Our therapists work hard every day to ensure you have an excellent online therapy experience.
We are sharing a few tips and tricks for you to consider as you prepare for your tele-health session.
Technology: Planning ahead will ensure your first tele-health therapy session is a success!
Confirm your device(s) has a functioning camera, speaker and microphone.
Our tele-health platforms work efficiently on phones, computers and tablets of all kinds
Confirm your device has reliable access to high-speed internet via wi-fi or a cellular connection
Our tele-therapy platforms work effectively on cellular networks and are not limited to wi-fi connections
If using earbuds, ensure they work well with your preferred device and are fully charged, if wireless
Technology snafus will occasionally occur in session. We will take a few minutes during our first meeting to review how we will handle them if they arise during our work together!
Location, Location, Location! Tele-therapy tips to help you identify the best place for your session in advance.
Comfort:
Find a place with a comfortable chair where you are able to securely position your device, minimizing the need to adjust it throughout the session. This will minimize any camera-related distractions for you and your therapist.
Ensuring there is good lighting in front of you will allow your therapist to clearly see your face and eyes, and remain connected to your experience throughout your session. Your therapist will do the same.
Identify a location where your camera can be at eye level.
To optimize privacy and confidentiality:
We invite you to consider using earbuds rather than your device’s speaker
Children absorb emotion as much as words, therefore it is strongly recommended children of any age are not present in the room with you during your tele-health therapy session.
Should you find it challenging to find a private place within your home, we invite you to consider your car or outside. As was previously mentioned, our platforms function on cellular networks as well as wi-fi.
Your Presence – your therapist will work hard to emulate in-person therapy as much as possible. We invite you to consider the following tele-therapy tips:
Please dress as you would for an in-person therapy session – comfortably and appropriately
We ask that you refrain from alcohol, marijuana and other recreational drugs prior to and during our session.
Please plan your meals and snacks around our tele-health therapy session to prevent the need to eat during session.
Should you need to tend to children, pets or other members of your family during session, we are happy to pause our therapy for a few moments to allow you the time you need.
Whenever possible, please refrain from moving/repositioning your device during session as it can cause significant distractions and discomfort for your therapist.
Consider having a box of tissues nearby to avoid having to pause your session to retrieve them when the need arises.
Prior to joining each session: tele-therapy tips we follow to minimize the risk of technology-related interruptions - we invite you to do the same!
Restart your computer/device
Close any other apps or programs that may be open
Turn off any notifications for other applications.
When possible, limit the number of people in your home who may be streaming or playing video games
Turn off any background sounds – music, television etc. If you feel background noise is necessary for confidentiality, please consider white noise such as a sound machine or fan to limit the potential for sound interference for your therapist.
If you feel you might be distracted by seeing yourself on video, please have a post-it note or sheet of paper & tape handy. Your therapist will help you place one of these options on the screen to obstruct your view of yourself without losing sight of them. We want you to be comfortable!
If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to reach out to your therapist or to our Client Engagement Specialist, Michel Barta, prior to your tele-health therapy session so we can work together to ensure you are as comfortable as possible. Michel can be reached at Michel@IndividualRelationshipCenter.com.
