[*Beth*]

So we've all (I think) been doing teletherapy for quite a while now. How's it going for you...likes, dislikes, and so on?

[Salmon77]

I have had them off and on. I haven't been able to get comfortable with Zoom sessions. I feel like I'm "on camera" and have to perform.

[MobiusPsyche]

They are working fine for me but I'm not in great distress at this point. If I were in bad shape, like I've been in the past, I'm not sure I'd be handling it well. The connection is still there for me, which is a big reason it "works."

[ArtieTheSequal]

I've only done one so far because I had stopped seeing her in October. But, with all the crapola going on in the world and the US lately I decided to do a tune up session. My t uses doxy.me and it worked really well, I think. We have a long history working together (just under 8 years) plus I've been doing Zoom meetings with my family once a week from our respective homes/countries and another weekly Zoom meeting with my drumming group, since the pandemic lockdowns started, so I'm very used to being on video by now. Our connection felt just the same as in person so it really wasn't a whole lot different at all. The only thing that was a tad jarring was at the end after we said goodbye she said "I'm ending the session now" and POOF she was gone. I am used to turning around and waving goodbye as I walked to my car after leaving her office, so the poof thing was a little strange!! I think we're going to do a couple more of them so I'll be prepared the next time.

[LostOnTheTrail]

Better than nothing, but I seem to be orders of magnitude more vulnerable...and that is really hard to deal with.

[Amyjay]

I like them very much and have been able to achieve a lot more work during them and be much more vulnerable. I have returned for a couple of in person sessions and then chosen to go back to video sessions. T wants to me to go in the office however. I would prefer to choose a mixture of in person and online.

[nottrustin]

It has worked okay and has gotten a little easier as time goes on. However I must the physical energy that gmhaooens from being in the same room. This week we were talking about some highly emotional stuff going on in my life right now. While it helped alot I still needed her in the same room. A few times I looked at her but the way she was sitting I only saw her picture from the nose up. I also missed getting a hug after

[Misssy2]

I love the video sessions. Because of my psychiatric conditions its hard for me to be "motivated" so the fact I don't even have to get dressed or put on makeup to attend a session outside in an office is a HUGE relief for me. I would rather do the online sessions for the rest of my life.

[*Beth*]

Interesting replies! We're all across the board on teletherapy.

I have some sessions that make teletherapy not too bad. For the most part, however, I'm finding it inadequate. It's not only that I can't feel the energy that I feel being in the same room, and it's not that I can only see her from the shoulders up. There are "bugs"...the color is off, it's bland. The true color of my therapist and of her office - and of my pdoc and her office - is flat. That is disturbing to me. Reminds of of TV's when I was a kid, when they'd have to be hand-tuned, and a half-broken TV had bad color.

For the most part audio is good, but I still have times when I can hear my own feedback. It gets embarrassing to keep asking T to move her speakers. So I just put up with the feedback, but it's very restrictive, in that I don't speak nearly as much. Occasionally her words drop out or fuzz, but that hasn't been too bad. The audio between my pdoc and I is excellent.

I'm really trying to make the best of teletherapy, but it's difficult and at times, really discouraging. I will say that we've come up with some new ways of doing therapy (the format, in general) that are helpful - that's the brightest spot in doing teletherapy.

[nottrustin]

How many people have reoccurring issues that they give up mentioning, like BethRags with the sound?

My issue is that her monitor is always too high for my screen. She either sits too close to the camera or has it on zoom. If I see her whole face it is the entire screen. I know it is at the same height and distance she uses all day...so not sure why it is such an issue for me. I don't bother mentioning it anymore.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by nottrustin

How many people have reoccurring issues that they give up mentioning, like BethRags with the sound?

My issue is that her monitor is always too high for my screen. She either sits too close to the camera or has it on zoom. If I see her whole face it is the entire screen. I know it is at the same height and distance she uses all day...so not sure why it is such an issue for me. I don't bother mentioning it anymore.

That's extremely difficult! Discouraging. Did she fix it when you mentioned it before? If she did and it's returned to weirdness, maybe taking 5 minutes to discuss the problem with her until there really is a resolution would be worth the time?

I'll tell you what...I wish all the therapists doing telemedicine would watch a few youtube videos on how to situate their video and audio correctly. For example, don't sit so close to the camera that all I can see is a huge face. There are tricks to the trade.

[susannahsays]

Yikes, that sounds awful. Mine uses SimplePractice and like many video chat applications, it has the rather annoying feature where there's a small box in the corner where you can see your own video. I assume she can't see what she's doing or else doesn't want people to be able to see the surrounding room because an enormous face sounds just terrible...

[daisydid]

Telehealth has been okay, I guess. I've adapted to it. I've only had minor issues; one week my therapist had a really bad connection, so the video on his end was disrupted pretty badly. He had technical support come to his house and it's been better since then. I too don't like seeing myself on camera, but the platform that my therapist uses doesn't allow you to minimize it.

[WastingAsparagus]

I don't mind them, honestly. Sometimes the video will cut out and I'll have to have my therapist or pdoc repeat what they said, or I'll have to repeat myself, but that's a relatively rare occurrence. I still think therapy is probably more effective when done in person since the therapist can read your body language better. I am really, really looking forward to the day when I no longer have to do video sessions and can see my therapist and pdoc both in person again.