How are your therapists handling COVID-19?

There's a news article today that the mayor may order shelter in place "soon". I know a lot of you are already doing therapy by video, but I'm not sure I can deal with the level of isolation that will mean for me. No people in person. For two months. With nothing but the occasional conference call or IM or email at work, texting with the two people I know and talk to, video therapy. This feels surreal and completely untenable. I've been at the brink of my breaking point for a while now. This is going to push me right over the edge.

I keep thinking of this short film:
Warning: it's not terribly upbeat.

I’ve done that when in Greece for things like rent and utilities. Never in the US. Most doctors’ offices have remote online payment software, but a therapist with a solo practice likely doesn’t.

My T can do remote via some online platform. Don't know which, maybe Skype. I'm not in the USA and my Asian country did aggressive measures, so while we're encouraged to stay home and self-isolate, I can still see T in person. I wouldn't have privacy to do Skype in my flat, don't have a car or quiet area etc. So I'm not sure how I'd handle remote sessions. I could go to a quiet park in good weather but it's still "public" and wouldn't feel safe.

We do that for credit cards, mortgage, H's car payment, stuff like that. But not an option with my T. He did say he could keep my credit card on file (which he was reluctant to do before because it costs him a higher fee to key in the numbers vs. using a chip). I didn't pay for yesterday's session yet (we were out of time), and he said he'd just carry my balance to next session, and I can read my credit card to him over the chat or phone then. He also said I could mail a check, but to be honest, we very rarely use checks anymore and don't have a whole bunch left. Plus, on a selfish note, I get some sort of cashback or points bonus on all the credit cards I use, so it saves a tiny bit. And delays payment closer to the time we'd get partial reimbursement from insurance.

You could do PayPal or Venmo.

It sounds like my state might switch to a shelter-in-place rule soon so I'll have to figure out video conferencing. I don't want to, it seems so awkward. I'm probably going to have to reduce sessions, too, because my partner is temporarily laid off and money is going to get tight. I am still better off than a lot of folks but this whole thing just sucks.

my T doesn't even take credit cards, so I pay her by check. Guess I'll be mailing her checks while we do video sessions? This sucks. I probably will make more eye contact with her ever over video...

I think my T would have been fine continuing with office sessions but I asked them to be moved to phone sessions because we’ve been told to isolate as much as possible. I don’t want to risk getting sick and giving it to anyone either. My T is happy to work it’s the phone calls so I’m content.

I had my first Skype session today. Slightly strange, but ever helpful.

Thankful she is still doing face to face sessions.

Not great I don’t know really, we both have other jobs we have to go to during lockdown so don’t think he will risk a face to face meeting while all this is going on. In case I’m contagious.