How to do Group Therapy Using Telehealth
                     What is Group Teletherapy?
Group therapy involves a small number of people meeting with one 
or more  behavioral health therapists. There is growth in the use of 
telehealth to provide  group therapy, as evidence shows it is an 
effective and affordable alternative to  individual therapy.
The use of telehealth for group therapy is a recent phenomenon that 
has quickly  come of age during the coronavirus pandemic. The 
benefits of group therapy for  participants have long been known, but 
participation of all group members is a  major challenge that plagues 
traditional therapeutic settings. Telehealth sessions  provide patients 
with an alternative when they cannot attend due to health, travel,  or 
other issues.
Fortunately, telehealth platforms have improved in terms of features 
and  accessibility since the early days of the pandemic. Changes to 
telehealth  platforms mean patients can attend group sessions 
without the stress of finding  transportation, can take advantage of e-
signature forms, find it easier to provide  documentation, and can still 
connect with other group members.
The facilitator can run the session using moderation controls similar 
to the  controls and tools used during an in-person group therapy 
session. Telehealth  platforms for group therapy sessions provide 
comfort and connection just like  in-person and allow everyone to 
reap the benefits of therapy. Below are the  benefits of telehealth for 
depression for group therapy sessions.
Benefits of Group Telebehavioral Health Therapy
● Building a sense of community.
● Validate feelings.
● Reduce feelings of isolation.
● Encourage the exchange of different perspectives.
● Improve coping strategies.
● Receive advice and suggestions from other patients.
● Create a reliable support system for out-of-group sessions.
Ways to conduct group therapy through telehealth
Live Talk Therapy: Telehealth group talk therapy involves virtual 
interactions  between multiple people, often via video or phone calls 
where all members of the  group interact at the same time. Most group 
therapy sessions using telehealth  are live or real-time.
Asynchronous communication: While less common than psychotherapy, 
some  groups may choose to interact via group chat or email. This 
allows people to  share their thoughts and respond to other group 
members at a time that is most  convenient for them.
Online applications: Some applications support the creation of groups 
that  interact through social networks or chat rooms either in real 
time or  asynchronously. These sessions typically do not involve a 
clinical provider and  are not covered by insurance, but may be 
helpful for people who prefer  anonymity and more informal 
interactions.
Establishing guidelines for group telehealth
Group leaders are encouraged to ask members to:
● Be in a space free of distractions, where the patient is alone 
and can  speak freely. Inform other people in the area that 
they should not be  disturbed during this time.
●
● Wear appropriate clothing consistent with the group 
attending in person.
●
● Have the technological means to serve the group. This includes 
having a  secure Internet connection, rather than public or free 
Wi-Fi. Keep the video  steady and at eye contact level. Phones or 
computers should be put on  airplane mode to minimize 
interruptions. Using headphones or keeping the  volume low can 
prevent sound from carrying into another room.
●
● Follow any policy established by the group regarding whether a 
member or  the entire group goes offline. If the group agrees, this 
may include having  one member call in for the remainder of the 
session. Follow the group's  policy on how to handle a breach of 
confidentiality, such as a non-member  bystander witnessing the 
group or someone entering a room while the  group is meeting.
Documentation, scheduling and payment within a telehealth platform
Meeting platforms designed specifically for telehealth include features 
that  streamline multiple administrative processes. Telehealth 
for mental health  platforms like Sunwave offer integrated patient 
documentation drawn from  admissions and clinical interactions. 
Providers can find a patient's personnel file  and contact information to 
send them information, documents to sign, payment  requests, and 
meeting reminders. This feature eliminates the need to go through  
multiple software applications during the effort of gathering the 
necessary  documents and directing them to the correct patient.
Mental health care providers must still follow federal regulations when 
it comes to  collecting sensitive patient information. A full-featured 
telehealth platform makes  it easy and convenient for both provider 
and patient to manage medical  documentation without compromising 
privacy and security. The provider can  send the document directly to 
the patient to complete and sign. The patient can
complete the document through their device, use an electronic 
signature, and  send it to the provider through a secure portal.
Payment reminders are similarly sent to patients with the added 
convenience of  multiple payment options. The payment portal can be 
enabled to accept credit  cards, e-checks, PayPal, debit cards, and 
more.
Reminding patients of the upcoming group meeting is another feature 
of  telehealth platforms. A facilitator can schedule an automatic 
reminder to go out  on a specific day or time, at the interval you 
choose, and as often as you want.  For example, a meeting is coming 
up and the facilitator wants to remind patients  that day. The facilitator 
can send a blast message up to an hour before the  meeting if they 
wish. And these reminders can be sent individually or to a specific  
group of patients for their next meeting via text or email.
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