needs. Furthermore, we don’t require a minimum caseload. We also include a fully transparent real-time billing system as well as mandatory IEP compliance reporting features. Additionally, we conform to all HIPAA, FERPA, and industry standards.

Benefits of a Partnership

We pride ourselves on our personal approach and long-term experience. We were one of the first companies to deliver teletherapy, and we have been providing services to hundreds of schools throughout the United States. As a market leader and one of the pioneers in the industry, we are known for delivering high-quality services via the Teletherapy Service Model.

Our primary goal is to provide high-quality related services to all our students. Our more than 500 highly-qualified therapists have experience working in brick and mortar and virtual/cyber school settings. Also, our therapy staff has an estimated 700,000 plus hours of combined therapy experience.

We are known for our exceptional customer service, and our partners will see that as soon as they sign on with us. We encourage those seeking a provider to find a partner who not only offers the right tools, therapists, and technology but also, who has an abundance of experience in delivery. Reach out to our sales team today to learn more about how you can partner with E-Therapy for the next school year.

Therapy Shortages: How Do We Combat Them?

Over the last several years, there has been a significant decline in speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and school psychologists, specifically, entering the education field. And because of this, many students who need those specific services are the ones who are most affected. If qualified individuals are not hired, or untrained staff fills those voids, students’ needs are not met.

Speech-Language Pathologists

The shortage of SLPs is affecting schools all over the U.S. and could be attributed to the limited number of graduate program openings and increased need as job requirements grow, the increase in autism diagnoses, and the current population of SLPs retiring or resigning. While most SLPs who work in a school setting like the schedule and the student population they work with, studies have found that many are leaving education because of their increasing workload, lack of resources, low pay, no room for growth or promotions, no recognition, and most notably, growing caseload size.

According to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), SLPs evaluate and treat communication disorders and swallowing in the following areas: speech sound production, resonance, voice, fluency, language, cognition, and feeding and swallowing. During the school year, one SLP often must treat many of these conditions in one student while at the same time working with several students in a group who also might need services for multiple conditions. Furthermore, school SLPs usually work with children who have autism spectrum disorder. According to the CDC website, a recent report stated that one in 54 children in the U.S. have autism. All of these factors can increase a caseload for a single SLP which in turn can cause burnout.

School Psychologists

In addition to the critical shortage of SLPs, there also is a shortage of school psychologists. Not only with practitioners but with available graduate programs and the faculty needed to teach those programs. According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), consequences of the shortages include unmanageable caseloads, inability to provide prevention and early intervention services or regularly consult with families and teachers, reduced access to mental and behavioral health services for students, and limited scope of service delivery focused primarily on legally mandated special education practice.

While school psychologists are trained to address students with mental health needs, can lead social-emotional learning groups, and consult with principals, teachers, and parents about behavioral and learning challenges, their main priority is to assess students for learning disabilities and ensure schools are in compliance with special education laws. If a district or school only has a limited number of employed school psychologists, then they need to focus solely on supporting students with disabilities.

Possible Solutions

Although most of this isn’t news to many in the education industry, these shortages – of SLPs, school psychologists, counselors, and mental health professionals – can threaten the high quality of services students, families, and communities deserve.

At E-Therapy, we understand there aren’t enough school psychologists and SLPs to fill the many open positions at so many schools across the country. And while we can’t combat the shortages, we can help schools meet the needs of students so they are not suffering because of these vacancies. Our school psychologists are able to complete psychoeducational assessments. Our therapists serve and work with multicultural student populations in urban and rural areas that otherwise would not receive adequate and necessary therapy services for students in grades PreK-12.

We have more than 500 highly-qualified therapists (speech, physical and occupational) who have an estimated 700,000 plus hours of combined therapy experience, and all therapists are State and Nationally Certified with the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), or the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Our therapists are certified, credentialed, and/or licensed as required by state regulations and standards. Also, our therapists will comply with current state requirements for certification and licensure in the appropriate areas and are able to comply with any changes the state may make. In addition, we employ mental health therapists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and licensed school psychologists. We ensure that all licenses and documentation are up to date.

Mental Health Toll

It has been two years since the pandemic flipped the world upside down. Two years since educators and students had a “normal” school year. While many schools and districts are finding their way back to “normal,” those who stayed committed to “showing up” every day, the therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, teachers, administrators, support staff, and more are tired. They are burned out. Students are burned out too. With anxiety and depression rates at an all-time high among many Gen Z students, what can be done to help them in this post-pandemic world? With educators and students dealing with emotional crises daily, it is draining.

In addition to our related services and to combat the rising demand to address mental health needs, we recently introduced our eWELLNESS program. We developed a comprehensive mental health program to target the overall wellness needs of the entire school community. We can provide direct, indirect, and consult services to fragile youth through the assistance of a facilitator. Our therapy programs are tailored to fit each individual school depending on its needs. Our program addresses all tiers of student support, provides therapy services for students and staff, includes a quick and easy 48-hour referral system, and is equipped with a student tracking and reporting platform. Our highly-qualified therapists, in addition to mental health counselors, are hired and trained to customize services to truly engage students on every level to ensure their success.

And because K-12 school administrators, educators, and staff often overlook their own well-being, E-Therapy initiated an “educator wellness series” of interactive group sessions for teachers, school counselors, social workers, and administrators on a wide range of topics to help them handle emotional stress.

Recruitment

We take a proactive approach to recruiting therapists. The rigorous interview and hiring process allows us to recruit only the most qualified and experienced therapists. Our human resources department constantly seeks out new talent and cultivates new exceptional therapists to join our team. In addition to ensuring all therapists are industry credentialed as appropriate, we also ensure they meet all legal background checks and tests required.

Furthermore, we provide bilingual services to schools all over the nation. We work with diverse populations throughout many areas where English is the second language for many students. Founder Diana Parafiniuk is a bilingual SLP and is dedicated to providing excellent bilingual services to students in need. Currently, we employ several bilingual therapists and have seen great results in bilingual students’ IEP goals.

Tracking of Services

Data tracking and reporting are essential in every special education program. We have developed a comprehensive tracking system, STAR (Student Tracking and Reporting System), that allows districts to track their students’ progress in real-time and monitor their progress towards their IEP goals. This ensures school staff always is up-to-date with each student’s session data. STAR allows staff to refer students easily, provides a transparent experience to monitor services, and allows quick access to current billing/invoice information. STAR also helps inform methodology decisions. Each activity used by a therapist is chosen specifically to motivate and engage the student to best reach his or her goals. We also provide progress reports as requested by the school district. STAR allows school staff to not only see past information and all the data analytics behind it (sessions provided, notes, documents, etc.) but also allows staff to see all the future scheduled sessions.

Online Therapy Platform

Our system is optimized for the highest quality video connection where the therapist and student see and hear each other throughout the entire session from their computers. The video communication is powered by one of our partners, a leading video broadband provider, and we have customized the solution to best support the therapist and student video experience. Furthermore, we have plug n’ play activities therapists can use with students that are customizable in real-time. The therapist also is able to share digital activities with the student and even give the student control of the mouse or keyboard as needed to engage in interactive experiences to enhance the therapy experience.

STAR works on all school MACs, tablets, and smartphones, and it works on legacy computers so that school districts are not obligated to buy new hardware in order to receive therapy services.

If a school has in-house therapists but has no way to deliver services online, E-Therapy’s eSMART platform is the most resourceful, online, teletherapy management platform to ensure top-level support for a student services team. School-based teams are trained to get virtual sessions up and running with zero frustration.

Reach Out

E-Therapy conforms to all HIPAA, FERPA, and industry standards. Our therapists are required to obtain continuing education credits and keep up-to-date on current telepractice skills and activities. Contact one of our representatives today to get more information about our services.

Want to learn more?

Click below to schedule a chat with us today: https://bit.ly/3s0GcQR

May — Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness

You may be aware that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s not just a time for us to talk about depression and anxiety. Mental health is about your overall well-being: how you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, the way you cope with stress, and so much more.

So this month let’s make sure we’re taking care of ourselves in all areas of our lives — not just when we’re feeling down or anxious, but every day.

Self-Care TipsSelf-care should be a priority in each of our lives. So this month, let’s make it a point to prioritize our well-being.

Here are some tips on how to practice your own self-care:

Eat well and exercise regularly
Get at least eight hours of sleep each night
Practice meditation or yoga
Venture outdoors and enjoy nature
Utilize all five senses (hear, see, taste, touch, and smell)

Many of us can feel guilty when taking time for ourselves, but it is important to remember that self-care isn’t selfish; it’s simply something that we all need in order to reset and thrive.

Mental Health Is A Topic That Is Often StigmatizedIt’s important to be aware of our own mental health issues, but it is also crucial that we understand the importance of supporting people who have them. Mental health is often overlooked, stigmatized, and misunderstood — but we can change this by spreading awareness about how common these problems are, how common it is for people to struggle with them, and how many successful treatments there are available today.

Talking openly about mental illness, instead of keeping quiet about our own experiences with depression or anxiety disorders like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), can aid in others’ willingness to also share and more importantly seek the help they need.

How You Can Help

The best way you can help someone struggling with mental illness is to be kind and compassionate.

Mental health stigma persists, but with the right awareness and education, it can be overcome. With that in mind:

Help fight the stigma on mental health. It’s easy to assume that someone who is experiencing mental illness has always had those problems, but this isn’t true — and certainly not fair. Someone going through a particularly difficult time might need extra support from those around them as they recover from their struggles.
Be aware of advocacy efforts for people with mental illnesses that are being undertaken by organizations like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). As an ally to those living with mental illness, you can help spread this important message about what it means for everyone when people remain silent about their struggles or fail to give others the tools they need for healthy self-care during difficult times in life.

Want to learn more?Visit www.NAMI.org

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is a wonderful organization working towards bringing awareness to mental illness.

If you’d like to learn more about E-Therapy and how our work helps schools all over the United States, please visit our Mental Health Remote Therapy page and follow us on social media to get to know us.

Youth Mental Health Crisis

By now, we are all aware of the mental health impacts students are experiencing. We see the news. We hear the stories from friends and neighbors. We even feel the impacts on our own sons and daughters.

The pandemic certainly brought many things to light, but was these impacts a direct result of it, and will things improve if/when we reset post-pandemic? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Truth is, mental health had an impact long before the arrival of COVID-19. In fact, research suggests, and data support, that over the past 20-plus years, the impacts of mental health on youth specifically have been growing. This was a pre-pandemic realization especially as we saw and addressed an increase in the frequency of school violence. During this time, the mental health of youth was described as an iceberg, whereby what was observable above the surface wasn’t representative of the scope of the problem that lay unseen below the metaphorical waters of youth mental health.

Now, as we look at the impacts post-pandemic, the mental health problems youth and families face can be more appropriately described as a tsunami with COVID-19 being the trigger that has sent an ever-increasing wave of impact toward our schools, homes, and communities.

As with tsunamis, recognition and time to act are key.

So what can we do? First, understand that we can’t stop a tsunami, but we can recognize it and brace ourselves for it. This can take the form of recognizing the signs and symptoms of conditions such as depression, anxiety, and suicidality in addition to how these impact and manifest in others. Additionally, educating ourselves about how those who struggle with mental health aren’t lazy, broken, or choosing to live this way will help eliminate stigma, incorporate acceptance and understanding as we support them, and prevent us from personalizing any impacts we may experience.

Second, while we can’t stop the waves from coming, we can learn the best way to “ride” them out.

This can entail understanding that help is available and that we are not alone in whatever we are struggling with. What’s more, if we have a friend or loved one who is experiencing impacts of mental health, we can initiate the conversation and then listen to them and meet them where they are. Often, just being present with someone who is struggling can have a positive impact on their present functioning.

Third, let them know that help and professional support are available.

“Riding” the waves can be challenging, but it is possible. There are people all around us who are likely learning how to “ride” or that are teaching others how to “ride” every day. At the end of the day, we must acknowledge that the health and well-being of students across the globe are being impacted and that the causes can’t be ignored. Be intentional about reaching out to those who are hurting. Be available to listen. Be specific about the supports that are readily available. We can’t afford anything less.

If your school needs help addressing these issues, E-Therapy can help. From our mental health online therapy to our upcoming roundtable, we are here for you. Sign up for the Roundtable here!

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How to Embrace Change, Let Go, and Make the Most Out of Uncertain Times

How to Embrace Change, Let Go, and Make the Most Out of Uncertain Times

Currently, we are living in an extremely unpredictable time. It seems as if we are constantly being asked to adjust due to the many challenges we continue to face. Nothing is certain. Not only do we not know what is happening day today, but we also don’t know what is happening moment to moment. Everywhere we look we see some new threat, some new information, some new requirement we have to deal with. It is exhausting and a little disconcerting, to say the least. Everything seems to be in a constant state of change.

Change can be very challenging to handle. Constancy makes us feel secure. When we know what to expect, we can plan for what is ahead of us. What do we do then, when we don’t know what is coming next and we can’t prepare for what is needed? In other words, how do we embrace change, let go, and still manage to function effectively?

Here are three key tips and strategies that might help you to let go and embrace change:

Pay Attention to Your Perspective

Often when things change, we go into a panic or fearful mindset, looking at all the ways this can negatively impact us. This is when it is important to take a minute to shift our perspective and see if our thinking is helping or hurting the situation. When reacting to the uncertainty we often find ourselves thinking in catastrophizing and unproductive ways. In order to combat these patterns here are some things to consider:

Am I jumping to the worst possible conclusion?
Am I thinking in extreme (all-or-nothing) terms?
Am I using words like ‘always’ and ‘never’ and overgeneralizing?
Am I jumping to conclusions and predicting the future instead of waiting to see what happens?
Am I focusing on the negative and overlooking the positive?
Am I listening too much to my negative gut feelings instead of looking at the objective facts?
Am I possibly misinterpreting the evidence at hand? Am I making any assumptions?
Is my current perspective an old tape on replay?
Does my current perspective prevent me from happiness, abundance, and peace?
What is my current perspective costing me? What have I missed out on?

Once you have determined how your thinking is affecting your perspective, you want to reframe your thought process to create a productive and positive response. Some of the best ways to do this are by igniting your curiosity, focusing on the benefits of the situation, and remembering with change there are always new opportunities for learning and growth. Ask yourself the following questions:

What might this look like if I were seeing this situation for the first time?
What skills do I possess that can help me get what I want out of this situation?
What can I learn from this experience? How can I grow from this challenge?
If I were twice as strong and twice as confident, what decision would I make?

Our perspective determines our response and contributes to our happiness and positive outlook when things seem uncertain. So just taking a minute to understand and choose our perspective can make all the difference.

Determine Your Response:

You may not be able to control anything that is happening around you, but you can have control over your response to it. Often when we experience change, we find ourselves in a state of reaction – an immediate, instinctive, knee-jerk emotional experience that occurs before we have a chance to process what is happening. This is when we feel most out of control. When we instead have a moment to make a conscious choice about our circumstances, we begin to regain control by having a thought-out response to whatever challenges confront us.

When we react to something we panic, then we proceed. When we respond to something we pause, process, plan, and then proceed. This simple distinction can help us embrace the challenges change brings. To begin responding instead of reacting you can follow this simple PLAN.

When experiencing the stress that change brings implement the PLAN acronym to form a positive response:

P – Pause – Take a minute to breathe and notice your reaction.

L – Label Your Reaction – Name what you are feeling.

A – Ask Yourself Why – What scares you about this change?

N – New Response – What matters most in this situation? What opportunity is available to me? How can I respond in a productive way?

Often when change occurs, we have a desire to resist it or retreat from it, but if we actually think about moving towards it, opportunities can open up for us in ways we never imagined. Therefore, when we are presented with change, we need to take a moment to emotionally regulate ourselves so we can drop into our inner wisdom and respond in a way that helps us seize the opportunities available.

Surrender

Lastly, now that you have examined your approach and made a conscious choice of how to handle the ever-changing landscape, it is time to surrender. One of the most important things we need to realize is that there are so many things that are out of our control. Once we have done everything that is in our control, we have to let go and trust that we will get through whatever comes our way. When we resist change it only makes it harder. Surrender is very powerful. By accepting what is, embracing new opportunities, and going with the natural flow of things, we begin to have the space and wherewithal to enjoy the good in our lives. We begin to realize all that change makes POSSIBLE.

Use the POSSIBLE acronym to learn how to surrender:

P – Practice patience with whatever is occurring

O – Open your mind to having a positive outcome

S – Suspend Judgement

S – Say yes as much as you can

I – Intercept resistance by opening your heart

B – Be open to the Present Moment

L –Look for moments of silence and solace

E- Embrace the unknown

Overall, by embracing change and letting go we pave the way for great possibilities and open the door to new and exciting opportunities we may have missed if we stayed focused on our fear and uncertainty.

If you are looking for online therapy or Mental Health Teletherapy for school kids from K – to 12 then do visit our etherapy platform.
This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/how-to-embrace-change-let-go-and-make-the-most-out-of-uncertain-times/

4 Self-Care Practices for Teletherapists

Self-care is all the rage lately, and for good reason! As therapists, in teletherapy and in other settings, our goal is to help others, and sometimes this comes at the cost of forgetting to help ourselves. In teletherapy, it can be easy to forget these things, with the lines of your home and your home office being blurred at times.

With intentional self-care, you can find time in your day to make sure that you are taking care of your needs, so you can show up to your sessions and give them your BEST therapist self!

Here are 4 Self-Care Practices for Teletherapists:

Plan Breaks

Over scheduling your day is tempting in any setting, and working from home is no different. Breaks are crucial to giving your brain and body some time throughout the day to recharge, so you can be fully present for your work. And breaks are shown to reduce errors and improve efficiency, so that is always a win!

SELF-CARE TIP: Try taking mini-breaks between sessions and plan for a short break where you can get up and move around or grab a snack every 90 minutes or so. And don’t forget your lunch break.

Get up and Move

It can be really easy to forget to get up and move when you work at your computer in your home office. Since you don’t always have to get up to get your next student or walk to the other side of your office to gather materials for your next session, it is easy to accidentally sit for longer than you intended during your day.

Just like planning for a break, make sure you have time to get up and move during your day. It helps you to have a break from your work, but also helps to reduce tension that can build up from sitting and gives you more energy and focus for your sessions to come. Plus, it’s good for your overall well-being 🙂

SELF-CARE TIP: Try a quick stretch between sessions (you can even use your chair or desk for this!). Find a 5-10 minute video you like to do. Go for a walk outside. Or maybe keep a yoga mat rolled out nearby, so you can hop on and move a little.

Start and End Times

When you work from home, the lines around your workday start to blur unless you set some boundaries. You start a little earlier than you should to fit in one more session, or stay later in your office to finish up some reports that are due. Having the extra time is a definite benefit of not having a long commute to work, but it can also cut into the time away from your office, where you get to recharge and refresh, and step away from work for awhile.

SELF-CARE TIP: Set start and end times to your work day, the same way you would if you were arriving and leaving for your brick and mortar school or clinic. Build buffers in for those days with extra sessions or reports that are due, and stick to those times.

Transition

Another great thing to do during your day is to make a clear transition between your workday and your evening at home. It can be really easy to jump straight from finishing up in your office to cooking dinner, taking care of your kids, or doing tasks around your house. This leaves little time for your brain to unwind and let go from the day, so you might find that even though you aren’t “at” work anymore, your thoughts and focus are still there, making it really difficult to enjoy your time at home – and pretty mentally exhausting too!

Try creating a transition that helps tell your brain “I’m ready to sign off for the day, so I can recharge and be here, fully, excited, and ready to go in the morning!”.

SELF-CARE TIP: To make a smooth transition from your at-home workday to family or me-time, take a walk outside (your dog will thank you!), listen to your favorite podcast, read a book, call a friend, head to the gym, or even write in your journal. Anything goes!

Working in teletherapy is so wonderful! If you are trying to put your day together, give a few of these self-care practices for teletherapists a try. They really do make all the difference! And if you are ready to make the leap into teletherapy, reach out to us here: Become an E-Therapist

This blog is first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/4-self-care-practices-for-teletherapists/

Ten Tips to Keep You From Falling Apart This School Year

“We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

As the school year continues, Covid-19 still looms large, and teachers and students sometimes feel overcome with all the uncertainty they face. Educators are dealing with a multitude of changes, new protocols, and fears. This added stress and confusion creates anxiety that leads to a sense of feeling swamped, defeated, depressed, and worried about how to get it all done.

How then do we show up and do the job required of us without falling apart? E-Therapy’s resident life coach, Cathy Hartenstein, shares ten mental health tips for teachers and therapists that will help you keep your head on straight and your sanity intact.

1. Breathe

When we get stressed and feel overwhelmed one of the best tools we have is to just simply breathe. That moment of taking a deep breath and letting out a slow exhale allows us to refocus, remain calm, and reconnect to ourselves. Take deep breaths to sync up your heart rate and your breath, release endorphins, and bring yourself into a serene and relaxed state. Deep breaths bring more oxygen to your brain which combats that foggy, unfocused, on-edge feeling.

How does it help?
Deep breathing allows us to slow down, catch our breath, and find a clarity that improves both our energy and mental focus.

2. Break Things Down

Oftentimes overwhelm creeps in because we are focused on the multitude of tasks in front of us. We look at our long list of things to do and think we will never get it all done. The best way to combat this is to break your responsibilities down into small tasks. The best way to break down projects is to start by defining your milestones (when do things need to be completed by), figure out what tasks are needed to reach the milestones, and finally put the tasks in the right order. This helps to clarify your goals and understand what your timeframe and daily workload will look like.

How does it help?
By breaking down big projects into doable steps it helps combat the sense of doom that the long list of responsibilities triggers.

3. Make a List

The next step is to make a To Do List. List making is very powerful in that it gives you concrete focus about how to actually accomplish your work. The trick to successful list making is to keep it short. Once your list explodes and has too many items, you burn out quickly and find yourself feeling completely overwhelmed. Once you have completed a task be sure to cross it off.

How does it help?
List making helps to combat overwhelm as you begin to see all that you have completed and that you can get your work done.

4. Prioritize

In order to keep that list short, you need to prioritize. There are many strategies for prioritizing your work, but things to keep in mind when doing so include:

separating urgent tasks from important tasks
scheduling things that don’t need to get done right away
delegating whenever possible
and most importantly, figuring out what you can cut

Once you have gone through this process, assess which tasks have the most value to doing your job and how much effort it takes to get the task done. Now you can figure out the top 3-5 tasks you must complete and put them on your list.

How does it help?
Prioritizing means figuring out which tasks need to be done first to keep your workload from getting away from you.

5. One Step at a Time

There is a famous Chinese proverb that says “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. This is good to remember when we see that long list of things that need to be done in a short period of time. Sometimes we take one look at that long list and start to freak out – “How am I ever going to get all that done?!”

But if we just start with the first step and build on that incrementally, we slowly but surely find that our list gets shorter and shorter. If you start small you see that your workload starts to diminish rapidly. It is much easier to do something incrementally than all at once.

How does it help?
The benefit of doing something incrementally is that the strategy sets you up for success instead of failure and gives you many small accomplishments along the way to feel good about, which only encourages you to continue.

6. Simplify

This is to remind you to not get too caught up in the nitty gritty. This means returning to the basics, finding the easiest way to get something done, and doing less whenever possible. Trust your instincts and don’t reinvent the wheel. When in doubt throw the task out – eliminate whatever is not essential to your work. Learn to say no!

How does it help?
When we feel overwhelmed it is best to do just what needs to get done.

7. Focus on What’s Right in Front of You

We often find during our work day there are many moving pieces and lots of demand for our time and attention. We are constantly being pulled in many directions at once. When this happens, it is best to just focus on what’s right in front of you. Deal with the task at hand and then move onto the next one. If you do get interrupted, address it and then quickly shift your attention back to what you were doing.

How does it help?
Focusing on what’s in front of you keeps you from getting ahead of yourself and thinking about the multitude of tasks ahead of you.

8. Take a Break

It is important to remember to take a break and treat yourself to down time. Great ways to take a break include indulging in fun distractions, stepping outside and experiencing nature, letting yourself daydream, eating a tasty healthy snack, or exercising.

How does it help?
Taking a break gives you a chance to refresh, refocus, and realign your energy and makes it possible to take good care of yourself in the midst of all your daily stress.

9. Let Go of Perfectionism

So often when we feel out of control or overwhelmed, we tend to focus on what we do have power over. We set very high expectations for ourselves and try to micromanage every detail. We want everything to be perfect to the point where we actually create more stress for ourselves. The best way to let go of perfectionism is to let go of unrealistic expectations, stay present, and focus on what is working. Remember, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

How does it help?
Letting go of the need to be perfect frees us from unrealistic expectations that cause extra work and stress. You are good at what you do, and 99.9% of the time, your work is more than good enough. Trust yourself!

10. Remember to Have Fun

When we are having fun it automatically helps to dissipate stress and overwhelm. So often when our responsibilities loom large, we forget that we love what we do.

When you are feeling stressed, take a moment and refocus your energy on a key aspect about your work that you really enjoy.
Practice gratitude and let yourself be creative in accomplishing your tasks.
Make a positive, inspiring work space with reminders of self-care and joyful messages.
If you are collaborating, see if you can engage in fun brainstorming activities or have happiness boosting breaks throughout the day which can include sharing fun, uplifting emails, texts, or videos with each other.

How does it help?
When you are feeling stressed, taking a moment to have some fun will help you remember that you love what you are doing!

Overall, remember that while you may feel overwhelmed by all the current shifts and changes happening each day, you are great at your job and even in the middle of everything, what you contribute is truly remarkable.

Sound off in the comments below about how you combat overwhelm in your daily work.

Learn more:
5 Tips For Practicing Presence
Reflecting on the Positive: Signs That You Love Teletherapy
The Power of Setting Good Intentions
Practicing Gratitude Goes A Long Way In Beating Stress

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/ten-tips-to-keep-you-from-falling-apart-this-school-year/

Pros and Cons of Being an Online Therapist

Opportunities in therapy are growing. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 41,900 new SLPs will be needed by 2026, which is a growth projection of 27 percent. This growth is faster than the average for all occupations!

Much of the work will be available in an online format know as teletherapy, but as with any work setting, there are pros and cons to telepractice. Here are a few to consider as you decide if being a teletherapist is right for you.

Working from home

Who doesn’t love the idea of working from home? We heard from some people who actually do work from home. Here’s what they say:

Pros:

No commute or fighting traffic. What more is there to say about that?
Starting laundry when you have a break. I don’t know about you, but if I can get just one extra load into the washer, that’s life changing. In general, getting to sneak in a little chore here and there when you have a few minutes is definitely a pro.
More time with family. Without the extra time spent commuting, being stuck in traffic, and doing laundry after work, you may actually have some extra time to spend with your family. Trade a little chore time for a little play time with the kiddos.

Cons:

Isolation. If you’re someone who thrives on the social interaction that comes with being in a traditional workplace, this can be challenging. You still get plenty of interaction online, but it’s not the same. You may need to find extra outlets if you really crave the in-person interaction.
Distraction. Working from home means that all the distractions of home are there, too. Remember that laundry we mentioned earlier? Yeah, that’s there. All. The. Time. You’ll need to be disciplined in how you spend your time and make sure that you actually work during the time you are scheduled to work.
No distinction between work and home. When your office is in your home, it can be tough to put away work and have downtime. You need to find ways to be intentional about putting work aside and being truly present during your non-work times.

Making a connection with students

It’s probably safe to say that we all desire to build a strong connection with the students and families that we serve. But is it possible to do that through a computer? Absolutely!

Pros:

Students are a natural with technology. Students often get excited when they get to engage with a screen for their therapy time. Can that be right? Is engagement with a screen a real thing? When there’s a caring, knowledgeable adult on the other end, it’s a very real thing.
You can do most everything you can in person. With video conferencing, screen sharing, sharing keyboard and mouse controls, there is very little you can’t do online. It may take a little creativity and effort, but totally possible.
It’s easier to set boundaries when you need to. Boundaries are healthy, but they aren’t always easy to set and enforce. Having a physical distance between you and the student can make this sometimes difficult process a bit easier.

Cons:

Technology challenges. The internet goes down. Computers crash. It’s a reality, but being prepared and flexible when things don’t go as planned is the key. Let’s face it, if you’ve worked as a therapist for any length of time, you’ve likely already developed the ability to be prepared and flexible no matter what your setting is.
You need to be at least a little tech savvy. You don’t necessarily need to know as much about technology as the students you’re working with, but you do need to be comfortable with it, willing to learn (a LOT) as things change and advance, and be able to help troubleshoot at a distance when needed.
You can’t provide physical cues. A lot of potential online therapists worry that the inability to physically guide and cue a student is a huge barrier. That’s a legitimate limitation. That’s also why you should have a good facilitator on the student’s side to help when physical guidance, redirection, or cueing are needed.

Day-to-day logistics

You’ve made it through grad school and licensing and figuring out how to fit 80 students into a 40 student time frame. You got this!

Pros:

Independence. If you enjoy working independently, teletherapy may be a great fit. Working online allows you more autonomy to establish your own routines and decide what workflow and general processes work best for you. There are still rules and laws you must follow, but how you go about your daily activities is much more individual to your needs and preferences.
Flexibility. There is a definite flexibility to being an online therapist. You can’t just show up online whenever you want, but there is usually the opportunity to create your own schedule that works for your actual life.
Time zones. Time zones give you an expanded time frame that you can work. If you’re on the West Coast and an early riser, you may be able to start seeing East Coast students at 5 AM your time. Live on the East Coast and want to work later with schools on the West Coast? Yep, you can do that too.

Cons:

Time zones. With the awesome flexibility offered by being able to work in multiple time zones, there’s also a logistical challenge. Throw in Daylight Saving Time and oh, my! Online calendars and planners can be your new bestie.
School calendars. If you enjoy working in schools because it lets your work schedule align with your kid’s school schedule, we’re with ya! For the most part they match up pretty well. But you need to consider that not all schools have the same days off. Thanksgiving, Winter Break, and Spring Break can vary greatly depending on what part of the country you’re working in. You’ll need to be able to work around your online school’s schedule and be available when they are in session regardless of when your local schools may be on break.
Licensing. The rules around licensing for teletherapy are pretty simple, and they’re not. The simple? You usually have to be licensed in both the state you are sitting AND the state where the student is physically present. The not-so-simple? Getting all those licenses if you work in multiple states. And what if you travel out of state? And what if your student travels out of state? It can get mind blowing. The key is being organized and taking it one license, one out-of-state trip, one issue at a time.

These are just a few of the areas to consider when deciding if being an online therapist is right for you. There are some unique challenges that come with being a teletherapist. Finding the solutions to those challenges is part of the fun!

Ready to take the challenge?

E-Therapy works with hundreds of therapists and the need for more is growing. If you are interested in joining our team to provide live face-to-face online Speech-Language, Occupational, and Physical Therapy or Counseling/Social Work and Assessments/Diagnostics, then sign up as a therapist here.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-being-an-online-therapist/

How to Choose the Perfect Teletherapy Provider for Your School

Today, schools and educators are facing myriad challenges daily, one of which is finding the best related service providers for their students. With several choices available today, including E-Therapy and other teletherapy providers, it is important to review your options carefully to be sure you find the best fit for your school’s needs and requirements.

Key points when choosing a teletherapy provider

Teletherapy provider’s level of experience and expertise

The first question to ask is about the provider’s level of experience and their therapy expertise.

Operating and running a service based, people-centered teletherapy business through an online, real-time, delivery model, provides for unique experiences with awesome challenges and wins. In our twleve years in the teletherapy space, we have jumped over many hurdles and learned amazing lessons that make E-Therapy the company it is today. Our company was founded by an actual working speech therapist, Diana Parafiniuk, who needed a solution but couldn’t find one. It is this seasoned experience and expertise makes the difference.

When considering what you look for in an online services provider, there are no shortcuts in reaching students and shaping the lives of school age children. We pride ourselves in our personal approach and long-term experience. We encourage those seeking a provider to find the partner that not only can offer the right tools, therapists, and technology, but also, one that has an abundance of experience in delivery.

Caseload requirements and cost for teletherapy services

The second question to ask your potential teletherapy provider, is, “Does the online therapy company have a minimum caseload requirement and what are the actual charges of service you are paying for?”

Many teletherapy providers today require a minimum caseload before agreeing to contract with the school. While we understand the business reason for doing this, the team at E-Therapy never requires a minimum caseload. We believe in reaching every student, whether it’s one or one hundred. Each student matters.

We offer our new schools a pilot program of any enrollment size, so that we can demonstrate the benefits of our services, while simultaneously addressing your immediate online therapy needs.

Also, it is important to ask about billing transparency of specific charges upfront. Be sure to have the provider clarify what you will be billed for exactly and what the terms are and how detailed the invoice will be. Ask for a sample report (or a sample invoice) to ensure all your services and budgeting needs will be accurately billed.

Real-time service and therapy session tracking

Third, does the teletherapy provider have the ability to provide real-time service and session tracking for your school?

Be sure your provider has a system or platform where real-time session tracking is easily accessible to you and your staff. In a busy administrator’s day, there is no time for hunting and pecking for information. You should not have to search for updates through emails online or have to “wait on hold” to speak to someone to get simple, easy, student session information. The E-Therapy STAR Platform has everything an exceptional educator/administrator needs at their fingertips, with a click of a button.

Support and training for your therapists and staff

Finally, what does the teletherapy provider offer to address school/teacher access and customer service? In other words, is the provider working for you or are YOU having to comply with the provider’s needs?

Access to a dedicated account manager and your immediate school service needs are mission critical. Ask who will be your point person and will they be a dedicated support for your school’s teachers and aides.

Ask about what technology your school will need to use. At E-Therapy, we use our proprietary teletherapy platform and get consistently great feedback on how easy it is to integrate and use. All our administrators, educators, and students are up and running in no time with a desktop/laptop, a webcam, and a headset. The E-Therapy platform does the rest, taking all of the heavy lifting out of the way.

E-Therapy includes a fully transparent real time billing system as well as mandatory IEP Compliance reporting features. We want educators to focus on educating and not hunting down reports or being IT managers!

Contact E-Therapy to talk about your needs

These are a few key points to keep top of mind. If you would like to set up a time to talk about your school’s needs, we are happy to keep the conversation going! Contact Kelly, E-Therapy’s National Sales Manager. If you prefer talking, then call 1-800-330-0093.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-perfect-teletherapy-provider-for-your-school/

February Activity Roundup

February Calendar of Activities

Check out our February activity calendar which offers 28 days of “national day” and holiday celebration activity links. Linked activities can be used in your therapy sessions or in your classroom. Links may lead to hands-on activities, online games, or online stories and websites that revolve around the special day. Don’t miss snagging your free copy of our February “National Day” Activity Calendar today!

Bitmoji Rooms

This month we offer you two free Bitmoji rooms. First up is E-Therapy’s Black History Month (BHM) Bitmoji Room which comes preloaded with 18 interactive links that you can use in your remote or in-person therapy sessions. Links for the BHM Bitmoji Room center around famous african american figures throughout history.

The second Bitmoji room is a February-themed room filled with links to several February holidays including Chinese New Year, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day. Get your February Bitmoji Room here!

Valentine’s Day Classroom Sticker Scene

Who doesn’t enjoy sending and receiving cards and sweet treats to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Your students will love using Jamboard’s drag and drop feature to place the virtual Valentine’s-themed stickers in this classroom scene. Our E-Therapy virtual sticker scenes are perfect for remote or in-person therapy sessions to target a large variety of goals or can be used as a reinforcing activity. Get your copy of the Valentine’s Day Classroom Sticker Scene now!

Sweet Treats Bakery Spot the Difference

The E-Therapy bakers have been busy filling the bakery with lots of sweet treats. See if your students can find all the differences in the Sweet Treats Bakery Spot the Difference visual perception activity. This Jamboard activity can be used in all therapy settings. Enjoy!

Winter Olympics Vocabulary Activity

Get into the Olympic spirit! The Winter Olympics – Can You Name the Event? Vocabulary Activity uses engaging photographs of sporting events and multiple choice responses to name different Winter Olympic activities. This activity is recommended for use during the winter months, but can be used throughout the year and is appropriate for use in a remote or brick and mortar therapy setting.

Winter Olympics Movement Break Cards

The Olympic fun continues! These Winter Olympics Movement Break Cards can be printed out for in-person use or for sending home with students or the cards can be screen shared for remote sessions. Use these cards by themselves or paired with a game board. Grab your copy today!

Get monthly activities to use in your online therapy sessions

Check out our monthly Activity Round-ups for even more fun online games and activities that can easily be used in your online teletherapy sessions.

This blog was first posted on: https://www.electronic-therapy.com/blog/february-activity-roundup/