One Screen, Many Faces: Creating Space For Working with Couples and Families Via Telehealth

Description

Couple and family therapy sessions over telehealth can either feel like chaotic multitasking or meaningful transformation—what makes the difference is how you create and manage the space on that shared screen. This course teaches you how to do just that, with tools to help you bring structure, connection, and creativity to multi-participant sessions.

In the face of rising demand for relational telehealth services, clinicians need clear, evidence-based strategies for engaging multiple clients simultaneously and meaningfully. This course offers practical, immediately applicable tools to meet that need.

Dr. Katherine Hertlein, PhD., is an internationally recognized expert in couple and family therapy, sex therapy, and the impact of technology on relationships. With over 90 published articles, 40 book chapters, and 12 books to her name, she brings unmatched experience to this topic. Her pioneering work in the field includes developing competencies for behavioral health and frameworks for understanding technology's role in relational dynamics—making her the ideal guide for clinicians navigating the challenges of telehealth sessions with couples and families.

Dr. Hertlein’s teaching approach blends clinical precision with creativity. She grounds her insights in decades of research while offering real-world strategies that you can start using right away. Her thoughtful, inclusive style helps clinicians reframe telehealth not as a compromise, but as a platform for connection and innovation.

This course explores how to manage logistics, confidentiality, and participant roles when working with couples and families online. You'll examine the benefits and limitations of various telehealth modalities—including video conferencing, social media, mobile health, wearables, and asynchronous tools. Dr. Hertlein introduces strategies for alliance-building, communication enhancement, and play-based engagement, including digital sandtrays, shared drawings, and interactive decision tools like “Wheel Decide.”

Key Takeaways:

• Maximize family participation: Learn how including multiple members in sessions can enhance support and outcomes.

• Determine clinical appropriateness: Gain criteria to evaluate when telehealth is—or isn’t—suitable for relational work.

• Facilitate creative engagement: Discover tools and techniques that deepen connection and communication with families online.

Why this course?

• Specialized expertise: This is the only CE course taught by Dr. Katherine Hertlein, a leader in the field of tech-integrated relational therapy.

• High-impact content: Combines research-backed guidance with actionable strategies that you can implement immediately.

• Trusted provider: Telehealth Certification Institute delivers high-quality training aligned with ethical standards and clinician wellness.

Learning Objectives:

• List the benefits of multiple members in family sessions.

• Explain when it is appropriate to conduct relational sessions via Telebehavioral health (TBH).

• Use creative techniques for facilitating sessions with couples and families.

If you’re ready to turn your telehealth screen into a dynamic, supportive space for healing relationships, this course offers the tools and confidence to do just that. Designed for today’s clinician, it brings clarity and creativity to an often complex task—creating meaningful connection across the digital divide.

Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 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 Dr. Katherine Hertlein, PhD

Dr. Hertlein earned her PhD at Virginia Tech and her master's degree from Purdue University Calumet. Across her academic career, she has published over 90 articles, 40 book chapters, and 12 books in the areas of couple therapy, infidelity, sex therapy, behavioral health, and the impact of technology on couple and and family relationships. Her contributions in sex therapy promote a paradigm shift in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in couple relationships, are considered seminal texts, and used by couple and family therapy programs widely. Her contributions in the area of technology include the development of the core competencies for behavioral health which can be applied to all of the behavioral health disciplines, and the creation of the first comprehensive framework detailing the effect of technology on relationships which has been applied cross-culturally.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor 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 1.5 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 1.5 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 90 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