I've lost my tele-cherry

Dear client –

XX Counseling – and I – have moved to “teletherapy,” more accurately called video therapy. This is an updated message, in case I’ve already given you the scoop on the Azalea teletherapy program, which I’m now considering the lesser of two alternatives. Presently, I’m using Doxy.me, a HIPAA-secure program. It will (reportedly) work not only on computers and laptops, but on mobile devices including smartphones. (That is fabulous, but slightly weird: Picture doing therapy with phone in hand while waiting in line at Trader Joe’s. Don’t wait in the virus line!) And, unlike Azalea, there are no “access codes” or other bothers. When it is time for your appointment, you’d just click on the following link:

https://doxy.me/f👻$🍗!⏰+🌜

(Save this email! Save that link!) That’s it. There will, of course, be differences between this method and at-office sessions. (Some of these differences, I’m sure I haven’t anticipated yet.) For one, you’d need to sign in pretty much right on time: If your session is at 10 a.m., you should click in within two or three minutes of that time (before or after). I will no longer get away with being my traditional four minutes late for everybody! If you are later than that, I will busy myself watching Yuja Wang, pianist extraordinaire, on YouTube. For two, you’ll be looking at my shiny reflective glasses, owing to screen brightness. I promise – I won’t use hypnosis!

There will be other advantages besides the obvious convenience of staying at home. I will be open for more flexible scheduling. There might be late evening hours or something on Sunday. We’ll see how it goes. Here, I’ll state my guarantee of confidentiality at my end: I will be alone in my home office, with doors closed. You may hear a toilet flushing on the distant horizon.

There’s every reason to be confident that this process will be as substantial as face-to-face therapy, though that may take a short growth period: I’ve been warned that it’s too easy to get “chatty” with online contact. Note to all of us: This isn’t FaceTime, it’s therapy. I will continue to bring my best to it.

Please feel invited to contact me with any questions or concerns at this email, or text message. If you call, I’m afraid I’ll think you’re the Student Loan people, and will probably toss my phone aside and hide under the bed.

Later! And thanks for continuing to work with me.

-- TPS

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Comment

I’ve seen only four teletherapy clients so far. I’ve found it a bit of a strain, and there’s been a slight unreal sensation. As a depth therapist – as opposed to a cognitive therapist – I am generally trying to be in tune with the client’s feeling and her historical self, the “inner child.” That is very hard to do without the personal face-to-face vibe and the “room of truth” ambience. A consequence is that one therapy hour has felt like two. The formula would appear to be: Heavy engagement makes time go by faster. Screen contact, with its sense of distance, threatens to bleach out conversation, make it more superficial, and time drags. However, I’m hopeful: For a few seconds, I watched my client’s face and actually felt I was in the room with him. I will try to cultivate that hallucination for future sessions.