COVID-19 & Telehealth Info

In order to provide ongoing psychological services to all clients, both in person and telehealth appointments are being offered.  Telehealth sessions are being held via HIPAA compliant video. 

Please note that insurance may or may not cover telemedicine.  Contact your insurance company directly to verify your coverage for an out of network provider using telemedicine for psychological services.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

COVID Safety for In Person Sessions:

NJ law requires that ALL clients and health care providers (which includes psychologists) wear a proper face mask during treatment.  If you cannot comply with this for any reason, you will need to complete treatment via telehealth or will have to discontinue therapy.  If you have recently tested positive for COVID, have been exposed to someone with COVID or are experiencing symptoms of COVID, please choose the telehealth option or reschedule.

Steps for Having a Successful Telehealth Session:

Additional information for having a successful telehealth session will be provided in new patient forms.  However, here are a few reminders.

You should receive an appointment reminder 24 hours prior to session.  This reminder will contain a link for having a successful telehealth visit. If not, then please contact Dr. Berness at 908-907-0693.

With children, it is best to have a parent nearby in case we need assistance during the session.  

Please make sure that you have a private place for conducting your session.  It may be helpful to use a noise machine or app to have as background noise if finding a quiet place is difficult in your home.

This is your therapy session, and we want it to be as distraction free as possible.  Put away your cell phone, take a deep breath, and commit to the session just as you would in person.