Counselors’ Perceptions of Their Preparedness for Telemental Health Services: A Phenomenological Examination

Abstract

Background: To examine counselors’ perceptions of their formal preparation for engaging in telemental health (TMH) counseling with the intent of gaining an understanding of their lived experiences. Materials and Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven seasoned counselors who regularly engage in technology-mediated distance counseling. Results: The results highlighted themes within two emerging categories: the counselor and training/education. Themes related to motivation and specific counselor attributes emerged from the first category and themes of availability, inadequacy, and modality emerged from the second category. Discussion: The implications from this study suggest a lack of availability and standardization of effective training on TMH delivery. Conclusion: This study identifies areas of potential future research related to counselors’ preparation experiences as well specific areas of need for TMH training in counseling graduate programs and other natural opportunities.