Life as we knew it was completely upended in 2020 with the beginning of COVID 19. Thanks to telehealth, many therapists quickly adapted to the lockdown situation and began offering therapy services on-line. This pivot to telehealth went on for many months and now years. The question on many people’s minds though is, does it work for therapy? Here are some things to consider.
Why choose telehealth for therapy?
- Convenience. People have lives – careers, kids, families and hobbies. It can be much easier to get away for an hour to a virtual session instead of taking time to drive, sit in traffic, etc.
- Location. Sometimes the type of therapy you want isn’t offered in the place you live. Luckily, because of telehealth, you can see any provider who is licensed in the state you are in.
- Safety and Security. You’ve worked hard to create a serene, peaceful environment and talking about difficult, vulnerable topics may seem easier to do in your own space. Additionally, people who struggle with chronic health issues that make it difficult to get around may prefer a virtual telehealth session. Telehealth can reduce your risk of picking up viruses, which may be important to you if you have a stressed immune system.
Through a lot feedback from my own clients, I can say that virtual therapy definitely does work and, for some of my clients, it can be even better. Clients have continued to report reduction in symptoms and a meaningful therapeutic alliance (one of the biggest indicators of success in therapy) can still be built online. A study published in JIMR Mental Health suggested that there was no significant differences in the therapeutic outcomes of people participating in in-person versus telehealth therapy sessions.
I can also attest to the power of virtual therapy because I’ve tried it myself as a client! Over the past few years, it has been so helpful for me to see my own therapist virtually – it allowed me to stay safe during the pandemic and for a working mother of two, it offered so much convenience.
How to have a successful telehealth therapy session.
There are a number of things you can do to get the most out of your telehealth session:
- Make sure you have a private place to meet in a quiet part of your house. Consider placing a white noise machine outside your door if there are other people in the house.
- Set up your computer where I can see you and as much of your upper body as possible. We are going to be tracking what your body is doing as you talk (Did your shoulders tense up right as you were talking about your sister? Did your hands just set a boundary as you were talking about work?) Paying attention to your body gives up a deeper window into your experience
- Find a comfortable place to sit – possibly with support for your back. Remember we’re going to be meeting for almost an hour – you need to find somewhere you can sit for a while
- Bring some resources. Are there things that help you soothe or relax, like a comfy blanket? Or perhaps you can position yourself with a view of a picture on the wall that brings you joy. This is one of the benefits of meeting virtually – you can create a safe space around you.
A word about pets: they can be a huge resource or a huge distraction. Will Fido curl in a ball and snuggle you during session or will he be trying to get your attention by bringing you a ball for an hour? Take this into consideration before deciding whether to allow pets into your therapy session space or to keep them behind a closed door.
As you can see, there are a lot of great reasons to try telehealth or virtual therapy. I offer a free 20 minute virtual consult to see if it works for you.
