There are plenty of benefits to taking a session of online therapy. It’s convenient, you can do it from the comfort and privacy of your own home, and it’s still able to address the issues that you may be currently facing.
One thing that’s a potential cause of concern, however, is that the online component of the therapy might feel distant, even impersonal. While the absence of physical presence in an actual session with your therapist may now be the default standard, this shouldn’t keep you from making the most out of the experience.
Here are some tips you can use for a more mindful online therapy session.
Create Your Safe Space
You don’t have to invest in the stereotypical therapist’s chair, although it is highly recommended for you to settle in a spot that’s going to be most comfortable for you during the session. It might be in a little nook in your bedroom, or your kitchen counter, or even the bay window looking out your home.
That’s precisely the beauty of online therapy—you can do the session wherever you are. Do take note, however, that whichever space you choose, you will have the utmost privacy and focus during your sessions.
Set a Definite Schedule
This is beneficial for both you and your therapist. On their part, they can better prepare for your session and approach it professionally. On your part, it helps you become more intentional in attending the session.
Having a definite schedule also helps you prepare for the session. If you have anything pressing you would like to address, or you’d like to pick up from where you left off the last time, the schedule gives you something to look forward to. Sometimes, your therapist will give you homework or exercises. Having the schedule allows you to set a viable deadline.
Perhaps the biggest challenge to online therapy is the logistics of it all. When WiFi connections falter, or microphones don’t work as well as they should, it can be very frustrating to have the session interrupted. This can be disruptive to the whole flow of the session, which is why it’s important that you check your connection first and foremost.
Close all other apps and windows on your tabs; you won’t need them during the session anyway. Remember, you have to be a hundred percent present during your online therapy, so do away with these distractions. Plus, they eat up bandwidth that could slow down your connection.
It’s ultimately up to you if you’d rather just use the microphone on speaker in your device. Using headphones or earphones could work better for you, though, if utmost privacy and focus are something you’d like to achieve.
