[emmaleemochizuki]

Due to the current global crisis, I have been having my sessions via Skype or phone since late March.

How are you guys all finding this new approach?

I barely make eye-contact with my T even when we were doing face to face sessions and it's impossible with Skype or phone sessions.
I find myself struggling to concentrate.

Also I find it weird to see myself on the screen, and everything is just so awkward.

[TishaBuv]

The phone connection was bad. I didn’t want to deal with it, so I just told him everything was fine.

[Lonelyinmyheart]

I'm having sessions on skype and finding it really tough. Me and T keep talking over each other due to a slight time delay plus the screen sometimes freezes due to my poor signal and the whole thing feels weird and unnatural. I make more eye contact than I did in session but maybe because I don't feel as connected to her. I miss the energy of her physical presence so much. Plus, as I said elsewhere, I like the use of silence in sessions to connect with myself and it just feels silly trying to sit in silence with T watching me from a screen! I miss the physical contact too.

All that said, it is certainly better than not talking to T at all, but it's very upsetting not seeing her in person.

[nottrustin]

I talked with this week about this very top. I am having a hard time with it. When I am in her office I feel safe and like the rest of the world stops for that hour for me. Being home I can my family talking and walking around. Also, the energy and connection is also missing. I do not get very deep. The one time I did there wasn't a transitional period after so it was horrible. That being said, I am thankful we have this option right now.

[thesnowqueen]

Therapy over phone does not work for me at all. In the past it has messed up my relationship with therapists - unless it's a very brief crisis call. A full therapy session on phone is a bust for me because I necessarily feel 'unseen'. I find platforms with video and audio to work well IF the connection is good. Sound lags, screen freezing and other interruptions really affect the quality. So far I have been finding Zoom better than Skype but I know there are privacy issues with it. I also find that using headphones helps with a sense of privacy...

[Cleo6]

Ive been finding it hard. Ive done 4 sessions by phone and have ended up crying each time only a little bit but its a lot for me as i never cry. In face to face sessions she changes her tone of voice if im struggling but she just seems to be the same on the phone. We are not doing video calling at my request as have my face and cant cope with seeing it or her seeing my face closer up. Our session today was normal length but the other week she overran and was 1 hour 25 mins

[Rive.]

It's better than nothing, I suppose.

[thesnowqueen]

As a note, I actually cover the side of the video that shows me myself as I find it distracting...

Better than nothing, but guess what... I don't feel that connection over the phone at all. Is like I don't get my point across at all. Therapist gets lazy and don't know what to say or ask.

[Mountaindewed]

I just emailed my therapist and told her I was ending therapy until we could return to her office. May be a bit extreme but these chat sessions are terribly distracting for both of us and I feel like they are hurting me much more then then they are helping me.

I prefer it. We have Skype sessions, voice only. I like the distance, I feel much more comfortable not being seen.

[Miss Laura]

I struggle to get things out. I moved in with my elderly parents 7 weeks ago and its life changing. So talking on the phone I feel I have no privacy even though I know maybe they can't hear me I still feel embarrassed and ashamed and unable to get things out. I speak to her twice a week an hour at a time and I'm struggling to find things to talk about. Unsure what I'm gonna say on Monday morning. Btw it's a phone call I receive

[SlumberKitty]

My regular T is just doing phone calls. Sometimes the call cuts out and it is difficult to hear. My Pastor T does Skype usually or Zoom (only once). We have trouble getting the technology right. The best place for me to be is in the dining room but that leaves me no privacy. My Mom has interrupted our sessions twice. So I'm trying different places, like out in our RV with a hot spot, but it's not working well because the signal isn't enough or something. Basically....it's annoying. I much prefer face to face and can't wait until we can get back to it again.

[ScarletPimpernel]

Today, my computer decided to shut down for updates in the middle of session

[CharlieStarDust]

I had my first video session this week. It went a lot better than I thought. Except for a freeze or two, it was pretty smooth. It felt a tad forced and impersonal, but like many have said, it’s better than nothing.

[Merope]

It's not as great as face to face, but there are interesting little aspects, like seeing the inside of his house, or seeing his ear when he leans in to hear something I said...haha. I don't think I would have had such a closeup of his ear in normal circumstances, so small victories.

I don't mind it, for now at least. Not as much of an 'event' I suppose. But I'm less self-conscious and maybe I can focus more on the underlying pattern that I'm trying to change (including the pattern to and from the therapist).

[Lrad123]

I just had my first session with my T in 10 weeks because I had initially chosen not to do phone or video at all. But then I started to miss talking to him. I chose to do a phone visit and drove to a quiet park and sat in my car while we talked. It was awesome, actually. Kind of spectacularly awesome. It felt more genuine to me maybe because I felt less inhibited with the little bit of extra distance. The conversation flowed naturally and I was able to say all sorts of things and even feel like I was getting something in return. Hope it continues next week.

[nervous puppy]

I was wondering what others were experiencing, too. As for myself, the phone sessions are good. I am more comfortable not being under the watchful eyes of the therapist. I am always worried about what I look like so knowing T can't see me, makes me feel a bit more comfortable. That said, I have been more open with T over the phone. When I mentioned this, T said she had found that quite a lot of her clients opened up more over the phone as compared to in person. She wasn't expecting that to be the case, but it happened. Maybe some people don't realize they're doing it?
For me, I find it difficult to open up to people in real life, especially if they're looking right at me.
T does do Zoom or Skype if I wanted, and I'm thinking about doing that before going back to in person, but seeing myself while talking to T might be even worse than I expect. I'm just worried about how nervous I'll be going to an in person session after not seeing each other for so long.