Is virtual therapy a good fit for me?
Have you been thinking about trying virtual therapy, but you’re not sure if it would work for you? Many people have preferences when it comes to in-person vs virtual therapy, largely due to their own personal experiences or situations. However, when I think of the clients who do well with virtual therapy, there are some things that stand out. Here is a short list of recurring themes I see with clients who tend to really thrive with virtual therapy:
They are busy.
I will often meet virtually with clients who are taking their session from their office on their lunch break, or in-between running errands (but NOT while driving- please, be safe!), or before picking their kids up from an after school activity. These clients have a lot of things on their daily to-do list, and can’t afford the time it takes to drive to and from an in-person therapy appointment. They want to invest the time into themselves, but an in-person session would mean a lot of stress about logistics. Virtual therapy allows these clients to be consistent and more prepared for their sessions, which makes for better therapy outcomes.
They want to cultivate their space.
One big benefit of virtual therapy is that you can take your therapy appointment from the comfort of your own home. Many clients really value this! You can take your appointment from your home office, in front of a bright window with some coffee and a journal in hand. Or, maybe you would prefer to take the call in your living room, wrapped in a blanket and curled up with your pet (one of my personal favorite parts of virtual therapy is all of the pet cameos!).
Some clients prefer to take their appointments outside in the fresh air, while taking a slow walk or on a blanket in the grass. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, as always, keep your privacy in mind! Maybe use some headphones and ensure no one else is nearby so you feel comfortable speaking freely. Also, remember to have a stable internet connection (nothing worse than when the video call keeps freezing or dropping!).
They understand when to multi-task and when to focus.
Your session time is time dedicated to you. It is not the time to try to do your session while completing some work related task or getting some chores done. A general rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t do it in an in-person session, you probably shouldn’t do it in a virtual session (things like eating or drinking water/coffee or using some grounding skills like doodling are totally welcome!).
They want options.
With in-person therapy, if you live in a high-traffic area, you are limited to picking a therapist whose office is within the distance you are willing to drive. Or, if you live in a rural area, you may not have that many therapists around to choose from. Virtual therapy gives clients more therapists to choose from because you can pick any therapist to work with, as long as they are licensed where you live. Because I am licensed in the state of California, I can do virtual therapy with clients who are physically located anywhere throughout the state.
They do not currently have any safety concerns.
If a client is actively having concerns about their ability to keep themselves or others safe, in-person therapy is a better option because your therapist can more easily provide you with the support you need, like with enlisting any crisis resources. Similarly, if you have safety concerns for yourself because of an aspect of your living situation, in-person therapy is more appropriate so we can make sure that you have a safe and private place for your sessions.
