Starting therapy and finding a therapist is never easy. Right now, almost a year into COVID-19 pandemic life things are not easy. Anxiety has been high, isolation, grief, and sadness are present, and any mental health or life issues that we had before probably feel bigger now. But starting therapy in the winter of 2021, means for most of us engaging in teletherapy. Therapist, Alison Pepper LCSW explores what is teletherapy here and the creative ways you can make it work for you.
Many people are wondering what is teletherapy like? Can teletherapy help me like in-person therapy?
The quick answer is yes, it can help. And it’s very similar to the in-person experience of therapy. Your therapist is there for you; to listen, to help you reflect and explore any and all areas of your life. Since being in private practice I have always had a few clients that needed and wanted teletherapy. A phone session or video call session have always been helpful ways to connect to a client who couldn’t make it in to the office due to illness or travel. Starting in March 2021 my entire therapy practice went remote my clients and I have all learned a lot about teletherapy in the last year.
Below are three of the main questions I continue to hear about Teletherapy?
- Other people are home, how do I deal with privacy? This is a very important question. If we don’t feel like we have privacy with our therapist we will not be able to discuss all that we can in therapy. Asking your partner to leave the home for an hour (run an errand or make a call themselves), putting as many doors between you and others, get the kids watching a loud movie, turn on a white noise app on your cell phone are all good options. Sometimes, your home is never going to accommodate a therapy session so you can walk and talk or you can sit in a car. It’s really up to you. The key is to feel most comfortable whatever location you choose.
- Am I missing out on something because it’s over the phone or video chat? I think we all know the answer is yes, in-person support has a special feel to it. But that said, despite the fact that we aren’t in the same room, face to face, we can still connect, talk about your present moment experience, talk about what’s coming up in your body, and I can still experience and feel everything I need to do my work remotely.
- Are there other options to teletherapy right now? There are, some therapist are already back in the office part-time or full time. I myself, plan to be back in the office part-time this spring, April 2021. So in-person therapy is and will become more of an option moving forward for some. You can always take a few weeks off if you are experience zoom fatigue and need a break from the computer. Switching it up is always helpful, take a few weeks on the phone if you have been meeting over zoom or vis versa. I have been offering walking sessions throughout the pandemic for clients who want to get out and connect but in-person work hasn’t been available. There are options so think about what will be best for you right now and then look for it!
If you are thinking about starting therapy or teletherapy right now you might also find this article helpful. Check out, Why Bother Going to Therapy?
