Telehealth: Ethics and Best Practices
Leo Christie, PhD; Amy Perkins, MA, LMHC; Gina Ulery, MS, RDN/LDN
$39.00
Course Abstract
Telehealth: Ethics and Best Practices is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that examines ethical principles and best practices in remote online therapy.
Telehealth, also known as teletherapy, telepractice, telepsychology, telerehabilitation (and a variety of other names), involves participating in therapeutic services through a digital platform. Patients can consult with their healthcare provider via computer, tablet, or smartphone without needing to visit their office. Telehealth is particularly beneficial for individuals in remote areas or those who have difficulty accessing traditional medical facilities. It encompasses a range of services, including virtual visits, health education, and remote patient monitoring.
The primary and most obvious difference between telehealth and in-person treatment is the fact that the patient is not in the same room as the clinician. This lack of physical presence can limit the range of information available or how accurately it is observed. Communication can be influenced by camera angle, screen size, room characteristics, and other technical factors like bandwidth that may result in poor-quality video and/or audio and prohibit the observation of all behaviors.
This course will provide an introduction to telehealth, discuss the pros and cons, address ethical considerations (such as competence, informed consent, HIPAA, etc.), how to get started with telehealth (including when to use, not use, or when to combine services), offer practice tips (including camera positioning and cultivating trust), and discuss evidence-based uses for mental health, nutrition, speech, and occupational therapy.
A final section will offer best practices for telehealth in mental health, nutrition therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. Self-efficacy, and how to enhance it, is also discussed.
Outline:
- Introduction
- Section 1: Pros (and Cons) of Telehealth
- Section 2: Ethical Considerations
- Section 3: Getting Started with Telehealth
- Section 4: Telehealth Practice Tips
- Section 5: Evidence-Based Uses for Telehealth
- Section 6: Best Practices
- Summary and Conclusions
- Resources
Florida: This course meets the “telehealth” license renewal requirement for counselors, social workers, and MFTs (we report to CE Broker for you – for all other professions it will count for “ethics” credit when applicable).
RDNs/SLPs/OTs: This course is undergoing approval by CDR/ASHA/AOTA.
Course #31-57 | 2026 | 20 posttest questions | Mobile-Friendly
Learning Objectives
- Differentiate between the pros and cons of utilizing telehealth in professional practice
- Analyze the ethical considerations of competence, patient safety, and informed consent in telehealth
- Investigate five circumstances under which telehealth may not be appropriate for a patient or procedure
- Demonstrate how to verify patient identity, location, and privacy at the start of each session
- Provide five evidence-based uses for telehealth in mental health, nutrition, speech, and occupational therapy
- Evaluate five best practices for telehealth in mental health, nutrition, speech, and occupational therapy
Course Directions
This online course provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) and CE test. The course is text-based (reading) and the CE test is open-book (you can print the test to mark your answers on it while reading the course document).
Successful completion of this course involves passing an online test (80% required, 3 chances to take) and we ask that you also complete a brief course evaluation.
About the Author(s)
Leo Christie, PhD, LMFT : Find out More
Leo Christie, PhD, LMFT, was a Florida-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Florida State University. Past President of the Florida Council on Family Relations, Dr. Christie has more than 20 years’ experience in private practice with a specialty in child behavior disorders and as an instructor for over 500 live continuing education seminars for healthcare professionals. He is the founder of Professional Development Resources; a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to deliver continuing education credit courses to healthcare professionals throughout the United States.
Disclosure
Financial: Receives a salary from Professional Development Resources, Inc.
Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationships exist.
Amy Perkins, MA, LMHC : Find out More
Amy Perkins, MA, LMHC, is a Florida-licensed Mental Health Counselor. She earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Florida in 2003. Her professional career includes work in nonprofits and education, where she focuses on building the capacity of individuals and teams by supporting students, parents, faculty and staff. In addition to her work with PDR, she also maintains a private practice.
Disclosure
Financial: Receives author compensation from Professional Development Resources, Inc.
Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationships exist.
Gina Ulery, MS, RDN, LDN : Find out More
Gina Ulery, MS, RDN/LDN, is the President and CEO for Professional Development Resources and is a Registered Dietitian, licensed in the state of Florida. She earned her master’s degree in health science from the University of North Florida in 2003. Since then, she has used her experience and education to create online CE courses for healthcare professionals to further their careers and expand their knowledge base.
Disclosure
Financial: Receives a salary from Professional Development Resources, Inc.
Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationships exist.
CE Information
Counseling
Professional Development Resources (PDR) has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5590. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. PDR is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Professional Development Resources is also approved as a provider of online (home study) continuing education by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (#50-1635); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135 - Note: New York counselors will receive 3 continuing education credits for completing this self-study course); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 50+ boards).
Marriage and Family Therapy
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB #1046, ACE Program); the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (#50-1635); the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100 - Note: New York MFTs will receive 3 continuing education credit(s) for completing this self-study course); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 50+ boards).
Psychology
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the Florida Board of Psychology (50-1635); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of self-study continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 50+ boards).
School Psychology
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the Florida Office of School Psychology (50-1635); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 50+ boards).
Social Work
Professional Development Resources, #1046, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 6/12/2025 - 6/12/2028. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits. ACE format: Reading-based asynchronous distance learning.
Professional Development Resources is also approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (#BAP346); the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664 - Note: New York social workers will receive 3 continuing education credit(s) for completing this self-study course); the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 50+ boards).
Teaching
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (#BAP346), Board of Psychology, and Office of School Psychology; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 50+ boards).
Customer Testimonials
Thank you for a wonderful, relevant, and important ethics course on telehealth. Anyone using teletherapy should be required to take this course or one like it before starting E-therapy in a counseling practice.
Very helpful review of telehealth issues. Appreciate the many resources included throughout the course.
This was great! Just the right amount of information.
Thank you for the clear, applicable, and concise information!
As always - I benefit from the courses taken and I continue to recommend your site to others.
More Testimonials
Excellent course! Exactly the information I was looking for so I can begin to establish a solid ethical base when providing teletherapy.
Great resources at the end!
I have found this course to be current, engaging, and informative.
Brilliant course, plenty of research to back up information provided. Allowed me an opportunity to think through current practices.
I was impressed with how comprehensive the content was and loved the access to helpful resources regarding this complicated topic.
This was a very thorough course. I always appreciate your organization. Thank you.
The customer service responses to my contacts were prompt and helpful.
This course is totally worth taking. It is detailed, relevant to therapy, and well-written. Very good experience. Thank you!
Another great course. Well-written, interesting, relevant, and with that review-style test that helps me learn better. Thanks.
I appreciate that the quiz questions were straight forward and clearly linked to the course content. Some companies do not do that. Thank you!
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