Telehealth Therapy

Telehealth Therapy in Maryland

Trauma-informed care, delivered to wherever feels right.

Reviewed by Sarah Martin, LCPC, Clinical Director Last updated April 25, 2026 7 min read

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What is telehealth therapy?
How sessions work
What we offer over video
When telehealth fits
When in-person is better
Does telehealth therapy work?
What you'll need
Frequently asked questions

Start here.

Wondering whether video therapy is the right format?

Leaving the house for an appointment has become its own obstacle.
You live somewhere a trauma specialist is hard to reach in person.
Childcare, work, or caregiving makes the in-person hour difficult to hold.
Driving home from a hard session has never been the part that felt right.
You want consistent care that travels with you across the state.

We offer telehealth across the state for most of the work we do in person, including EMDR adapted for video. A few approaches read better in the room, and we will say so when that is the case. Most clients tell us the format fades into the background within a few sessions and the work takes over.

Schedule a consultation.

Or keep reading

What is telehealth therapy?

Telehealth therapy is the same evidence-based mental health care provided in our offices, delivered live over secure video instead of in person. The therapist is the same. The clinical work is the same. The 50-minute hour, the relationship, and the goals are the same. The only difference is the format.

Telehealth has been studied for more than two decades and has been part of mainstream mental health care for years. The expansion of telehealth during 2020 made it more familiar to more people, but the research base supporting its effectiveness was already substantial before that. For most conditions and most clients, the work translates well.

What we offer is video-based therapy with a licensed clinician on our team, scheduled in regular weekly or biweekly sessions, just as in-person therapy is. We do not offer text-only therapy or asynchronous messaging. Trauma work in particular benefits from the live presence of a therapist, even when that presence is over video.

How telehealth sessions work

Before your first session, we send you a secure video link and walk you through the technology if you'd like. At the appointment time, you click the link, your therapist clicks the link, and the session starts. The video platform we use is HIPAA-compliant and designed specifically for healthcare; sessions are not recorded.

The session itself follows the same arc as an in-person appointment. You and your therapist talk, work through what you came in to work on, and end with a plan for between-session steps if relevant. The duration is the same, typically 50 minutes. The therapeutic relationship develops in similar ways. Most clients tell us that within a few sessions, the format fades into the background and the work takes over.

Where you take the session matters more than what you take it on. A private space where you can speak openly is essential. Many clients use a bedroom, a home office, or a parked car in a quiet spot. Headphones improve audio and add privacy.

What we offer over telehealth

Most of the work our practice does translates well to video. A few approaches require some adaptation, and a few are better suited to in-person care. Here is how the main modalities show up in a telehealth format.

EMDR therapy

EMDR over video is now a well-established practice, supported by EMDRIA (the international body that certifies EMDR clinicians) and used by trauma therapists nationwide. Dual attention stimulation, the bilateral component of EMDR, can be delivered through on-screen visual cues that move side to side, alternating audio tones through headphones, or self-tapping that you do at home while your therapist guides the process. Most clients find that telehealth EMDR feels different from in-person EMDR for the first session or two, then settles into recognizable territory.

Family therapy

Family sessions over video can work well, particularly when family members are in different locations. When everyone is in one home, in-person sessions usually allow for more natural conversation and movement. We can talk through which makes sense for your family.

Attachment and somatic work

Therapy that depends heavily on the therapist's in-room observation of the body, on co-regulation through physical proximity, or on hands-on grounding techniques can be a better fit for in-person sessions. That said, many attachment-focused approaches translate to video, and your therapist can help you decide what fits.

Therapy with children and teens

Older children, teens, and adolescents often work well in a telehealth format. For younger children, especially ages 2 to 8, in-person play-based therapy is often the better fit because the work depends on physical materials and movement that video cannot replicate. Your child's therapist will help you decide.

When telehealth is the right fit

Some of the situations where telehealth makes therapy possible or more sustainable:

You live too far from our offices for in-person sessions to be practical
You'd rather not commute, especially after a difficult session
Childcare, work, or caregiving responsibilities make leaving home for therapy hard
You have a chronic illness, mobility limitation, or health concern that makes travel difficult
You feel safer or more comfortable doing therapy from home
You want consistent care during travel, weather disruptions, or relocations within the state
You prefer the flexibility of mixing telehealth and in-person sessions week to week

For many people, telehealth is what makes therapy possible. That is reason enough.

When in-person care might fit better

Telehealth is not always the right tool. Some situations where in-person care is the better starting point:

You're in an active mental health crisis or experiencing thoughts of harming yourself
You don't have a private space at home where you can speak openly
You're working with severe dissociation that benefits from the grounding of being in a room with a therapist
The work depends on physical materials, like play therapy with a young child
You have limited or unreliable access to internet and a private device
You've tried telehealth and found it doesn't fit how you do this kind of work

These are not permanent verdicts. Many clients start in person and shift to telehealth later, or use both formats over the course of treatment. If you're not sure which makes sense, a consultation can help you find the right starting point.

Does telehealth therapy actually work?

The short answer is yes, with some specifics. Telehealth therapy has been studied extensively over more than two decades, and the research base has only grown stronger since 2020.

20+

Years of clinical research supporting video-based therapy effectiveness

Comparable

Outcomes to in-person therapy across most major conditions, per multiple meta-analyses

Endorsed

By the American Psychological Association and EMDRIA for trauma work

Studies have looked at telehealth therapy across anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, substance use, and many other presentations. The pattern that emerges across the research is that telehealth produces outcomes comparable to in-person therapy for most conditions and most clients. Where differences appear, they are usually small.

What predicts good telehealth outcomes is largely the same as what predicts good in-person outcomes: a strong therapeutic relationship, an evidence-based approach, and a client engaged in the work. The format is less determinative than the practice itself.

What you'll need

Telehealth therapy doesn't require expensive equipment or special expertise. The basics:

A private space. Somewhere you can speak openly without being overheard. A bedroom, home office, or even a parked car work well.
A device with a camera and microphone. A laptop, tablet, or phone all work. Larger screens are easier on the eyes for longer sessions.
Reasonable internet. Most home connections handle video calls without issue. We'll plan for what to do if your connection drops.
Headphones. Recommended but not required. They improve audio quality and add privacy, and they are particularly helpful if EMDR with audio bilateral stimulation is part of your work.
A Maryland address (in most cases). State licensure rules require you to be physically located in a state where your therapist is licensed at the time of the session. Most of our clinicians are licensed in Maryland.

We'll send you a secure video link before your first appointment, and someone on our team can walk you through the technology if you'd like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is telehealth therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Research over the past decade, including multiple meta-analyses, has consistently shown that for most conditions, telehealth therapy produces outcomes comparable to in-person therapy. This includes anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many other presentations. Some kinds of work (active crisis stabilization, severe dissociation, or therapy that depends on in-room body observation) can be a better fit for in-person care.

Can EMDR be done over video?

Yes. EMDR adapts well to telehealth. Dual attention stimulation can be delivered via on-screen visual cues that move side to side, audio tones alternating between left and right ears through headphones, or self-tapping techniques that you do at home with your therapist guiding you. EMDRIA, the international body that certifies EMDR clinicians, supports telehealth EMDR practice. Most clients find the work translates without losing its effectiveness.

Does insurance cover telehealth therapy?

Yes, in most cases. Most major insurance plans cover telehealth therapy at the same rate as in-person sessions. Coverage depends on your specific plan and diagnosis. We accept CareFirst BCBS and offer self-pay options. Contact your insurance provider to verify your mental health benefits.

Is telehealth therapy confidential?

Yes. We use HIPAA-compliant video platforms designed specifically for healthcare. Sessions are not recorded. Your information is protected by the same federal and state privacy laws that apply to in-person therapy. The main privacy variable is on your end: making sure you have a private space where you can speak openly without being overheard.

Can my child do telehealth therapy?

Often yes, with some adaptation. Older children, teens, and adolescents often do well with video-based therapy. For younger children, telehealth can work, especially when a parent is available to support the session, but in-person play-based therapy is sometimes the better fit. We have a separate page on therapy for children and teens with more detail.

Can I switch between in-person and telehealth?

Yes. Many of our clients use a mix of in-person and telehealth sessions depending on what fits each week. Some weeks the office works better; some weeks home does. Your therapist will work with you on whatever cadence supports the work.

What if I'm not in Maryland?

Therapy licensure is state-specific. Our clinicians are licensed in Maryland and several also hold licensure in nearby states. To work with a particular clinician via telehealth, you typically need to be physically located in a state where they are licensed at the time of the session. If you're outside Maryland, contact us and we can let you know whether anyone on our team is licensed where you are.

What technology do I need for telehealth therapy?

A device with a camera and microphone (laptop, tablet, or phone), reasonably reliable internet, and a private space. Headphones are recommended for privacy and audio quality, especially if EMDR is part of your work. We'll send you a secure link before your first session and walk you through the technology if you'd like.

What happens if my internet drops mid-session?

It happens. Your therapist will plan for it at the start of your work together: typically a phone call back to a number you've shared with them. Most sessions reconnect within a minute or two and proceed normally. If reconnection isn't possible, your therapist will reach out to reschedule and make sure you're okay.

Clinically reviewed by

Sarah Martin, LCPC, NCC

Clinical Director, Trauma Specialists of Maryland

Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Board Certified Counselor with over 8 years in the mental health field. She is trained in EMDR and provides care across multiple formats, including in-office and telehealth sessions.

Read full bio

If you'd like to start telehealth therapy

Reach out by phone or email. We can help you figure out whether telehealth is the right format for what you're working on and, if it is, who on our team would be a good fit.