In addition to checking your internet, you will also want to familiarize yourself with the tool your therapist uses before this first appointment, which should also be HIPAA compliant, Ejelonu advises. Pre-order any technical issues, such as confirming an account, creating a password, making sure the camera is working, and that your computer or phone is fully charged.
Make a list
“Have something you want to start talking about, or at least a starting point,” says Tiarra Morris, a clinical mental health counselor and clinical addiction specialist in North Carolina. My sessions with Morris, with whom I connected through the Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, begin the pre-pandemic in person. After a month of Covid, we decided to move to virtual sessions, which was smoother than I expected. Telehealth was already a service that Morris provided before the pandemic pushed many of us into virtual therapy, so he knows how to make it work. Since the pandemic, Morris has received a steady stream of referrals and has acquired new fully virtual clients.
Making a list may seem like a high order 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 of living during a crisis. She says Ejelonu isn’t preparing much for a therapy session, unless there’s a conversation she knows she wants to reflect on. “Then I’ll write it down to make sure I remember mentioning it.”
I also find myself writing down, usually on a Post-it note that I stick on the wall or desk, some topics I want to talk to my therapist that may arise between sessions: an annoying situation at work, for example. The note helps me jog memory, especially because stress and anxiety can cause memory to expire. I make the list myself and share the topics I would like to talk about once the session begins.
Be present and comfortable
One of the advantages of telehealth is that you can be anywhere and connect with your advisor. But Morris warns against trying to have a counseling session while driving, doing various tasks, or doing any activities that distract you from the session. To help clients introduce themselves, Morris recommends “a safe, family-friendly environment. For example, if you have a favorite sitting area in your home that will make you feel relaxed and comfortable, try it for your virtual therapy session.” .
As a customer, you’ll also want to make sure your space is free of distractions. Finding a distraction-free location during a time when many Americans work from home (and many students go to school remotely) can be difficult. Davis encourages “people to put their devices in Do Not Disturb, because receiving a text message or receiving a phone call can serve as a distraction from 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 finished my habit of final scrolling through social media, I began to encounter a new world of uplifting content, mostly free, of emotional well-being. This is useful when I want to listen to sound therapy, practice some yoga movements, or learn deep breathing techniques. Emotional and mental well-being pages on social media not only offer tips and advice that can help you focus, but also allow you to practice in a virtual community, if you will. Virtual therapy may not be financially accessible or desirable at this time, but you are looking for other forms of support. Here are some places that can help you prioritize your mental and emotional health and well-being.
A “wellness concept and coffee” with monthly subscriptions for virtual yoga, energy work, meditation, breathing and other healing modalities. While Heal Haus offers individual sessions, it also offers a virtual workplace wellness program to help organizations focus on the workplace. Once you create an account, it’s easy to sign up for classes. IGTV videos are a great introduction to what you can expect from Heal Haus classes.
I am recently experiencing the transformative powers of rest. But since 2016, the Nap Ministry has let us know that naps and rest are sacred and liberating. According to the Sleep Foundation, adults ages 26 to 64 need seven to nine hours of sleep. The Nap Ministry calls us to integrate deep rest into our lives and offers ideas for rest, such as longer showers, daydreaming, slow dancing, taking a sound bath, or doing some yoga postures.