Help Me Understand Telehealth
We are OPEN during the Shelter In Place Order. All of our providers are delivering much needed mental health, counseling, and therapy services through Telehealth. We continue to provide high quality care for children, teens, adults, and families during this difficult time.
1. What is a Telehealth session?
A telehealth is a session with a Clinical Psychologist or Therapist through either live video-conferencing or a phone call. Telehealth is convenient and you can have your session without leaving your home (as long as you live in Illinois). Telehealth will help keep you and your family safe during these difficult times. If you are a new patient, please note that once the Shelter in Place order is lifted, we will return to sessions in our spa-like office. Telehealth sessions are scheduled just like our in-office sessions.
Our Telehealth platform is easy and confidential. Prior to your appointment, you will receive an email with a link to your session (for video sessions). All you have to do is click on the link, type in your name, and click “join.” There is no software or app to download. All you need is a smartphone, IPAD or tablet, or computer with a browser and 2-way camera. If you do not have a device with a camera, no problem. We can do a telephone session.
New patients: Call Dr. Hastings at 630-708-0362x1 and she will get you connected with our New Patient Concierge. You can also email her at drhastings@amaniclinical.com.
2. Are you accepting new patients?
YES. Several therapists and Doctors have immediate openings in our practice and we want to help you!
3. How does the Shelter in Place/Pandemic situation affect people’s mental health?
We recognize and honor that the quarantine measures are critical to ensure the physical safety of our community and our most vulnerable populations. We also recognize and honor that quarantine, social distancing, and the uncertainty of this situation places great mental, emotional, and social strain on people. Many are having reasonable and expected stress responses to the situation. Others have developed mental health symptoms, or are experiencing a worsening of symptoms or return to symptoms they believed to be long-gone. We want to help and are accepting new patients. We are here to help anyone in need.
4. What populations may be having more difficulty during this time?
We also recognize the particular difficulties that the following populations may be facing, and are here for you:
If you are a first responder (MD, nurse, EMT, social worker, etc.). We want to help you.
If you are pregnant, you are likely experiencing additional stressors and grieving the way the pandemic has impacted your pregnancy, and/or are having to face routine visits alone, or preparing for delivery without your partner, and we want to help you.
If you are a kiddo, and feel like everything has changed overnight, and are having trouble adjusting and having bigger feelings, we want to help you.
If you are in the post-partum period, struggling through the isolation that comes with that period on top of the isolation of quarantine, or had a traumatic birth experience, we want to help you.
If you are a parent, and are experiencing difficulty coping with parenting, we want to help you.
If you are in the middle of fertility treatments and/or are in the middle of an adoption process and all of that has been put on hold, we want to help you.
If you are an immuno-compromised individual, and are having difficulty coping, we want to help you.
If you are lonely or struggling with symptoms like not feeling like yourself and struggling with the stressors of this epidemic, we want to help you.
If you are part of the “sandwich generation” and are having trouble caring for your children AND your aging parents (who may be extra vulnerable at this time), we want to help you.
If you are in the sunset season of your life, and facing more isolation and loneliness due to the quarantine, we want to help you.
5. How does Telehealth feel compared to in-person sessions?
We love the comic below for describing some ways in which telehealth might feel different. Of course, there are many possible ways of feeling.
