You're used to going to your therapist's office, sitting on the couch, and talking in a confidential space. You're used to seeing your therapist in person at your regularly scheduled time.
The stay at home order is changing how we do therapy. It's forcing us to participate in a type of therapy that we may not be used to. It's forcing us to find physical space to have therapy that is as uninterrupted as possible. It's forcing us to get used to having phone or video telehealth sessions instead of going to a physical office. And no one likes to be forced into doing anything, right?
Here's the good news: A lot of what you were doing in your therapist's office will be the same.
You'll meet your therapist at a mutually agreed upon day and time.
You'll be able to physically see your therapist if you have a smart phone or internet access.
You'll set the agenda for sessions.
You'll choose what you feel comfortable talking about - and may decide to wait to share things that are uncomfortable to another session.
You'll take notes in session if you're used to doing that in person.
You'll pay your co-pay, session fee, etc. in session as you typically do.
Your therapist will continue to make every effort to maintain the privacy of therapy just as it's done in the office (noise blocking machines, keeping the door closed in session, only seeing one individual or couple client at a time).
As you can see, a lot of things are the same when you choose to do telehealth therapy. That's a really comforting thing when you think about all the other stuff that's going on with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are some things that are going to look a bit different:
You'll log in to a HIPAA-compliant, secure waiting room similar to what our practice offers on Doxy.me.
You'll see your therapist in real time on a screen.
Your therapist will be working from home, so the office setting will look different.
There may be some technical issues. Let's face it, everyone is using the same platforms to conduct therapy. So, there may be some technical issues that will take some flexibility (and maybe even some humor, too!).
You may get interrupted and/or distracted. That's inherent in the process and goes both ways sometimes. It's part of the process right now since we're all stuck at home, so remember that your therapist is in the same boat as you.
The physical location of where you take your session may not be ideal. I've had clients take sessions in their cars, closets at home, empty bedrooms, etc. As long as you're OK with it, we are, too. If the weather's nice, go for a walk if you're comfortable with it for privacy reasons. If it's getting in the way of your ability to participate in therapy, let your therapist know.
Remember, we're all in this pandemic together. We can help you make the transition from in office to teletherapy as smooth as possible. Contact us today to get started with a free 15-minute phone consultation.
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