What Is PSYPACT and How It Can Help You and Your Family

Life transitions and family crises don't stay in one zip code. A PSYPACT online psychologist can fix that.

Your family’s in trouble. You and your two siblings have been arguing through texts and phone calls about how to manage mom now that she’s aging and needs graduated care. You’re at your wits end. You call your counselor, a qualified licensed family psychologist, and ask if they could do cross border teletherapy with you, your two siblings and perhaps your mother, to solve this crisis and lower the emotional tension in the family.

 This is where you, like many families looking for specialized professional support, run into an invisible wall: state lines.

Seamless Multi-State Therapy for You and Your Family

Your psychologist explains the situation to you. Although she’s willing and qualified to help, she can only treat someone who’s physically present in the state she’s licensed in. She cannot legally conduct online therapy across state lines. Your two siblings live in two other states, and your mother is in a third. However, she recommends a solution: PSYPACT.

Families challenged with estrangement, elder care issues, grief and loss, substance abuse and other emergencies can now find help through PSYPACT online therapists.

What Is PSYPACT? How Does It Work?

Short for the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, PSYPACT is an interstate agreement that allows qualified, doctoral-level psychologists to practice telepsychology across state lines in participating states. For families trying to navigate high-stakes issues from different locations, it completely changes what is possible.

For decades, strict licensing laws meant a psychologist could only treat someone physically present in their state. If your kid went off to college in another state, if aging parents lived across the border, or if family members were spread across the country, getting everyone into the same therapy session in the counselor’s state was a legal nightmare.

The crazy thing about all this that has frustrated psychologists such as me for a long time is that all states require psychologists to have almost the same course work completed in their doctoral graduate program and to pass the same national licensure test. But even though each state requires the same licensing prerequisites, each licensing board has wanted to maintain control over their own jurisdiction.

Fortunately, State legislators have come to their senses and enabled legislation resulting in 46 states joining the PSYPACT National Coalition opening options for telecounseling across state lines.

Can I see a PSYPACT therapist while traveling or moving?

Yes. If you are physically located in a participating PSYPACT state during your session, your authorized psychologist can conduct teletherapy with you.

How do I know if my state participates in PSYPACT?

Since 46 States now participate in the PYPACT consortium, odds are your State is a participant. You can verify active state membership directly on the official PSYPACT website.

Does health insurance cover PSYPACT teletherapy?

Medicare covers all PSYPACT States. Many commercial plans cover telehealth services across state lines under PSYPACT, but out-of-network benefits or self-pay options are also commonly used. Check with your insurance carrier to be sure.

How do I verify if my psychologist is PSYPACT authorized?

To practice under PSYPACT, a psychologist must hold an E.Passport authorization and Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) issued by ASPPB. You can check their authorization status through the ASPPB public directory or official board portal.

Benefits of Using A PSYPACT Psychologist

By cutting through the regulatory red tape, PSYPACT gives families a way to use family therapy when things feel like they're falling apart.

1. You can continue working with the therapist you already have confidence in.

Therapy works best when there's trust in the counselor. Building rapport takes time. When a family member faces a crisis away from home, starting over with a stranger is exhausting and not always successful. PSYPACT lets families stick with a trusted clinician who already knows their history and dynamics.

2. With virtual counseling family members can participate in the session, no matter where they live. 

PSYPACT facilitates an authorized psychologist to conduct  secure video sessions with a parent in North Carolina, a student in Ohio, and a relative in Texas at the same time.

3. You get access to actual specialists no matter where you live.

Not every city has experts in family mediation or crisis intervention. PSYPACT widens your search radius significantly. If you live in a remote area, you can still work directly with a top-tier specialist located hundreds of miles away.

4. Help happens now, not later.

Crises don't wait for state licensing boards. Applying for temporary emergency state permits can take weeks or even months. Because PSYPACT clinicians are pre-authorized, you can begin virtual family sessions as soon as trouble starts.

5. Insurance programs pay for it.

Medicare and other insurance companies will cover interstate telehealth counseling with a qualified PSYPACT psychologist. Of course, it’s always best to check with your insurance company before beginning therapy.

Is It Safe?

Yes. Making therapy more accessible doesn't mean lowering standards. PSYPACT clinicians go through a rigorous vetting process before they can treat clients across state lines. To participate, a psychologist must hold a doctoral degree, earn specific interjurisdictional telepsychology credentials (APIT), and annually renew an active E-Passport through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.

How To Find A PSYPACT Psychologist.

You, the family members that will participate in joint counseling sessions with you as well as the psychologist you plan to use must all live in a PSYPACT state. That can be verified using the PSYPACT map.

There are over 17,000 active PSYPACT Psychologists in the United States. If you are currently working with the psychologist you want to continue using, a quick conversation with them should clarify their status in PSYPACT.

If you need to locate a qualified psychologist who can work with your family across state lines, consult the PSYPACT Directory to find a psychologist in your state.

Paul W Anderson, PhD, is a certified PSYPACT psychologist. Give me a call (913-991-2302) and let’s get started.

The Bottom Line

Physical distance shouldn't stand between a family and the care they need. With most U.S. states now participating in PSYPACT (and more planning to join), state borders are no longer an obstacle to mental health care.

This gives families the modern framework they need to turn a crisis into an opportunity for healing. I hope you’ll take advantage as needed.