Video Conferencing and Tele-Mental Health Technologies Are Easy Ways to Build My Practice

The use of video conferencing and other tele-mental health technologies may seem like an easy way to build one’s private mental health practice. Many individuals around the world do not have ready access to qualified mental health clinicians in their local area, but they do have access to the Internet. This may then seem like an obvious way to build one’s practice. But, as this chapter explains, myriad clinical, ethical, and legal issues and challenges must be considered before providing mental health assessment and treatment services across distances utilizing these technologies. Specific recommendations and key resources are offered to prepare mental health clinicians for the ethical, legal, and clinically appropriate provision of clinical services through the use of these various tele-mental health technologies.