Online Therapy In The Time of This Novel Coronavirus
Meeting in an enclosed space—with masks and social distance—does not permit therapy to be connecting. It does not permit the emotional resonance, attunement, and empathy that are fundamental to therapy being meaningful.
I (along with many of my colleagues) have found that in working with people online, I exert more to be certain that I am involved in all the ways that are necessary. That exertion has caused me to grow in my involvement in ways I had not anticipated. Therapy online is being as meaningful to the people with who I work as it was in person. For several people it is being more meaningful. We all miss the goodness of being in each other’s presence. But therapy is still good.
-On top of that there are advantages to online therapy:
– No travel time which allows more regular sessions and more flexibility in scheduling.
– Private and confidential due to highly encrypted video conferencing programs.
– You can do your session anywhere you have an internet connection.
– How does it work?
I will email you a link to a secure video conferencing site. You click on it and you will be taken to the site into a private space for the session. It’s as easy as that.
-Can couples do online therapy?
Yes! You can sit beside each other in front of your computer or iPad. If you are in different locations, you can each be on your own device.
-How about families? Can you help families online?
Yes! As a family you will be in the same room—unless some members are in different locations on their separate device. You’ll be with your family and I will become involved with you in the same ways I would in person.