Preparing for Online Therapy
If you are looking to start Online Therapy or have moved to a new location and wish to maintain our engagement, here are some tips to help make your transition, smooth and effective.
- Please try to be online 5 minutes before session and give yourself time to settle into the space and context of the upcoming session. For the context of therapy, your physical set-up and environment should ensure:
- CONTINUITY
- CONSISTENCY
- PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL CONTAINMENT
- Creating Confidential Space: Things to consider:
- Is the space private?
- Can you lock the door? If not, will others have access to the space?
- Will others respect your request for privacy and not enter the room?
- Can others outside the room hear you talking? If so, can you create white noise with a fan or other form of background noise? (Placed outside the doorway of the room you are in)
- Consider using headphones or earbuds so that the practitioner’s voice is kept private and is only audible to you.
- Make sure that the space is safe (physically and emotionally) for you.
- Being comfortable is also highly important.
- Laundry Room
- Walk-In-Closet
- Basement
- Actual last resort: your car parked in a safe, private spot. (We want to emphasize that private does not mean secluded. Please do make sure you are in a safe location)
- Technical setup: Things to consider:
- A laptop or desktop computer are ideal — preferably the biggest screen size that you have available to you (that you can also have in a well-lit, comfortable, confidential space)
- If you are using a tablet or phone, please prop up the device so that it is stable.
- Please ensure that the camera is about level with your eyes. It may require propping up your device or monitor on other items, such as books.
- Please make sure that your Wi-Fi connection or mobile data is functioning properly.
- Please ensure your device is adequately charged or that a charger is readily available if you anticipate the device ‘dying’ (turning off) mid-way through our session.
