How to get the most out of your Telehealth therapy sessions

For those unfamiliar with telehealth, it has become a standard of care for medical treatment, largely out of necessity since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the US in March 2020, however telehealth has been around since the early 2000s and has been consistently gaining traction with its usage and application to medical care.

As telehealth continues to be seen by public health officials as the preferred method for delivery of services for mental health at this current time, individuals seeking out therapy (sometimes for the first time) may find themselves having to adjust their perceptions of what therapy may look like.

If you are considering engaging in telehealth for therapy, here are a few considerations to keep in mind in order for your experience to be more positive and successful:

*Schedule your therapy appointments when you have time to yourself and will be least distracted by others. Therapy is often an emotional and reflective process, therefore allowing yourself intentional time before and after your appointment to prepare for/reflect on the session can be extremely beneficial.

*Identify a safe, private and confidential space in your home where you will not be interrupted and/or distracted.

*Choose a quiet and well-lit space in your home so that you can hear your therapist and be heard as well as be seen by your therapist.

*Decide in advance which device you will use for your session (i.e. smartphone, tablet, computer) and ensure that it is fully charged and set up with necessary applications such as anti-virus protection and the platform utilized for your therapy sessions.

*Practice using the virtual platform that your therapist will be using (i.e. SimplePractice, Doxy.me, Zoom, etc) to familiarize yourself to the process and steps needed to login so this does not interfere with your therapy time. Your therapist will typically advise you which platform will be used at the time of scheduling your appointment. Be sure to ask questions to help ease any discomfort about the process.

*Have a notepad nearby. Prior to your session, this is helpful to remind yourself of questions you may have, concerns that you want to address and/or reflections from previous sessions that you may wish to share with your therapist. During and after the session, this can be helpful to reflect on the main concepts discussed in session and any possible follow up assignments before your next session.

*Give thought to what you want to achieve by engaging in therapy as this will help guide the treatment goals that are important to you.

*Anticipate some awkwardness in the beginning as you familiarize yourself with the process and getting to know your therapist. This typically eases after the first couple of sessions which is a similar timeframe when meeting a therapist face to face for sessions. Allow yourself time to “feel in sync” with your therapist as any relationship and rapport takes time to establish.

*Discuss a back-up plan with your therapist in the event that your connection is disrupted/delayed due to internet connection. Let your therapist know if you missed something that was said and/or need repeated as it is important for you to understand what is being communicated to you.

*Provide feedback to your therapist if there is anything additional that you may need or are concerned about.

This may sound like a lot to consider prior to an appointment, but many of these suggestions would ideally have been considered when scheduling an appointment in “normal” times, and the additional suggestions will become a habit once an initial routine has been established. 

Telehealth may not be for everyone, and for some clinical concerns it may not be appropriate, but it is showing to be as effective as face-to-face therapy for most therapeutic issues. If you have concerns about engaging in telehealth or are uncertain if it is right for you, please feel free to email Natasha@insighttelehealth.com or call me at 941-329-6417 to schedule a free consultation. I offer telehealth to individuals that reside in Florida and Illinois. 

Stay healthy and well!