Are telehealth sessions with Miriam a good fit for you?

We’ve learned a lot in the past few years about how to make telehealth work well for therapy—on both sides of the camera! I do my part to ensure encryption and confidentiality, but clients have a good deal of responsibility for setting up a space to be able to focus and feel connected in their own environment. Some things to consider as you think about doing therapy via telehealth:

CONFIDENTIALITY

You need to have access to a comfortable, distraction-free space where you can talk about personal things without fear of interruption or being overheard for the full therapy session. You might want to lock the door to the room or put a sign on it if there are others nearby.

TECHNOLOGY

You need access to a computer or tablet (larger than a phone screen) and might want to consider using earbuds or headphones to block out ambient noise and hear better.

Set the camera at eye level and hands-free so you can benefit from being able to sit naturally and move your body as you would when sitting in an in-person appointment.

Ensure that your wifi connection is strong and that your device is charged or plugged into a power source.

It can help to close other tabs, apps, or programs so that you are only using the device for our session and can maintain the strongest connection possible.

COMFORT

Set aside 10-15 minutes before your session to check in with yourself and prepare for therapy, similar to how you might mentally change gears when you arrive in a doctor’s waiting room and check in.

Feel free to collect comforting or helpful items near you, such as a blanket or a beloved pet (if they won’t be distracting to you.) You may want a beverage to sip and a notebook for notes.

Finally, though being comfortable in therapy is helpful, you want to help your body and mind to be alert and focused, so sit up on a comfortable chair or couch rather than lying down.

Photo by Kaitlyn Jameson