Online Counseling with Renee

How Do I Know if My Daughter Needs Therapy?

This is one of the most common questions I get from parents. Below is a list of 9 signs that your daughter could benefit from seeing a therapist.

1. She asks to see one.

2. She is having difficulty managing everyday stressors or seems overwhelmed.

3. She is isolating and avoiding everyday activities or social engagements.

4. She is chronically procrastinating.

5. She has unexplained physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, GI issues, or headaches.

6. She is overthinking or constantly worrying.

7. She is feeling overly agitated or irritable.

8. She is having panic attacks.

9. She is self-harming or having suicidal thoughts.

Benefits of Online Therapy

The key to therapy, whether it is online or in person, is rapport. If your therapist cannot build rapport with your daughter quickly, the effectiveness of therapy plummets. Online therapy has many benefits for both you and your daughter.

1. Less of a Wait: Currently, some agencies have 6-month waiting lists to see clients in person. Online therapy can be more easily accessible with more prompt services.

2. No Driving Necessary: Don’t waste time trying to find a ride or driving to and from appointments.

3. Easy to Fit into a Busy Schedule: Because there is no travel time, girls can attend appointments that they might not otherwise have time for. All you need is an internet connection and a safe place to talk.

4. No Waiting Room: Parents no longer have to wait in a waiting room or in their car. They can get their own errands done or complete work that otherwise would have been pushed to later.

5. No Missed Appointment Costs: Even if girls forget or get sidetracked, they can quickly get online and avoid no-show costs.

6. More Comfortable: Many girls enjoy the comfort of their own room or space allowing them to feel more at ease and share more.

What Can Girls Expect from Therapy?

All therapists have their own unique style, but most therapy sessions have the same components. Key things to expect from therapy are:

1. Building Rapport: Allow for your daughter and therapist to spend a few sessions getting to know each other. Good rapport between a client and therapist is linked to more successful outcomes in therapy.

2. Talking: Initially it may take time for your daughter to open up, but there should be conversation. Talking about other interests can help build rapport and a level of trust that is needed to talk about heavier topics.

3. Education: Your therapist should educate your daughter on her diagnosis, explain what is going on in her body, and help establish healthy coping strategies.

4. Practice or Activities: Your daughter should be practicing or engaging in activities either inside or outside of the session to help build confidence.

5. Problem-Solving: Your therapist should talk to your daughter about her problems and help her create action plans to solve them.

6. Goal-Setting: Your daughter should be part of the goal-setting process to gauge progress and provide incentive.

7. Collaboration: Your therapist should collaborate with medical professionals to ensure proper medication management if needed.

Not Sure that Online Therapy is for You?

It’s all about rapport - not the physical space!

It is understandable that after the everything was online during the pandemic, a lot of girls are wanting to see a therapist in person. Renee has been working with adolescents and young women for 30+ years, 3 of those years have been fully online. One thing that Renee has noticed is what most girls are seeking in a therapist is an empathetic and friendly person that knows what they are talking about. They understand what it is like to be a teenager now and have realistic strategies to help them feel better and more confident about themselves. Often, they will associate that experience with seeing someone in person. 

The reality is that rapport is not about the physical space, but the therapist’s ability to connect with clients and meet them where they are. 

Rapport is one of the greatest indicators in successful therapy. Feeling connected and understood by your therapist leads to greater outcomes and higher confidence regardless of whether you are in person or online. 

Renee has found that with a short check list and her extensive experience, girls and young women can still achieve what they are hoping for in an online situation. Finding the right fit between client and therapist is more important than the setting. Her ability to quickly establish rapport with her clients online has made therapy much more accessible to her clients, especially those that graduate and go away to college.   

Keys to Successful Online Therapy

1. Treat it like an in-person appointment. Don’t try to multitask. Give it your full attention.

2. Do your best to have a good internet connection.

3. Pick a place where you will have privacy. (Renee can help problem solve this.)

4. Bring a list of things that you want to cover in a session.

5. Let your therapist know if you are not getting what you need.

Important Information About My Practice

Please Note: If you are looking for mental health therapy, I am only licensed in Pennsylvania. I am unable to provide therapy sessions to clients that reside out of state.

• All sessions will be conducted online using a telemedicine site or over the phone. 

• I provide receipts that are coded for insurance reimbursement if your carrier takes out of network providers for mental health services.  

• All payments are made through Debit and Credit Card (including flexible spending accounts) at the time of service through the Patient Portal.

• On the second of every month, you will be sent a super bill that will have all the coded information necessary for insurance reimbursement.

• Please check with your insurance in advance if they take out-of-network providers for mental health services. 

If my schedule looks very busy, you can always email to get put on my cancellation list to possibly be seen sooner. 

I do have a 24hr cancellation policy and you will be charged for the full session if you do not cancel at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. You will be required to put a Debit/Credit Card on file that will only be used if you do not adhere to the cancellation policy.

If you have any other questions about pricing or feel I need to have more knowledge of your situation prior to your initial evaluation, please feel free to email me at renee@reneemcclure.com.