An interview with Marquita Johnson, Licensed Professional Counselor and Millennial Dating Coach, on incorporating technology in your clinical work with millennials. We look at tele-mental health and other ways that technology can positively impact therapy. It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when therapists must develop a personal brand to market their practices. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. Interview with Marquita Johnson, LPC, MDiv, NCC, BC-TMH, CPCS Marquita Johnson is a graduate of Mercer University with a Master of Science in Community Counseling and Master of Divinity. Marquita received her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University in Psychology & Sociology. Currently, Marquita is pursuing a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University. She is a licensed professional counselor, nationally certified counselor, board certified tele-mental counselor, and certified professional counseling supervisor. Marquita’s specialties include women, dating, divorce, step-families, and grief related to loss in relationships. In an effort to promote healthy relationships, Marquita started offering coaching services to help millennials who are dating. While working as a college counselor she found that students were struggling with intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. Hence, she has embraced the call as Atlanta's "Millennial Dating Coach." Marquita’s private practice is located in the heart of Atlanta: Millennial Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting.    In this episode we talk about: Marquita’s work with millennials and how she incorporates technology in sessions Tele-mental Health Reasons to incorporate telehealth into treatment The differences between in-person and telehealth sessions How to assess and prepare your clients for telehealth How to engage and use the technology to increase the connection over video Transitioning between in person and telehealth The skills needed to assess body language, nonverbals, etc. when you are not getting the in-person experience Connecting with a client’s presence while online Making sure to have environment that is free from distractions, that you have a good internet connection, and that you are working on a HIPAA compliant platform The importance of looking in the camera and how to adjust your communication patterns to address the differences Consciously talking about how technology will impact the conversation How to incorporate your theoretical orientation AND technology into your work The limitations of technology in treatment When telehealth is not indicated Risks to consider Thoughts on marketing to millennials (social media, podcasts) What mistakes therapists make in establishing or running an online practice Scope of practice concerns Where you can practice, how to practice in states where you don’t live The resources you need to know when you’re practicing remotely The slippery slope of doing therapy in your state and then calling everything else coaching The need for separate entities for coaching and therapy The types of continuing education that is helpful to set you up for success   Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together any resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy  TeleHealth Certification Institute Millennial Dating Coach Website   Our Generous Sponsor: Thanks again to our sponsor, Motivo! Motivo provides clinical supervision online through a HIPAA compliant video platform. Motivo was started by Rachel McCrickard, a LMFT who attended Azusa Pacific University in CA. Rachel had a difficult time finding quality affordable supervision after graduate school. After state licensure boards began allowing online supervision,