Virtual Integrity Best Practices in Telehealth Therapy for Modern Mental Health Professionals
Module 1.1-1.5

Ethical Framework: HIPAA, Boundaries, and Confidentiality

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Teletherapy must comply with:

  • HIPAA: Requires encrypted platforms (e.g., Zoom for Healthcare, Doxy.me).

  • Informed Consent: Should include details on tech failures, confidentiality risks, and privacy limitations.

  • Clinical Boundaries: Must be revisited regularly due to the casual feel of virtual sessions.

Challenge Areas:

  • Clients logging in from public spaces or work

  • Disruptions from family, roommates, or children

  • Therapists working from non-clinical spaces

    Only 50% of clinicians had formal telehealth training before providing services virtually (SimplePractice, 2022).

Suggested Reading:

  • NASW, APA, ACA. (2021). Telehealth Best Practices Across Disciplines.

Ethical framework: HIPAA, boundaries, and confidentiality


HIPAA compliance extends to digital platforms, requiring secure connections, encrypted tools, and informed consent tailored to virtual care. Ethical guidelines must address nontraditional environments (e.g., sessions in cars, workplaces).


Only 42% of therapists felt “very confident” in applying confidentiality standards in telehealth contexts (APA Survey, 2021).


Source: American Psychological Association. (2021). Practitioner Telehealth Survey Results.

Prompt: Consider the differences of how you connect/support in person and virtually?


Now ask yourself how you align the 2 mediums making a virtual behavior versus an in person behavior list, What did you see and how does this inform you?