Video therapy has made it easier for many people in Michigan to get help for anxiety or depression without a commute, a babysitter or a long gap in the workday. It also comes with a few rules that are easy to miss, especially if you travel, split the year between states or have a child at college. This guide covers the rules first, then the practical side.
The location rule: where you are, not where you live
Psychologists and other therapists are licensed by each state. For telehealth, the state that counts is generally the one you are physically in when the session happens. Your home address, your insurance plan and the therapist's office do not change that. In Michigan, psychologists are licensed through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
In practice, this means a Michigan-licensed therapist can usually see you by video when you are anywhere in Michigan: at home in Oakland County, at a cottage up north or in a parked car in Grand Rapids. It also means a session may not be possible from Florida in February or from a hotel in Ohio, unless the therapist is licensed there or another legal pathway applies.
Common situations worth raising early:
- You winter in another state and want to keep going with the same therapist
- You travel for work and hope to take sessions from the road
- You are a college student who lives in one state during the school year and another in summer
- You are moving out of Michigan and want to finish therapy before or after the move
None of these is a reason to avoid starting. They are reasons to ask, so you and your therapist can plan sessions around trips or arrange a referral if you will be away for a long stretch.
What PSYPACT is, and what it does not change
You may see the term PSYPACT. It stands for the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, an agreement among member states. According to PSYPACT, it allows licensed psychologists to provide telepsychology across state lines without holding a license in every state. The psychologist must be licensed in their home state and must apply for a separate authorization to practice telepsychology under the compact.
Two limits matter for readers. PSYPACT only works between states that have joined it, and only for psychologists who hold the authorization. It does not cover counselors, social workers or marriage and family therapists, who have their own separate rules. Membership changes as state legislatures pass new laws, so check PSYPACT's current map and ask any therapist directly whether they can see you from where you will be.
Michigan's consent rule
Michigan's Public Health Code says a health professional may not provide a telehealth service without obtaining consent for treatment, directly or indirectly. In most practices this happens through intake paperwork or a conversation before the first video session. It is a good moment to ask your own questions: which platform is used, what happens if the connection drops, and how to reach the therapist between sessions.
If medication is part of your care, a separate rule applies to prescribers. Michigan law lets a prescriber treat you by telehealth and prescribe within their scope of practice. Controlled substances must meet the Code's extra requirements, and the prescriber must offer follow-up care or a referral for it. Therapists who are not prescribers, including psychologists in Michigan, do not prescribe at all, so medication questions go to your physician, psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Privacy at home
HHS explains that the HIPAA Privacy Rule protects health information held by most health care providers, including psychologists, whether that information is electronic, written or spoken. That covers the therapist's side of a video session. Your side is up to you, and it is often the bigger gap.
- Use a room with a door, and headphones if others are home
- A parked car can work when the house is never empty
- Use your own device and account, not a shared family laptop or a work computer
- Close email and messaging so notifications do not pull you out of the conversation
- If someone walks in, it is fine to pause; your therapist will understand
Tips specific to anxiety and depression
Video therapy can suit anxiety well. Some people find it easier to talk about hard things from their own couch, and people with panic or social anxiety may find the first sessions less daunting. The flip side is that therapy from home can quietly support avoidance if leaving the house is part of what has become hard. That is worth talking through with your therapist rather than deciding alone.
With depression, the risk is drift. Logging on from bed, camera off, five minutes late can become a habit that dulls the session. Small rituals help: get up, get dressed, sit at a table, and give yourself ten minutes before and after so the session is not squeezed between other screens.
Expect your therapist to ask where you are at the start of a session. This is not a formality. It confirms the location rule and tells them where to send help if an emergency comes up during the call. You may also be asked for an emergency contact.
Is online therapy right for you?
For many people and many concerns, video therapy works well, and some move between the office and video as life changes. In-Person vs. Online Therapy compares the two formats in more detail. Dr. Lehmann offers telehealth sessions for clients physically in Michigan, alongside in-person sessions in Franklin, as part of therapy for anxiety and depression. Coverage for video sessions varies by plan; Using Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for Therapy explains what to ask your insurer.
Video therapy is not a crisis service, and a therapist on a scheduled video call cannot replace emergency help. If things become urgent between sessions, use the crisis resources below.