Online counseling or teletherapy is a great way to provide therapy and counseling services for many different reasons. Just think about the ease of having a therapy session without leaving the house. It also increases privacy because you know no one will see you in a waiting room or walking into a clinic. It is also important to mention that you save time and travel expenses.
Some people are leery of online counseling and would rather make office visits. I invite you to give it a try and see how you like it.
Anger management, stress management, sexuality issues and even couples therapy are all great topics for video conferencing.
Tips for bettering your online therapy session:
- Treat this session the same as you would if you were in my office.
- Put the appointment on your calendar so it is not a surprise when I call you! (this happens far too often)
- Make sure you are in a quiet place, which is free from distractions.
- Don’t drive and talk!
- Keep yourself focused during the discussion…don’t try to do housework or surf the web.
- Give yourself 30 minutes before and after the session to think about our discussion.
- If you disagree with something I say, speak your mind! The last thing I want is for you to just quit talking with me because you are upset. Who knows, maybe I misheard you, which caused my response to be wrong.
- Remember that some body language is missed over online therapy, so please don’t be afraid to be more verbally expressive.
- Be sure that you’re using the most up-to-date version of operating system for your computer or mobile device.
- Your newest mobile device will provide the best quality. A smartphone usually works better than a computer.
- Connect to a strong, private WiFi signal.
- Please use headphones so that you can avoid voice echo during your session and so I can hear you better.
- Resting/mounting your device on something solid will make the session more pleasant for you and me 🙂
- No private place? Your car is often a fantastic option!