Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
-Mark Twain
I’ve always been pretty adventurous and outside-of-the-box. One of my all time favorite things to do is visit new places, especially ones I’ve always wanted to see, especially the places that are on my travel bucket list (and boy is it a long one!). I also love meeting new people and hearing new life stories, one of the (many!) reasons I love being a counselor! All that being said, it surprised me that my adventurous nature is what lead me to become one of the primer online counselors in Texas.
First, before I started seeing my own clients online, I found my own online counselor. Thankfully, she was great at both counseling and navigating the new online counseling world. It was kind of like the “wild west” of counseling at the beginning, and I loved it!
I’ve noticed a shift recently in my private practice in that people aren’t just calling because I specialize in women’s mental wellness, they are calling for this specialty AND because I also offer online video counseling as well. It’s often for convenience, but I’m noticing an openness for trying something new to see if it’s a good fit for them. I’m seeing this same adventurous nature in my clients as well.
This openness is also great for sessions because, although rare, things can happen online such as a frozen screen or a dropped call (both easily fixed). Thankfully, technology is so much more advanced in this day and age than even a few years ago. Plus, the doxy.me platform that I use is always upgrading and changing its system for the better.
Here are some of my suggestions for our sessions together, tech and all:
- Be sure you are in a private setting for your sessions. Even if others are in the home or workspace, the door needs to be closed for privacy.
- Use headphones to help with the sound quality and to prevent hearing an echo.
- Make sure you have a strong Internet connection/sit close to your Wi-Fi router, as this really does make a different with the video connection and clarity.
- Close or disable any unnecessary programs or apps that are running on your chosen device also helps with your video quality.
- Make sure your location is well‐lit, otherwise I won’t be able to see your face!
- Occasionally video calls do get disconnected. If we are unable to reconnect the video call (which is very rare), then I will call you back on your cell phone.
I’ve also learning other little tricks like closing out the mini picture of me helps me focus completely on my client during sessions (and I have my clients do the same as well on their end, unless their baby is with them, as babies often like to look at themselves on the screen).
On my end, I make sure that the background behind me isn’t too busy (I currently have a couple of landscape canvases and a window with white shutters and grey and white curtains). I’ve also considering using a simple room divider screen as I’ve seen other clinicians use.
My field suggests the importance of clinicians keeping our clothing simple and non-distracting as well as there isn’t a whole lot to look at on screen. So, I typically try to wear solid colors with simple jewelry and hair (depending on the current humidity levels in Dallas!).
So, there you have it! If you’re a woman living in Texas and looking for a therapist, and are open to trying online video counseling, please contact me today to schedule your free 15-minute phone call. I look forward to connecting with you soon!