Virtual Services

What can you do to prepare for virtual therapy?

Unlike coming to an office, telehealth therapy happens in your domain: your home, office, or car (while parked, of course). Because of this, at times, your stressors can be cued and change the dynamics of therapy. While there are pros and cons to this, I am hoping to make the best experience possible for you.

Here are some ways to get the most out of our time together:

1. Make sure you are meeting in a confidential space (in the state of Maryland as this is the only state in which we are licensed at this time) with a closed door, and you have alerted others that you are going into a meeting and not to be interrupted. If you have small children try and schedule therapy during a routine naptime or have them watched by someone else during our meeting.

2. Try to select a location that is soothing to you and possibly outside of your everyday routines (trying to avoid your work desk or bed if this is helpful to you). 

3. Keep some items around that you may want during therapy to act as soothing, self-care, or grounding such as lotion, fidgets, tissues, etc.

4. When you come to a therapy session in the office, remember that your commute serves as a transition in and out of the therapy session. For a telehealth session, make sure you are building extra time into your session to make sure you arrive on time, have good internet connection with audio/video checked and sufficient bandwidth to hold a meeting. Perhaps generate a list of topics to discuss or goals for the session. After the session, be gentle with yourself. This is your time and finding a routine way to process what has been discussed may be helpful whether it is writing, coloring, listening to music, or just having some empty space to think.