COVID-19 has upended most of our lives, but with technology we have the power to still connect through phone, email, and video. With so many of us at home feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or stressed, the need for telehealth has never been more prevalent.
Suspending therapy during a pandemic would be an unhelpful disruption in care for many, especially when video sessions are available. If you’ve never done a therapy session over video you might be expecting some discomfort or awkwardness – and that’s understandable – but a video session can actually be more enjoyable than you may realize.
What to expect
There will likely be a disruption. You and your therapist are both at home and there’s a chance one or both of you have pets or kids who come into the room unexpectedly. Technology may cause glitches and interrupt your sessions. Remember that you can’t control everything. It’s true that your teletherapy session might go wrong in one way or another, but this doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.
If you’re concerned about your personal privacy – or interruptions – we recommend using a phone or second electronic device as a personal white noise machine. There are a million “white noise” options on YouTube and Spotify. Find one you like, play it on full volume, and place it at your door.
How to prepare
Preparing for a virtual session is different than preparing for an in-person session. You don’t have to leave your own home, which is a huge perk, but you do have to make sure that your video works.
Here are some recommended preparations patients should take:
- Find a quiet, private space that has a closed door. You want to make sure your session is fully private.
- Play around with the software beforehand to make sure you’re comfortable with it. If your connection becomes faulty, you can turn off your video to reduce the lag.
- Let others in your household know when you’ll be in an appointment and enlist their help in managing kids or pets during that time so you don’t have to break at all during the session.
You might also want to put on different clothes (not pajamas or sheer clothing) or adjust your lighting. Make sure you choose a location and a space that you feel most comfortable in.
How to maximize privacy
Therapy sessions are intimate and also very private. Make sure your therapist is following the proper protocol to ensure your session is kept private (and is not recorded unless you have agreed to it).
Talk to your therapist about the platform they’re using. At Brooklyn Minds, our IT Manager is staying up to date on the safest, best platforms and responding to all security concerns. We are doing everything possible to keep our clients’ data secure and every practice should be doing the same.
Some platforms like Zoom and Webex indicate they are HIPAA compliant and take extra measures to provide more safeguards. During the pandemic, the government has temporarily relaxed some of the rules around HIPAA compliance but whenever possible, HIPAA compliant platforms should still be used. With any form of communication, including in-person sessions where someone accidentally opens the door while in session, there are always some privacy risks. Make sure you and your therapist are doing everything possible to minimize them.
Why it works
Brooklyn Minds has made the complete switch to virtual therapy sessions. We’ve asked both clinicians and patients how their expectations for telehealth matched their reality and many have told us that telehealth sessions were just as good or better than their standard sessions. Several of our clinicians have enjoyed getting to see clients in their own environments and have had the chance to learn information that they wouldn’t have otherwise had access to.
You might feel like therapy won’t be as good on video – and it’s definitely possible that things will feel a little off in a teletherapy session – but you can still get the same benefits from it. No matter what changes you’ve made, it’s important to continue meeting with your mental health team to maintain your mental health.
In New York, insurance restrictions around telehealth have been relaxed, so if you’ve never tried a virtual session before there’s no better time than the present. Staying healthy – both physically and mentally – is critical during a pandemic. Contact us at info@brooklynminds.com or text/call 929-296-1624 to get the process started. Visit www.brooklynminds.com to learn more about the types of therapy we offer.
