Clinical Skills of Video Sessions

Description

One poorly handled video session can erode trust in seconds. A client distracted by background noise, exposed to a privacy breach, or left adrift during a tech failure may not just question the session—they may question you. This course arms you with the clinical and technical skills to prevent those moments and ensure every video session builds trust, safety, and therapeutic momentum.

When clients choose telehealth, they’re entrusting you not only with their story but also with their safety, privacy, and comfort in a virtual space. This training shows you how to build confidence in your setup, strengthen therapeutic presence online, and navigate the unique challenges of video-based care.

Raymond Barrett, LMHC, founder and CEO of the Telehealth Certification Institute, is your instructor. A nationally recognized leader in telemental health, Ray has helped write industry best-practice guidelines, shaped national certification standards, and trained over 40,000 clinicians worldwide. His expertise ensures that you’ll gain both the technical and therapeutic strategies necessary to succeed in video sessions.

Ray’s approach blends real-world demonstrations with clear, actionable guidance. You’ll see what works, what doesn’t, and how to prevent common pitfalls—so you can avoid costly mistakes and deliver the highest quality of care to your clients.

Throughout the course, you’ll explore how to prepare your clinical environment for virtual practice, set and maintain client expectations, manage technology breakdowns with confidence, and respond therapeutically to unexpected situations like privacy breaches or distractions. You’ll also learn best practices for sound, lighting, posture, gaze angle, documentation, and workflow—everything needed to conduct secure, ethical, and effective video sessions.

Key Takeaways:

• Master video session setup: Learn how to optimize technology, environment, and etiquette for professional, distraction-free sessions.

• Deliver effective online care: Gain confidence in conducting complete, ethical, and clinically sound video or phone sessions.

• Navigate tech and client challenges: Develop strategies to prepare clients for sessions and troubleshoot inevitable technological issues.

Why this course?

• Led by a pioneer in telehealth: Ray Barrett helped shape national telemental health standards and continues to train thousands of clinicians worldwide.

• Practical and actionable: Unlike theory-heavy courses, this training offers concrete skills you can implement in your very next session.

• Trusted by professionals: Delivered through the Telehealth Certification Institute, an organization dedicated exclusively to equipping clinicians with best-in-class telehealth education.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the different technology and environments used when providing remote sessions

• Demonstrate how to provide an effective video or phone session from start to finish.

• Demonstrate how to prepare the client for a video or phone session and to address technological challenges.

Every client encounter is a test of trust. In telehealth, the smallest slip—poor sound, awkward camera angles, a missed privacy cue—can break that trust in ways that are hard to recover. Don’t let technology undermine the care you’ve worked so hard to master.

Enroll in Clinical Skills of Video Sessions today and ensure that your online sessions reflect the same professionalism, presence, and clinical excellence you bring to every room.

Format and Access

This course is Module 8 of the THTC Program and is a non-interactive self-study course. Instruction consists of 3 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Raymond Barrett, CEO, LMHC

is the founder and CEO of the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC (TCI). A licensed mental health counselor (LMHC), Ray is an innovator and leader in the field of telemental health. He’s an expert telehealth trainer, a respected speaker, and a trusted consultant.

Ray’s inspiration for TCI came from his clients that started asking him to conduct their therapy sessions over the phone. Ray had discovered a knowledge gap in mental health training. He wanted to fill that void with comprehensive and practical training in telemental health - so Ray created that training for himself and fellow clinicians. 

Since 2014, TCI has delivered comprehensive telehealth training and consultation to a global network of more than 40,000 healthcare organizations and professionals. TCI now offers over 180 specialized courses, a vast array of telehealth resources, and ongoing free continuing education opportunities for telehealth providers. Among the most sought-after courses offered by TCI is the Telemental Health Training Certificate (THTC Certificate) program. 

Ray played a significant role in developing the initial curriculum for the Board Certified Telemental Health credential (BC-TMH) for the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE). He reviewed every training module. He helped draft content, including questions for exams. He even wrote and developed the initial draft of one of the training modules: Telemental Health Settings and Coordination of Care.

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) - the most respected organization for telehealth - recently overhauled its guidelines. Ray was on the writing committee that developed Best Practices in Synchronous Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health in March 2022.

In 2019, Ray participated in a task force for developing a clinical rating process for mobile apps designed to help treat depression.  The recommendations were presented to ATA.

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides accreditation services worldwide at the request of health and human service providers. As part of the International Standards Advisory Committee (ISAC), Ray helped establish CARF’s standards for virtual services.

Ray also is a frequent speaker and consultant for professional organizations. He has presented for over 20 organizations since 2015.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 3 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by 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-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by 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-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, 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: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 180 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement