The first session is always the most difficult
Online therapy allows people to access, or continue to access, psychological services when they are unable to meet with a psychologist in person. While the switch might be easy for some, it is more difficult to manage practically or emotionally for others.
This post highlights some of the practicalities to think about before your first session.
Confidentiality I Security I Safety
· Choose a place where you can be alone, a room that has a door you can close.
· Ask your family members to not disturb you during those 50 minutes.
· Make sure you feel safe in the place you chose for your conversation. You don’t want your husband/mom/kids to listen to whatever you want to talk about. It’s not just any conversation – you need to feel confident that you can speak freely.
· If privacy at home is not possible, sitting in the car is often a good enough option.
· Ensure privacy with a speaker/radio. Put it behind the closed door, and turn on some music or white noise. Just make sure it’s not *too* loud.
Stable internet connection
Sometimes WiFi might be the best option. Other times, especially now, when your family is at home with you learning or working - you might think about using your phone if you have enough data in your package.
Alternatively, ask everyone not be online or streaming during your session.
To ensure the best and uninterrupted quality of the call it’s best to turnoff all the other running apps and programs.
Some things to remember for video:
· The best level for the camera is eye level. You don’t need any special equipment, a box or stack of books is good enough.
· Headphones help with the quality of the audio and may also give you a sense of privacy.
· Sit in a comfortable space (not the couch 😉). Remember, this is still a professional meeting even though in your home setting.
· Wear something that's as appropriate as an in-person session.
· Have enough light in front of you. It’s important that you see each other well. If the light is coming from behind your face will be in shadow. A desktop lamp often helps to provide light.
· Silence your phone or other devices so that they don’t distract you.
· Have some water and tissues close by.
· Do not use any mind-altering substances before the session (that means no alcohol and/or drugs). Your therapist wants you to be able to think clear thoughts and experience various emotions during the session.
And that’s it.
The first try is always a little anxiety provoking but later on, you might find this way of speaking with your therapist quite…normal. The new normal 😊
