COVID I9 and Telehealth
Though I have always worked with some people via secure video or phone, since the beginning of the shelter-in-place order in March 2020, my clinical and consulting practice has been entirely online.
Telehealth enables me to work with people, especially queer folks and people of color who might not have access to psychotherapists in their immediate geographic region that are a good match for their cultural and embodied experience. Telehealth also allows for consultation and collaboration with colleagues outside of each other’s immediate geographic proximity.
Telehealth As Community Care
Is the turn toward telehealth a form of queer mutual aid? In addition to opening up possibilities for connection outside of geographic proximity, telehealth has always made it possible for clients who have health concerns and precarities, or are immune compromised, to access services and relationships without jeopardizing their health.
Using telehealth during the COVID pandemic and while dealing with other airborne and surface-contact transmissible viruses, also allows people to participate in psychotherapy while quarantining or limiting contact outside of their households. This further protects our communities from casual viral spread.
While we might miss some kinds of somatic nuances from being bodies in shared physical space, other kinds of tracking and relating emerge. I welcome conversation and creativity about forms of technological connection.
Telehealth Tips
We will talk about how telehealth feels throughout our work together, and how the constraints and needs of your life affect therapy. Here are a few suggestions.
Allow yourself time to get settled and transition into therapy with a few minutes of quiet time or a walk.
Make sure that you have privacy and will not be disturbed during session so you can focus on yourself—the same way you would if you had commuted to an office.
Check your internet or phone connection to ensure that we have as clear a connection as possible.
Close all other windows and notifications on your phone, tablet, or computer before and during session so that the world will not be able to intrude.
Some people prefer audio sessions over video. If you would like to meet with audio only, choose a place where you feel able to be present with yourself. Some people like to be outside in a yard or a quiet outdoor spot, or somewhere walking on a trail. An ideal place is somewhere you feel safe and able to turn your focus inward.