Checklist: 5 Simple Steps for Beginning Online Therapy
Over the past year, we have been largely unable to access in-person mental health care due to efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19, and the impact of pandemic stress on all aspects of life has greatly increased the need for therapy, am I right??
I feel it, and I know many of us are still trying to wade through the layers of how our health has been impacted by isolation, loss, increased responsibilities at home, the continued onslaught of violence and oppression against people and communities of color--none of us are coming out of this last year untouched by some level of pain and new challenges around how to keep on keeping on.
Online options for mental health care have been slowly expanding over the past several years, and of course this trend rapidly accelerated in 2020 as therapists attempted to respond to increasing caseloads of people needing to receive support in quarantine.
If you haven’t considered therapy before, perhaps the past year has changed that and revealed new areas of need, or perhaps if you never considered trying out therapy online, you have been left with very few alternative options.
The really good news: there’s a lot of research out there showing that the results of online therapy are fully comparable to in-person treatment. There is no reason that meeting with your therapist virtually cannot provide the same or even greater impact as meeting in a physical office setting. Yay! The even better news: this means that we are able to greatly increase access to high quality mental health treatment for people who otherwise would struggle to find care (those with limited transportation options, people living in rural areas where there aren’t many providers, those with severe anxiety about leaving home, etc.) I am all about people getting the care they need and deserve so this is a big win!
“There is no reason that meeting with your therapist virtually cannot provide the same or even greater impact as meeting in a physical office setting.”
If you think you could benefit from online therapy, here is a checklist I hope you’ll find helpful as you go about getting started:
Find a therapist who offers telehealth and is accepting new clients
Sounds easy, right? This can be the hardest part, because you want to find a skilled practitioner you can really connect with. Not everyone will be the perfect fit. Remember you are paying for a service; a good therapist will recognize the power dynamic inherent in therapy and attempt to address it by championing you as the expert in your own story. It’s your therapist’s job to ensure they are in compliance with all state and ethical guidelines governing their profession; the great thing is that depending on the state(s) your therapist is licensed in, you may not necessarily have to live in the same city their practice is located in order to work with them, so this could open up options that otherwise wouldn’t be available for in-person sessions!
2. Schedule a consultation
Many therapists will offer a brief initial phone meeting so you can accomplish step #1 at no charge and make sure you have a good feeling about working with them.
3. Complete intake paperwork
Once you’ve identified a therapist you are excited to start seeing online, they will ask you to fill out some intake documents that will be specific to their practice. It’s great to complete all of this in advance of your first session and ask any remaining clarifying questions by email, so that during your first appointment you can dive right into your goals and hopes for therapy.
4. Make sure you’ve got sufficient technology, wifi, and physical space for your sessions
The main difference with online therapy is that your therapist won’t be able to set up a quiet and safe physical space for your sessions. It’s a good idea to think through how you can set the conditions on your end to be most effective (ensure you are in a private space so you can speak freely inside your home, office, etc., try to eliminate distractions & background noise, and make sure your device is running smoothly and you’ve got access to good WiFi so there are no interruptions.) Your therapist can provide you with information about what steps they take on their end to ensure your confidentiality in the virtual setting.
5. Schedule your first appointment and show up!
Your therapist will let you know what secure virtual platform they use for sessions and should provide you with a link you can easily access at the set time. Often a secure therapy platform will generate a client-specific link that you can simply bookmark and use for each scheduled session
At The Whole Story, I operate a 100% online therapy (telehealth) practice. If you live in California and are ready to begin therapy, reach out to me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation!
Here’s to your wholistic health!