And I mean like a full planned session, although sometimes in place of an in person session. Example...I am an imsomniac and had an early session and one time I finally fell asleep, and I slept through 3 alarms so we just had a phone session because I wasn't going to get there in time.
Also did it one time when the president was here and I had a scheduled session but traffic was gridlocked, so I had the session from my cell phone in my car. And a few other times when I just didn't get up, ha.
Anyway, if so, do you find them still effective? Mine seem to work pretty well but I don't have an intense connection with him anyway but I do think he is a solid T. I have never had them with any other T I had before, and my previous T, I can't see them working at all. Which then makes me wonder why phone sessions work ok. Hmmm. Maybe they shouldn't. Maybe it's all too easy...he knows I have been feeling stuck...

[Nightlight]

My T doesn't plan to live in the same city as me forever and she said she would be willing to continue by phone. In fact, I think she mentioned having a few phone sessions with her own therapist, once upon a time. So, no advice to offer in term of how I find them, but it does worry me about losing the comfort of really being seen and being near to someone who sees. For me, I'd guess that a phone session would be better than no session, but in person would be far better still.

Originally Posted by Nightlight

My T doesn't plan to live in the same city as me forever and she said she would be willing to continue by phone. In fact, I think she mentioned having a few phone sessions with her own therapist, once upon a time. So, no advice to offer in term of how I find them, but it does worry me about losing the comfort of really being seen and being near to someone who sees. For me, I'd guess that a phone session would be better than no session, but in person would be far better still.

Yes if I liked my T alot I would definitely try phone sessions over losing him or her. You just have a slight loss of "absence of presence" I guess I would put it, on both sides. I could see how that might trouble you. But to hear her voice and still have her support sounds comforting.

[anilam]

I think a better option would by skyping. I hate how my T sounds over the phone. Via Skype it's better cause I can see him (facial expression, non verbal communication...)
However, nothing beats seeing him in person.

Originally Posted by anilam

I think a better option would by skyping. I hate how my T sounds over the phone. Via Skype it's better cause I can see him (facial expression, non verbal communication...)
However, nothing beats seeing him in person.

Agreed. Although I have never used Skype before...not sure if he has either. I should ask. Although him seeing me sitting in bed would feel awkward. I might have to actually move to a more respectable place.

[scorpiosis37]

Yes, I travel frequently for work so, when my session falls on a day I'm out of town, T will give me the option of a phone session. It's not quite as good as in person, but it still works for me. In fact, sometimes there are things it is easier to tell her over the phone, but I still prefer in person because we can read each other's facial expressions and I feel a stronger connection in person. For me, the system we have works well.

My t and i do phone and skype right now. She had to leave the country 17 months ago for a family emergency. So since then skype and phone are our only options. It was better than losing each other, we didnt want that. So we skype and phone a few times a week.

[refika]

My T offered phone sessions for times when I can't make it in but I don't think they would work for me. I think I would be too distracted by looking around my room to really pay attention.

[seventyeight]

i had a phone session with my therapist recently, as i planned it that way because there was supposed to be a big snowstorm the day of our appointment. this was our second/third phone session and i found that it was okay. i find that the level of intimacy is much different (although i'm not sure how exactly), and we seem to move through things much quicker. i think that's partially because it's not as "easy" to just sit there any be quiet like i do in session sometimes.

the most interesting thing that i noticed about phone sessions (for me) is that i don't think i ever realized before how responsive my therapist actually is. i could hear her breathing differently during different things that i was sharing, and i also heard a lot more "noises" like "mm" or "uh huh" that i don't normally hear in session - simply because they're not loud enough. but it made me realize how much she is paying attention and reacting to what i'm saying, something i don't think i was as aware of before.

[healed84]

T offered me a phone session once when I needed in emergency appointment, but was unsure if I could make it into the office because I didn't have child care. Thankfully, I made it in. I think phone sessions for me would be a bit too akaward. I need to see his bady language.

[stopdog]

I don't think I would find a full appointment by telephone useful. Skype or facetime could be better for me.

[ShaggyChic_1201]

I get really nervous on the telephone and can't tell when the other person has finished talking, or if they're just pausing to take a breath of air. So, feeling panicky, and thinking they're thinking I wasn't listening, I jump in ... and usually speak right over them

Then we have the awkward "go ahead" dance. Y'know ... go ahead, no, you go ahead.

Then I feel too dumb to say anything, because really, I didn't have anything to say in the first place, I just didn't want her to think I was daydreaming.

So, no. I don't have phone sessions. It's just too stressful to me.

My t moved to another state in November, and we've been doing phone sessions (full 50 minute sessions sometimes longer) since then. It's working out really well, I was a little concerned at first that our relationship wouldn't transfer to over the phone, but it did. The first phone session we did I told her I felt a little weird about it and she said close your eyes, I'm sitting in my chair, you're on the couch... etc and described her office here. It helped and I haven't had to do that since. I used to bring her copies of my dreams that we were going to work on, now I just email them instead. We had talked about doing skype once she got set up on high speed internet, but she hasn't mentioned it lately and I'm fine with just the phone so I'm not going to worry about it. We had been doing weekly sessions in person for a year when she moved, so we already had a really good t relationship before she moved and I'm happy to say it has continued over the phone. Good luck to you!

Originally Posted by artemis-within

My t moved to another state in November, and we've been doing phone sessions (full 50 minute sessions sometimes longer) since then. It's working out really well, I was a little concerned at first that our relationship wouldn't transfer to over the phone, but it did. The first phone session we did I told her I felt a little weird about it and she said close your eyes, I'm sitting in my chair, you're on the couch... etc and described her office here. It helped and I haven't had to do that since. I used to bring her copies of my dreams that we were going to work on, now I just email them instead. We had talked about doing skype once she got set up on high speed internet, but she hasn't mentioned it lately and I'm fine with just the phone so I'm not going to worry about it. We had been doing weekly sessions in person for a year when she moved, so we already had a really good t relationship before she moved and I'm happy to say it has continued over the phone. Good luck to you!

That's awesome, I am glad it has worked out so well for you! And thank you!