PSYPACT Explained: States Included and How It Expands Access to Online Therapy
A common question I get as a telehealth psychologist is some version of: “Are you only able to see clients in Pennsylvania?” or “What happens if I move or travel?”
The short answer is that I practice under the PSYPACT agreement, which allows me to provide telepsychology services across many participating U.S. states in addition to Pennsylvania. For clients, that usually means fewer disruptions, more flexibility, and in some cases access to specialized care that isn’t available locally.
Below is a clearer breakdown of what that actually means in practice.
What PSYPACT is
PSYPACT is an interstate agreement that allows licensed psychologists to provide telehealth across participating states.
In practice, if you live in a participating state, you can receive therapy from me even though I’m licensed in Pennsylvania—as long as you’re physically located in a PSYPACT state at the time of the session.
It expands access, but it doesn’t change the underlying structure of care. Licensure, ethics, and oversight still apply exactly as they would in any other setting.
PSYPACT states
PSYPACT is still growing, and more states continue to join over time. I always verify eligibility based on where someone is physically located, but as of now, participating states include:
Northeast / Mid-Atlantic
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C.
Southeast
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia
Midwest
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Arkansas
West / Mountain
Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho
Because participation changes as states continue to join, I always double-check this before beginning services rather than relying on memory or static lists.
Why this matters for therapy
You’re not limited to whoever is nearby
A lot of people assume therapy has to be local. That assumption only really works if the right fit happens to exist nearby.
PSYPACT loosens that constraint. It allows me to work with people who may not have local access to a psychologist with training in OCD, anxiety disorders, ADHD, or more structured evidence-based treatments.
So the decision becomes less about geography and more about fit.
Life doesn’t stay in one place
Care often gets interrupted for reasons that have nothing to do with therapy itself.
People travel for work. Families move. College starts. Temporary relocations happen.
Without something like PSYPACT, therapy often pauses right when continuity matters most. Sometimes it never fully resumes.
With it, there are more situations where therapy can continue without interruption.
It matters for kids and families
With children especially, consistency tends to matter more than people expect. Early therapy is slow work—building trust, learning emotional language, getting comfortable with the process itself.
Interruptions can set that work back in ways that aren’t always obvious in the moment.
When therapy can continue through transitions, it tends to feel steadier for kids and less like something that keeps restarting.
It expands access to specialized care
In many areas, it can still be difficult to find providers who specialize in structured, evidence-based approaches like CBT or ERP for OCD.
PSYPACT doesn’t solve that gap completely, but it does widen the pool of available care beyond immediate geography.
Important limitations
There are real boundaries here that matter.
You must be physically located in a participating PSYPACT state at the time of session.
Not every U.S. state participates.
It does not replace crisis services or in-person care when those are needed.
And not every psychologist participates in PSYPACT, even if their state is part of the agreement.
Final thoughts
For most people, PSYPACT just removes a barrier that would otherwise interfere with continuity of care.
It doesn’t change the work itself. It just makes it more possible to keep going when life shifts.
If you’re unsure whether your state is included, I usually clarify that early in consultation so there aren’t surprises later.