Bringing the Care Team to You: How the Virtual Setting Supports Anxiety/OCD Treatment
You’ve realized your child could benefit from therapeutic support for anxiety or OCD. Now you’re facing a big decision: should that care happen in person or virtually? You may find yourself wondering: can a virtual provider really connect with my child and help them if they’re not in the same room? Our aim is to help you answer that question and provide insight into the possibilities that virtual care can unlock.
Since the very beginning, therapeutic treatment has been a primarily in-person endeavor. You’d bring your child to the provider’s office location for appointments, they’d have their meeting, and then you’d return again the next time. While sitting face-to-face with a provider has been the traditional way therapy happens, it’s not the only way it can work – and it’s not always feasible for a number of reasons.
In-person specialists for anxiety and OCD treatment often are limited to larger, more densely populated locations, making it a challenge for some to receive services outside of these areas. Additionally, in-person clinics may have long waitlists, with limited availability for appointments.
Unlock the Possibilities
Let’s pose some real life scenarios that you might run into. Have you looked for specialized treatment for your child and not been able to find the care you’re looking for in your area or during the times you and your child need? Has your child ever felt too anxious to leave the house to go somewhere or perhaps even to leave their room? Do you ever wish your child had support right there with them at the moment they’re struggling? These real-life challenges are exactly why virtual treatment can be such an effective option for young people with anxiety, OCD, and related conditions. Some people with contamination fears, intrusive thoughts, or intense worry may avoid leaving their homes or using public transportation. Others may have rituals that make it difficult to complete tasks, such as arriving at an appointment by a certain time.
With virtual care, your child can meet with their provider from the comfort of a familiar location, such as their home, or even their bedroom. This can make it easier for your child to begin gradually facing their fears first from a place of safety and security. Having virtual therapy also enables your child to have support outside of the home too. This means therapy isn’t confined to a session in an office; it can extend into the real-life moments where your child needs it most. Whether stressful situations come up at school, in a store, or anywhere they are, virtual providers can be by your child’s side, walking them through how to navigate the challenges they face, in real time.
What Makes InStride’s Virtual Model Unique
With virtual care through InStride Health, you have a full care team who will help your child navigate day-to-day anxiety or OCD-related stressors, wherever they are. Our therapists teach skills and provide tools for your child to learn to navigate anxiety and OCD symptoms, using a variety of evidence-based techniques. Our exposure coaches guide your child through exposure practice at home and out in the community, encouraging them every step of the way. With between-session communication built into care, your child will receive ongoing, consistent support for any of the stressors that each day might bring. This means that your child can reach out to their coach during challenging moments and get real-time support and reminders of the skills they’ve learned to manage a situation. And, when needed, our psychiatrists provide education and assist with medication management.
Our team is trained to ensure virtual care feels just as connected as in-person sessions, attuned to even the most subtle body language cues through the screen. Our goal is to help your child build confidence in facing anxiety and OCD and to show them that, with virtual care, they truly can do hard things.
