By Diana Hughes

It’s been over a year since COVID began and although certain aspects of life have begun to look like pre-COVID norms, some changes seem to be here for good. One of those changes is all the things we can now do from home. Now, we can go to school, work, the store, attend baby showers, and more from our couch. Many people also began online therapy during the pandemic. And, they did it from the comfort of their own homes while seeing progress in their mental and emotional health.

As a therapist, I’ve noticed some things that have been helpful during sessions in reaching my clients’ goals and others that seem to hinder productivity. Here are some tips for how to get the most of telehealth therapy.

1) Set time aside as though it were an in-person session

Part of the draw to continuing telehealth therapy is the convenience of not having to plan for the commute or have it drastically disrupt your day. However, sometimes this leads to waking up or logging on right on time or just a few minutes late. You may be in your car, in bed, or at a friend’s house and not completely ready for your telehealth therapy session. Sometimes people completely forget what day it is and they miss sessions because there’s no cue or drive to remind them of a session that day. Setting a reminder on your phone to go off a few minutes for your session can give you enough time to prepare materials as well as gathering your thoughts to get the most out of your online session.

2) Be intentional about where you are for your telehealth therapy appointment

Think of your therapist’s office before COVID or of what you’ve seen on shows or movies. How do they feel? What do they look like? Therapists are intentional about what their offices look like. At Aspire, for example, our online therapists think of everything from where the furniture is placed to what pillows are on the couches and where the clock is in the room. You are doing hard work in therapy and having a space that allows for you to fully express yourself and be comfortable is very important. Trying to have a session while cooking dinner, enduring the heat in your car, or as you’re driving just isn’t as effective.

Also, keep privacy in mind. Do you have to filter what you are talking about so that little kids don’t hear or a roommate doesn’t get mad? If this is the case, then you might want to consider changing the time of your telehealth therapy session or seeing if you can reserve a room at the library, a study hall, or finding a more private place to have your session.

3) Keep all distractions out of reach

Trust me, I understand the temptation to check your email during a telehealth therapy session. Notifications pop up and we just simply MUST take a look. Typically, during in person sessions, I don’t see to many people checking their phones or they at least put them on silent before the session begins. But when we are at home and are so connected to everything, this might slip our minds. Before logging on, make sure to put your phone on silent and turn off notifications on your computer. It also seems to be more effective to be on a computer than on your phone as you or your online therapist might be sharing screens, videos, word documents, etc.

However, technology isn’t the only distraction. Our pets, hobbies, and to-do lists can sometimes get in the way as well. In DBT, we talk about being one-mindful which means you are doing one thing at a time. So, try not to fold laundry, do your make up, pay bills, or drive during a session (seriously, driving and therapy together is just not a safe idea!). Sometimes pets can be really comforting. It’s not uncommon for therapists to have therapy dogs or other therapy animals in their practice. However, these animals are special trained and are meant to be emotionally supportive- not a distraction. There have been many times when my telehealth therapy sessions have had to be put on pause because a dog or cat disrupts or distracts my clients. Therefore, for that one hour, it may be best that we let our beloved animals hangout in a different room with a special treat.

Finally, if you notice feeling like something off and you aren’t sure what to do about it, bring it up with your online therapist. There might be suggestions or changes that they’ve done with other clients that could help you too. Remember, when in doubt, transparency is the way to go!

About the Author

Diana Hughes is a therapist at Aspire Counseling in Columbia, MO who helps people find effective paths through pain, stress and hurt. She specializes in trauma therapy and DBT. She works well with both teenagers (she’s a former substitute teacher and is great with this age group!) as well as adults. Furthermore, Diana is bilingual and able to offer counseling sessions to those who need to or would prefer to hold counseling sessions in Spanish.