In addition to checking the internet, you will also want to familiarize yourself with the tool that the therapist uses before the first meeting, which should also be HIPAA compliant, Ejelonu recommends. Resolve any technical issues early, such as confirming an account, creating a password, making sure your camera is working, and that your computer or phone is fully charged.
Make a list
“You have something you want to start talking about, or at least a starting point,” says Tiarra Morris, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and licensed clinical addiction specialist in North Carolina. My meetings with Morris, with whom I connected through the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, begin pre-pandemic in person. A month after Covid, we decided to move to virtual sessions, which was smoother than we anticipated. Telehealth was already a service provided by Morris before the pandemic pushed many of us into virtual therapy, so she’s familiar with how to make it work. Since the pandemic, Morris has received a steady stream of recommendations and has taken on new customers that are totally virtual.
Making a list can seem like a high command during a pandemic. But it doesn’t have to be a complete or detailed list. In fact, it could be as simple as the stressors that come with living during a crisis. Ejelonu doesn’t prepare much for a therapy session, she says, unless there’s a conversation she knows she wants to reflect on. “Then I’ll write it to make sure I remember to mention it.”
I also feel like I’m writing down, usually on a post-it note that I stick on the wall or desk, a few topics that I want to discuss with my therapist that may arise between sessions – an annoying situation at work. e.g. The note helps me jog, especially since stress and anxiety can cause memory loss. I make the list for myself and share the topics I would like to discuss after the session.
Be present and comfortable
One of the benefits of telehealth is that you can be anywhere and connect with your counselor. But Morris warns against trying to have a counseling session while driving, performing multiple activities, or doing any number of activities that will distract you from the session. To help customers be present, Morris recommends “a safe and familiar setting. For example, if you have a favorite place to stay inside your home, which makes you feel relaxed and comfortable – try it for the virtual therapy session ”.
As a customer, you will also want to make sure that your space is free of distractions. Finding a distraction-free location at a time when many Americans work from home (and many students go to distance school) can be difficult. Davis encourages “people to put their devices on Do Not Disturb, because receiving a text message or receiving a phone call can serve as a distraction to therapy.”
If virtual therapy is not accessible to you, there are other resources that may be right for you.
Instagram accounts give a boost
Once I got used to sneaking through dooms on social media, I began to come across a whole new world of uplifting, mostly free, emotional health content. This is useful when I want to listen to sound therapy, practice some yoga movements or learn deep breathing techniques. Emotional and mental health pages on social networks not only offer tips and advice that can help you focus, but also allow you to practice in a virtual community – if you wish. Virtual therapy may not be affordable or financially desirable at this time, but look for other forms of support. Here are some sites that can help you prioritize your health and mental and emotional health.
A “wellness and cafe concept” with monthly subscriptions for virtual yoga, energy work, meditation, breathing and other healing methods. While Heal Haus offers individual sessions, it also offers a virtual workplace wellness program to help organizations focus their attention on the workplace. Once you create an account, it’s easy to sign up for courses. IGTV videos are a great introduction to what you can expect from Heal Haus courses.
I am recently experiencing the transformative powers of rest. But, since 2016, the Ministry of Sleep informs us that sleep and rest are sacred and liberating. According to the Sleep Foundation, adults between the ages of 26 and 64 need seven to nine hours of sleep. Ministry Nap calls us to integrate deep rest into our lives – and offers ideas for rest, such as taking longer showers, daydreaming, dancing slowly, taking a sound bath or doing some yoga poses.