Prior to finding teletherapy six years ago, Dr. Melissa Mitchell was on the brink of exiting the field of school psychology due to high caseloads and impending burnout. The intention of From Survival to Service is to educate clinicians, schools, and families on the benefits of teletherapy in order to promote increased access to mental health and related services. The manuscript details the author's experience with transitioning to teletherapy, as well as insights from 20+ other clinicians and educators. In addition to providing an in-depth review of burnout in the educational system and its impact on school based clinicians, the book details what constitutes self-care, the ways in which people benefit from it, how teletherapy opens the door to it, and why it might be the magic key to resolving burnout. Lastly, readers can expect a detailed look at the teletherapy landscape equipped with a comprehensive guide and FAQs for those considering the modality, as well as ways in which it can benefit clinicians, students, parents and the education system as a whole.
Review: From Survival to Service: The Life-Altering Impacts of Telepractice
If you look at the National Library of Medicine you will find a lot of information on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the vulnerability of healthcare professionals to burnout or compassion fatigue.
A few years back many areas mandated health orders for infection prevention and companies found it necessary to offer stay-at-home options for employees. As a result, Telemedicine (live video, mobile health, remote patient monitoring, and store-and-forward) soared during this period.
Dr. Melissa Mitchell, a school psychologist turned telepractitioner, contacted me recently about her book From Survival to Service: The Life-Altering Impacts of Telepractice.
I especially like that this book examines burnout and the importance of self-care. Dr. Mitchell explains how to go about setting up a virtual therapy room and organization systems. She offers some helpful tele-tips, and tools like a self-care thermometer, and a range of assessments and how they could be conducted.
In closing, this book explains telepractice and the benefits of teletherapy. It discusses how it works for school-based psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and mental health counselors, and more. Over 20 clinicians and educators provide their valuable insights.