[Merope]

There are things that I would like to discuss with my T but feel like I can’t because of the people in my house. Those of you who do video sessions, how do you work around this? Do you just avoid certain topics? Do you come up with code language? Chat function? Sign language?

Any thought would be greatly appreciated.

[nottrustin]

I really struggle with this. If I can go into an area where zi know others can't hear me I am able to discuss.ote but not everything. Sometimes that is not possible or while they can't hear me I can hear them so I avoid those topics. T and I discussed this several times in the beginning. She said some clients will switch to a phone session if they want discuss topics they fear others will hear. In that case they will go outside, in their cars or wherever they can get thr privacy. I just can't do phone sessions so it does not work for me

[Merope]

Yeah, I thought about a phone session but I’d loathe not being able to see him. It’s hard enough as it is, with just video sessions.

[prettymccute]

I've considered phone sessions, but wonder about the same issue. I've read that sitting in a closet works. I think just knowing that someone is in the house would bother me, whether they can hear or not. That's just me though. I want the actual experience of being in a therapist's office.

[LonesomeTonight]

What kind of setup do you have? What I do is go to the upstairs bedroom (we have a townhouse where basically every room is its on floor--well, not bathrooms of course!). I put a fan (like the kind on a stand) outside the door and turn it on. I also have a sound machine (Lectrofan) playing white noise inside the bedroom. My H says he can't hear what I'm saying, and I believe him. I can occasionally here if my D yells really loudly or something, so I assume since I'm not yelling, then can't hear me either.

So I'd try something with a fan and/or white noise machine. I think it works better placed outside the door of the room, or else maybe right next to the door? (Ex-T's office, they had little white noise machines outside the doors).

It also depends on whether people in the house are willing to at least generally respect your privacy, or if they'd be trying to eavesdrop. There have been a couple things I've said really quietly (and confirmed T could hear) that I didn't want others to potentially overhear.


Another option would be, does the video program your T uses have a chat window? I know Zoom does, though I haven't used it with him. If there's something you'd want to share but not say out loud, maybe try that? Or type something up and email it to him, saying you're not looking for response, but for him to to read it at the start of session. Or I suppose you could write or type something then hold it up to the video camera or share your screen (again, depending on the program).

Oh, and I don't have this, but if you get a headset with a microphone, you can speak more quietly.

Hope some of that helps!

[RoxanneToto]

I take T’s calls in my bedroom, it’s worked out ok so far but I certainly understand how it can be off putting to others. I was talking about more sensitive things last session and was nervous I’d be overheard, so did lower my voice a bit.

[emmaleemochizuki]

I guess it's not a problem for me, I live alone.

I thought this question about T and her having others in the house... I do worry about that though. If others would hear what I say but she wears headphones most of the time. But her dog is often around, I saw it during one of the sessions which was very distracting, a lot of barking too sometimes.

[Mountaindewed]

I do mine in my moms walk in closet with the closet door closed and the door to her room closed as well. I’ve also started wearing headphones too. At first I thought it was ridiculous to do therapy in a closet. Now I’m just like “whatever works.” If I’m not feeling good then I’m on my moms bed. If I’m somewhere else in the house that usually means I have the house to myself. But most of the time I do sessions in the closet.

[nottrustin]

Originally Posted by Merope

Yeah, I thought about a phone session but I’d loathe not being able to see him. It’s hard enough as it is, with just video sessions.

I can't do phone sessions either I need to see her facial expressions.

[Polibeth]

This is a hard one for me. I try to schedule sessions when no one is home or my son is home (he is deaf) so that I have some privacy. I wear earbuds with a microphone. I was in the middle of a session last week when my husband came home unexpectedly from work and I was complaining about him to my T but luckily, he didn't seem to hear.

[Merope]

Thanks all. I tend to be in the lounge and my housemates are upstairs, but the walls are super thin and I worry that if I were to talk about them, they’d hear. The fan/white noise idea is very interesting, I might try that. I just really hope we can get back to face to face soon; video sessions are fine but quite limiting. I sometimes get in touch with T to let him know that something is going even though we can’t really talk about it over video/phone.

[LostOnTheTrail]

Is there any way you could schedule your sessions when your housemates are out of the house, doing shopping, or on their daily exercise?

[divine1966]

My husband has his sessions in the house, in a different room. He has a very loud voice and so does his therapist. I try to avoid being there as I don’t want to hear. My husband doesn’t care. He isn’t shy but I want to give him privacy. So if I happen to be home I put headphones on with a movie or music so I can’t hear him