Considerations in the Use of Telecommunications as a Primary Treatment Medium: The Application of Behavioral Telehealth to Marriage and Family Therapy

Interest is continuing to grow in using telecommunications technologies as a primary treatment medium for the delivery of mental health care. This article identifies six issues that should be considered when deciding to use behavioral telehealth. These issues are convenience, financial cost, quality of the transmission, client anonymity, the degree to which the therapist has access to the full range of information needed to conduct therapy, and the ethical and legal issues that should be considered. Seven common telecommunications options are reviewed with a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages.