As lockdown prevails in countries struck by COVID-19, every single citizen, even the ones that aren’t infected, have been affected by the current pandemic.
As social animals, we are now forced to stay indoors and distance. Many of us have developed the symptoms of mental illness, such as stress, anxiety, depression and the feeling of utter helplessness during social isolation. While unable to leave homes freely, emotionally devastated individuals are seeking help through virtual-counseling.
Demystifying Teletherapy: In Vain or For Gain
Although some may still feel ambiguous about teletherapy, having someone to listen to you and help figure out your thoughts and direction can actually have a profound effect on participants.
For almost everyone out there, surfing the web is more convenient than sitting in traffic, or worse – finding yourself in the middle of civil unrest. Not only does virtual-counseling for psychotherapy work, it is cost effective and merely a few clicks away.
Those who’re new to online counseling, also known as teletherapy, telebehavioral healthcare, and virtual-counseling, may see this shift as slightly intimidating. You will be pleasantly surprised to know that many of the platforms used for counseling are not only easy to access, but allow for intuitive navigation and one-stop-shopping.
Online counseling is the silver lining to an otherwise difficult time in our world.
A few tips to prepare for your online counseling session:
- Find a quiet spot to hold your session. Possible ideas are your backyard, garage, bedroom, your car, on a walk, or even your bathroom.
- Your Wi-Fi connection needs to be reliable so you can hear and see.
- Let roommates and family members know you have an appointment, so they take care not to disturb you. This is your “Me Time”.
- Make use of headphones to help with privacy and improve dialogue.
- Come prepared with items you may need, such as tissue, pen, paper, beverage, etc.
- Before each session, write down what you want to discuss with your online therapist.
Stay safe & connected!