I’m writing a series of short posts for Psychology Today about how to make the best use of technology to improve the online therapy experience. In the first installment I wrote about why it’s essential to use headphones and a microphone. Nothing fancy—even the cheap earbuds with attached microphone that come free with your smartphone make all the difference in the world. Part 2 was about the simple things you can do visually to get up close and personal. The third post is about cutting down on distractions and protecting privacy. Some of the tips are easy to manage, others less so.
One reason teletherapy might be scary is that it’s unfamiliar. My hope in writing these pieces is to give clients and therapists the encouragement to try. I believe we can reduce preventable mishaps if we give some thought and attention to things before we start a session. The main question I ask myself is: “What can I do to make life better for the other person?” In this way, there is a direct parallel to the public health crisis that’s forcing us into teletherapy in the first place. A dominant strain of American culture is built on the value of rugged individualism. Our ability to survive and to thrive in this moment will depend on how much we recognize our interdependence.