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Technology-assisted counseling sessions are most effectively conducted with clients who are very comfortable using similar technologies. It can be risky or stressful to use technology in the counseling session when the client has not used it in the past or when appropriate supports are not in place. In some cases, rural agencies have opted to send out technologists or case managers to assist clients in their homes during initial sessions when they are new to using virtual technology. Other providers have constructed telehealth rooms in their agencies that are monitored by administrative staff to support connections with counselors who are off-site. It is helpful to provide clients with a list of the required technologies prior to the first session. This list might include a computer with the capacity necessary to handle a teleconferencing program, a webcam with microphone, headphones with an integrated microphone, and an Ethernet-accessed internet connection. It is recommended that clients and counselors use Ethernet cables to connect to the internet, as wireless internet may not be secure and risk confidentiality breaches. It is also helpful when both clients and counselors use a virtual private network as a means to secure and protect confidentiality. HIPAA-compliant encrypted software should this time of crisis; however, it also recognized the need to continue to safeguard privacy:

If telehealth cannot be provided in a private setting, covered health care providers should continue to implement reasonable HIPAA safeguards to limit incidental uses or disclosures of protected health information (PHI). Such reasonable precautions could include using lowered voices, not using speakerphone, or recommending that the patient move to a reasonable distance from others when discussing PHI. (Office for Civil Rights, 2020, p. 3)