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VIRTUAL THERAPY
For many of us, life pivoted to using our home computers for almost everything. There’s a certain level of ease about being able to log-on from the comfort of our own homes.
In a city like Atlanta, where you can never count on how long it might take to get somewhere, many of our clients have loved the ease of not factoring in commute time to attend their therapy sessions.
Clients at Steady Hope Counseling find virtual therapy to be just as powerful as in-person therapy. It’s more accessible and really convenient, especially for those who live on the other side of town or if you’re a parent of littles. If you do have worries about doing therapy virtually, these won’t be glazed over. We want to talk about your worries and help provide some tips to get the most out of virtual therapy.
Let's unpack the common fears to tele-health therapy.
Will tele-health therapy be as effective as in-person counseling?
Yes! The feedback we have heard from clients and read through research is that virtual therapy can be just as effective if not more so than in-person sessions.
Actually, many people find being in the comfort of their own home allows them to share and open up more than they normally would in an office.
Our team of therapists even has ways of providing services like EMDR through virtual means.
There are limits to what a computer screen is able to capture, but our clinicians are trained to recognize subtle movements and tones. We have also noticed that as we meet with more clients online, virtually meeting in someone’s home invites us to learn more about clients through their space.
What about annoying technology glitches or freezes?
We will work with our clients to try to find the best platform or solution to decrease technology glitches. And if they do happen, we will roll with it and continue our sessions with clients.
What if others hear me?
One of the benefits of therapy is having a safe space to say whatever you want. So, of course you would be fearful about taking a therapy session on your computer where others might overhear you.
Here are a few suggestions to help you feel more comfortable during virtual sessions:
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Close your door and fill the bottom opening with a blanket
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Turn on a sound machine by your door (any smart speaker has a white-noise function)
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Plan a time for therapy when no one else is home
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Ask your roommates or family members to go outside or out of the house during your therapy hour
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Ask a friend who isn’t home during the day if you can use their space
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Remember: It’s harder to hear from another room than you think :)
Everything we discuss in our session is completely confidential. We use an easy-to-navigate telehealth portal called SimplePractice that emails you a link straight to our session 24 hours before our scheduled time. (It’s easy and very uncomplicated to figure out, we promise!)
Still have questions about virtual therapy with Steady Hope Counseling?
*I (Kim) can see folks virtually who live anywhere in Georgia and Florida, and the rest of our team can see people who live in Georgia. Schedule your free 15-minute free consultation to discuss our counseling services and learn more about telehealth therapy.