Finding time to care for one's mental health in today's busy society can be challenging. Many therapists offer access to online therapy sessions that clients can use to help mental health care fit into their busy schedules.
If you are thinking of offering teletherapy as an option for your own clients, it's important that you take the time to improve and perfect your online conferencing skills so that clients will be able to benefit from their online interactions with you.
1. Master Your Platform
A number of tech companies offer access to their own online therapy conferencing platform you can use to connect with your clients. Once you have identified the platform that best caters to your needs, you must master this platform before you begin scheduling online sessions with patients.
Technical difficulties or user errors can seriously detract from the quality of any online therapy session.
Use your chosen platform to interface with friends and family members multiple times before you begin accepting online clients so that you can master the use of the platform before going live with patients.
2. Invest in the Right Equipment
The type of equipment you use in coordination with an online therapy conferencing platform can impact the quality of your teletherapy sessions.
You will want to ensure that you are using a webcam that offers a high level of clarity. If the camera that comes with your computer is sub-par, upgrade to a better model. You will also want to consider upgrading your speakers or investing in a set of quality headphones.
These tools allow you to hear your patients clearly so that you can offer valuable insight during each teletherapy session.
3. Conduct a Test Session
Before you begin to regularly see patients through an online therapy conferencing platform, offer each patient access to a free test session. This test session will allow you to work out any technical problems that may prevent your teletherapy session from going smoothly.
You can use the test session to offer tips your patients can use to improve the teletherapy experience from their end. Some of these tips include limiting background noise, closing all non-essential browser windows, and avoiding any software updates during the session.
A test session can prevent you from using up valuable time addressing connection problems during a patient's scheduled teletherapy session.
Making your therapy services available online can be a great way to diversify your practice. Invest in an online therapy conferencing platform and begin offering teletherapy today.
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