Online Therapy During Coronavirus
Are you looking for online therapy during the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic? I’m pleased to offer online therapy, also called telehealth counseling. Online counseling for issues including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder offer a safe option during this incredibly stressful moment in human history. Online therapy is effective, private, and convenient, and can help you endure what could otherwise be a time of strife, anxiety, and despair.
A Challenging Time
Are you struggling with anxiety about the Coronavirus? Are you worried your own health, or about that of loved ones? Has your work been significantly impacted or worse, have you lost a job? Is your industry under threat? Are you concerned about your children’s education, or just struggling to figure out to do with them without school? Are you yourself sick, do you have a loved one who is sick, or have you lost someone you loved?
Has the pandemic increased your existing struggle with depression, anxiety, or mood swings? Do you feel like your own anxiety, agitation, or depression are making this already terrible situation worse for you and those around you? Do you think there might be easier ways to endure this time and not suffer so much, but are struggling to figure out how to do so?
This is an unprecedented time, and is causing significant distress for many, many people. It is impossible for any of us to know what will happen in the coming months and years as this all unfolds. What we do know is that a lot of people are going to suffer, that many will die, and that all of us will be living in a very different world going forward.
Have Hope. Struggle Less.
Fortunately, you do not need to endure this entire experience alone. It is possible to get through this experience with more or less suffering, depending on your frame of mind. Without denying the reality of the pandemic, you can learn to decrease your anxiety, depression, agitation, and other negative states of mind and struggle less as a result. Instead of being wrapped up in your own dark thoughts and feelings, you can put your attention on doing the things that make life meaningful, even in the midst of this crisis.
If we can make the time we are stuck at home away from so many areas of our lives count then we will be demonstrating the best characteristics of the human spirit. If we give in to despair, hopelessness, or catastrophic thinking then we are already loosing parts of our lives to the virus.
With online counseling, you can develop coping skills, grow, and transform. Resilience, acceptance, and psychological flexibility are all traits that can be cultivated through online therapy.
Experience You Can Trust
I’m a professional counselor with years of experience conducting online therapy. My career entails helping people cope with the worst moments of their life; crippling depression, chronic illness, death of a loved one, child abuse histories, trauma, serious and chronic mental health issues including bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, and schizophrenia. I help good people who have a had terrible, tragic, sometimes random events take their lives in unimaginable directions that most people shudder to consider. My experiences with all of these situations has prepared me to help people who are now facing the reality of the virus.
In my online counseling sessions with my current clients, I am seeing the real world issues that are being created. Loneliness, overwhelm, and stress seem to be the leading complaints. I’ve had several who have tested positive themselves and are now quarantined and sick. I know that someday before long I will be talking with someone about the loved one they lost to the virus. The effects on humanity are enormous and well underway.
I am pleased to report that I have also seen impressive wisdom from many of my clients since the pandemic began. Flexibility, acceptance, maintaining social connection, and finding meaningful activity are helping them survive the situation. They are applying skills they’ve developed in therapy to our new reality and suffering less as a result.
If you’d like to be someone who endures the crisis with a little more peace and less anxiety, online therapy can help.
Have Some Questions About Online Therapy?
It is totally understandable to have reservations about online counseling. Here’s some common questions I get:
Is Online Therapy Effective?
Online therapy is effective treatment. It is recognized as a valid counseling format that is an increasingly important option for clients who are unable to attend sessions in person for any reason. I have always used online therapy in my practice and my clients report finding it helpful. They make measurable progress. Many are very grateful to have the option because online counseling is their only option due to health or other conditions.
Is Online Therapy Private?
Online therapy is private. There are a variety of secure video platforms that are complainant with heath privacy regulations such as HIPPA. The Colorado Department of Regulations continues to clarify how to conduct telehealth ethically and legally, and is actively encouraging all health care providers to use it when possible. I am currently using a few platforms that are reputable and safe.
You of course need to create privacy in your own home if you live with others. A separate room is necessary, and you can increase your privacy by using a fan as white noise if that makes you feel more comfortable. Earbuds also increase privacy (and sound quality).
What Else Should I Know About Online Therapy?
The State of CO has recently emphasized that all the necessary paperwork (informed consent) documents necessary for therapy can be completed remotely.
For payment, I can simply take your credit card over the phone, or you can mail a check.
Online therapy is totally legal across state lines, which is great if you live here part time or travel frequently.
You can conduct online therapy from a phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or pretty much any device. (I wouldn’t recommend your Apple Watch!) The software is free and runs either through your web browser or a quick download. I’d recommend a strong internet connection. When possible, sit close to your wireless router.
I will email you a link for you to join the session.
Get Started Today
If you’d like to find out if online therapy is right for you, go ahead and click the “Schedule Now” popup below. I offer a free 30 minute consultation which we can conduct online to see how you feel about the whole endeavor. Or, just schedule your first session and I look forward to finding out how I can help!