Could telehealth therapy sessions be a valuable mental health treatment option for you? With remote therapy, you can log in wherever you find yourself while improving your mental wellbeing. That opens up many additional possibilities as you seek mental wellness and self-improvement.
On the one hand, it really is that simple—simply log in and begin your therapy session. On the other hand, you can take additional steps to get the most out of your online therapy sessions.
A little preparation beforehand can make a big difference. Here are some ways to make your remote therapy sessions as meaningful as possible.
Prepare an Agenda for Your Remote Counseling Visit
While it’s true you may already have set an agenda with your therapist for your upcoming telecounseling session, your treatment concerns may have changed some since then. Perhaps it would be in your best interest to bring up other more pressing matters.
Think about these recent developments or concerns close to when your teletherapy counseling sessions begin. That could be the night before or later. The key is to find a few minutes where you won’t be rushed. This doesn’t have to be a long and drawn-out process.
Just write out a few things you want to mention during discussions with your therapist. Life has a way of getting busy when leading up to virtual visits. Soon, your appointment will be here and gone, and that’s when it’s easy to think of all the topics you wanted to discuss but forgot about at the time. Just five to ten minutes of quiet thought beforehand can help to prevent this.
Then, you can take the highlights you wrote down and place them close to where you’ll have your virtual visit. That way, you and your therapist will be ready to tackle the issues closest to your heart.
Prepare for Your “Commute”
There’s no need to commute in the traditional sense with telehealth mental health counseling. At the same time, it’s wise to give yourself ample time before logging in.
It’s easy to underestimate how much time you’ll need to log in, get your audio/video working correctly and fill out any potential paperwork. You also may want to get a specific area of your home or alternate location ready for the visit.
If you can give yourself a little more time than you think you’ll need, you’ll be less rushed and in a better mind frame once your remote therapy session begins.
Make Sure You’re Comfortable
Along with preparing ahead of time, make sure you’re comfortable with yourself and your surroundings. Feel free to include items or decorations near you that make you feel calm, happy, and at ease. And if bringing a cup of tea or coffee to your visit helps you relax, by all means, do that as well.
Protect Your Confidentiality
Teletherapy offers a unique way to protect your confidentiality since no one will see you going to an in-person therapy appointment. At the same time, you’ll want to find somewhere you can talk about life concerns where you won’t be overheard by someone you’d rather not know about the details. Depending on your living arrangements, this may not be a concern. For instance, if it’s just you and your dog at home during your therapy visit, this isn’t much of a concern.
However, in some cases, others could be home when your visit occurs. If there are things you need to share that you don’t want to be overheard try to plan for that. Come up with a good location in your home where you feel like your confidentiality will be protected.
In her “Psychology Today” article entitled How to Prepare for Your First Virtual Therapy Visit, Sarah Durant Ph.D. shares the following:
“You do not want to worry that you may be overheard when talking about personal topics, particularly if the subjects of therapy are related to the people in your home (they usually are!).”
If you feel that your home is not a good place to keep your information private during remote therapy, discuss this with your counselor. Then, you can come up with an alternate remote location for conducting your visit. That could include a trusted friend’s home or your vehicle, for instance.
Also, feel free to ask your therapist questions about the technology used to conduct your visit if that makes you feel more comfortable. Your counselor can share the specific ways your visits are protected confidentiality-wise.
Make Sure You Have a Good Internet Connection
Depending on your internet capabilities, having good internet may not be much of a concern. Still, suppose you find your connection is not very good. In that case, you may want to consider doing your remote therapy visits from a different location. When connections are poor, valuable time that could have been spent on therapy is lost.
Also, there’s always the possibility of interruptions on either party’s side even if your internet connections are normally good. You can discuss secondary ways to conduct your therapy sessions should this happen.
Give It Some Time
Telehealth therapy sessions can take a little time to get used to. It may take you several visits to feel comfortable with this format. These feelings are entirely normal. Those who keep trying this therapy option usually become increasingly comfortable with it.
At the same time, if you try teletherapy and discover it’s not for you, that’s OK too. You can always go back to in-person visits or alternate between in-person and virtual therapy as needed.
Could You Benefit from Telehealth Therapy Sessions?
Virtual counseling sessions may be the perfect option for you if you’re interested in therapy. No need to fight traffic or rush off to an in-person session. You can do therapy sessions in the comfort of your home.
If you’d like to learn more about how the OC Relationship Center can assist you through online counseling sessions, please contact us. Whether you’re looking for teletherapy marriage counseling, couples teletherapy, or some other form of virtual therapy, we can assist you. Feel free to schedule an appointment with us at your convenience.
