Do Online Sessions REALLY help????

by Jessica Wilkerson, MA, LMFT

​The short answer: Yes!

But isn’t in-person therapy better?

Mehhhhhh… yes and no.

I’ll be honest, there’s just something really great about being in the same room with my client.  Being able to pick up on my client’s energy, feel the hurt coming from them, let them feel the compassion and respect coming from me – yes, there’s real healing in that experience.  Some people have never had someone fully present in a room with them, tuned in.

But since Covid began and I turned my business from the traditional business model to telehealth, I have learned something amazing about online sessions: they really are very healing!  I’m still fully present with my clients.  I’m still picking up on their energy – their hurt, stress, frustration, confusion, and sadness.  And they’re safe in their environments to continue “feeling the feels” after the session.

Many clients have their telehealth sessions in their cars because it’s a workday.  I also have clients who are working from home, so they stay at their desk and click over to a new tab for our online session.  They didn’t have to stop what they were doing, drive across town, have the session, walk through a waiting room to leave, and then walk back into work; having taken a long lunch to accomodate the commute and a one hour therapy session.

When our telehealth session is over, they can sit in their car or at their desk and have a few minutes to themselves without all the other hassles.  They can be in their safe space while they continue to think about some of the things they just processed.  They can also pop right back into their job or house if time is of the essence.

Sometimes I get a glimpse into what they’re dealing with.  Every so often a child or a significant other will walk into the room (not everyone can get away enough for full privacy while we’re social distancing for Covid-19), but then I get to have a picture of their life that I wouldn’t have gotten to see if we were in my office.  I get to be a part of my client’s world in a way that’s unique to online therapy sessions.

Personally, I find telehealth sessions to be wonderful for people who are working during standard business hours and I plan to continue to offer this as an option well after the pandemic has been abated (whenever that will be) and we’re able to safely resume in-person therapy sessions.