Couch 247: Choose Cheese!

I doubt I would have noticed the background - I never noticed it with any other zoom.
Has the extreme focus on the therapist lessened any over the past few years?

*CEU credits.

Dr. S never blurred her background. For most of the time with her, it didn't bother me very much to see the backgrounds. It was more of an issue once Covid happened and we were doing all session remotely and I wouldn't know that she was traveling or was elsewhere when we had session. The last year or so, things were unstable, every change in background made me wonder what was going on in her life; even when she was in the same room but changed her position so I didn't see the things I was used to. Sometimes I would use the things in the background as a focus but more often than not, I used things in my room once I saw where she was.

L never blurred her background either, then again, she always did online sessions from her office anyway so there wasn't anything different I'd have seen.

Rupture with T. I don’t want to post a thread about it but would really appreciate a pm conversation with anyone who has the time? My defences are up so I can’t talk to her until I process / understand what’s going on. Does anyone have time to help?

I do feel it has lessened considerably, yes. It just comes out more at certain times.

Hugs, Ana. Feel free to PM (though I may not be able to write back till later this evening).

I'd be around too for a few hours. Edit: only looked at the time not the date, so sorry, maybe outdated... else feel free!

Re the blurring: for those of you who think it's normal, think about the facts that a) it doesn't cut out perfectly around you and you can see a little background clearly floating around the person, that just looks weird, and b) it can bug and show the background. I have had video calls for 10 years before the pandemic and it was so normal to see a cleaned up background, I personally even have invested thoughts into what I display in the background of my camera. The blurring only came on as people who had to work from home had to have a background and didn't want to show it. This was an absolute non-issue before, and now it's like "oh, what might he have that" and then hit the screenshot button as soon as it bugs. If you don't invest into a greenscreen, just put your normal room in the background, have a small shelf with a few cute things on it that aren't too personal and you're all set.

Edit: if you are in a different from usual location, I understand blurring a bit, though it's a joke for privacy. But I see regular business people at their office blurring their background. There's a shelf with a few folders there, come on, nothing to hide! Eyes have developed to deal with things in the background of a person talking to you...

I do have fun news to share. It's exciting for me. So a few years ago I got my grandfather's old typewriter from my mom's house when she moved cuz she didn't want it anymore. I've been wanting to get it refurbished ever since I got it so I can use it. Anyways I found a place up in Phoenix that restores antique typewriters so I messaged them a picture. He said it looks like a 1925 Underwood. I knew it was older than me but hadn't realized it was almost 100 years old! I have some days off in April so I'm going to take it up there and have the guy take a look at it and give me a quote. I'm really hoping he can do it for a price that isn't too outrageous I'd so love to be able to use it.

That is awesome, Artie!

I hope you can get it back in working order.

thanks Lost! Wouldn't that be cool? I think it would be fun to type up some of my poems on it.

It would be so cool.

My grandma got me a typewriter when I was a kid, but I think I 'upgraded' to a word processor.

Only now do I recognise what a mistake that was.

I no longer have the space, but one day I'd love to get another typewriter.

here's Orville (I named him after my Grandpa) pre-restoral. The typewriter restoral guy said it appears to have been factory refurbished probably in 1930 going by the color. It was originally black. i found the serial number on it that does identify it made around 1925.

Beautiful!

I love the round keys.

But how is a plain dull shelf different from it blurred? I really don't understand how it is being a concern for people dealing with a therapist - why would a blurred background upset anyone? I am in a field where no one would be in my office - I meet clients in a conference room and usually students as well when I can - not in my personal office. Files are confidential - I don't want people seeing them on my desk and I don't want to have to clear my desk if I am zooming a lot. Luckily I almost never have to zoom anyone anymore - but I think the different background/blur is very useful for when I do. For us, there was a picture of the courtroom we could use as a background so most of us did that.

Thanks, CNS. It's interesting hearing about how video calls were pre-pandemic. I'd experienced a few work ones before that, but nothing regular. And I think everyone was at their respective offices (well, cubicles!) at the time (we were meeting with some people on the opposite coast), no blurring.

I do think part of it was that even though the background was blurred, I could still see a general shape of it (I think it was a bed?), and so part of my brain automatically was like, "Hm, what's there?" And so it took energy to try to push that part away and focus on what we were discussing.

I had emailed him about it Monday evening, and he said he could figure out a spot with a neutral background for today's session. Which he did (some sort of desk), and I do think it helped. I know it may not seem logical to many people why it helped--it just did. I thanked him, and he said it wasn't a big deal to do at all.

That's cool, Artie! Hope you're able to get it working and do some writing on it.

I keep forgetting that it is a religious todo for some this sunday. But I am planning a hike now so hopefully people will be off doing their whatever they do on sunday (growing up we ate ham and deviled eggs) and not on the trail

Artie, beautiful typewriter!

Old typewriters can be fun. If you are going to use it, I suggest going ahead and making sure you can still get ribbon/roll or know how to add ink to the roller/ribbon (which you may already be able to do).

Yeah, that's one of the questions I'll have for the guy I'm taking it in to. I won't bother having him try to restore it if I can't get ribbon; will just have him clean it up a little probably. It's very dusty. The ribbon in it is probably at least 40 years old; my grandfather passed in 1983 and after that it was just on display in my mom's house and not used.

I have such wonderful memories of weekends I spent with my grandparents when I was young; my grandpa would let me type on it sometimes when he had time to supervise, and then when I got older, he let me type my poems on it by myself. That was around the same age my grandma taught me to crochet, so I'd use the typewriter while grandma was making dinner, and then we'd crochet in the evenings while grandpa watched ed sullivan on tv.

I'm just so very grateful to have it.

I'm getting sappy now. Just finished my 2nd glass of wine. I don't drink very often anymore so it's hitting me pretty good. I want to run away from home and go visit my sisters and just be enveloped in family for a while. Well, I get to see my son in early May, so that will have to do for a while....

My neighbors are having a very loud party right now I think I'm gonna pour me another glass of wine and head over there. Do people still crash parties when they're not invited? lol

I think its like trees hanging over your property. If the party noise comes onto your property, then...?