Under California law, "Telehealth" is the delivery of health care services using information and communication technologies to consult, diagnose, treat, or educate a patient while the patient is at an “originating site” and the health care provider is at a “distant site.” The “originating site" is the site where a patient is located at the time health care services are provided through a telecommunications system.1

The practice of telehealth involves providing services in one of two ways. The first mode is through a “synchronous interaction” which is a live, real-time, interactive, audiovisual, two-way communication. An example of a live, real-time, interactive communication is therapy performed over the telephone or through videoconferencing. The second mode is an “asynchronous interaction” which is not a real-time interaction.2 An example of an asynchronous interaction is providing therapy via e-mail. Keep in mind that routine e-mail and instant messaging conversations, where professional therapy services are not rendered, are excluded from the definition of telehealth.

Cited by CMFT website (2020)

Telehealth vs  Traditional offices visits:

Telehealth:  Telehealth allows for a patient to remain comfortably in their own environment while accessing a therapist through a social media platform such as skype, zoom or other subsequent forms of video chat. Telephonic visits are also consider to be telehealth.  Telehealth enables those who are otherwise unable to participate in  face to face visit to obtain the mental services they seek to assist in addressing their mental health needs.  There are several pros and cons to this method of treatment.

 Traditional office visits: Traditional face to face office visit entail meeting with a therapist in an office setting for a one on one session. This allows for the therapist and patient to build a rapport and address more severe issues that my arise during session  as the therapist has direct access to the patient, i.e. suicidal or homicidal ideation.