# Online sessions

Source: https://spingarncounselingservices.com/online/

Online counseling

# Counseling wherever you are.

Secure video sessions for clients across New York and, where permitted, internationally. Same counselor, same standard of care, no commute.

If leaving the house is part of what is hard right now, that is reason to call rather than a reason to wait. We will meet you where you are.

[Experiencing an emergency? Get help now](https://spingarncounselingservices.com/help/)

## When online works well

Online sessions are not a lesser version of counseling. For many clients they are the reason counseling happens at all.

- **Distance or travel**. You live far from either office, or do not drive.
- **Health or mobility**. Leaving home is difficult, or you are recovering.
- **Caregiving and work**, a session between school pickup and dinner is possible when there is no travel attached to it.
- **Family separated by distance**, an adult child in another state can join a family session.
- **Clients abroad**, including families managing immigration matters across borders.
- **Weather and winter**. No canceled session because the roads are bad.

### What you need

- A smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and microphone.
- A reasonably stable internet connection. Video calls need less than most people assume.
- A private place to sit for the session, and headphones if privacy at home is limited.
- No software to purchase. You will receive a link before your appointment and join by tapping it. If technology is not your strength, we will walk through it by phone beforehand. That is a normal part of getting started.

#### Session details

- 45 to 60 minutes, same as in person
- Individual, couples, and family sessions
- Available for many written assessments
- Conducted on a secure, encrypted platform
- Scheduled in your local time zone

[Ask about an online appointment →](https://spingarncounselingservices.com/contact/)

**Where sessions can be held.** Licensure determines where a clinician may practice. Clients located in New York State are straightforward. If you are in another state or outside the United States, mention your location when you call. Many international arrangements are possible, and any that are not will be identified honestly at the outset rather than after you have started.

## Privacy & practical guidance

#### On our end

Sessions are held on an encrypted platform intended for clinical use, from a private office. Sessions are not recorded. The same confidentiality that governs in-person counseling governs online sessions.

#### On your end

Choose a room where you won't be overheard, a parked car is a perfectly common choice. Use headphones. Silence notifications. Let others in the household know you are unavailable for the hour.

#### If the connection drops

We will call you at the phone number on file and either resume or reschedule. Nothing is lost, and you are not charged for time no one could use.

#### Before your first session

You will be asked for your address and a local emergency contact. This is standard practice for telehealth. It ensures help can be reached quickly if a session ever raises a safety concern.

### Online counseling is not emergency care

If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, do not wait for an appointment.

988

The **988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline** is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.

[Call 988](tel:988)
[Text 988](sms:988?&body=I%20am%20reaching%20out%20for%20urgent%20support%20and%20need%20to%20speak%20with%20someone.)
[Call 911](tel:911)

Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number. [**All emergency resources, including Long Island and New York lines**](https://spingarncounselingservices.com/help/).

## Distance shouldn't decide this.

Tell us where you are and what you need. We'll tell you plainly whether online sessions can work for your situation.

[Request an online appointment](https://spingarncounselingservices.com/contact/)