Tips to Have a Smooth Teletherapy Counseling Session

If you’re gearing up to start your first online teletherapy session, it’s always good to make sure you’re prepared! Teletherapy counseling is different than in-person counseling in that you can control your environment and meet with professional support on your terms. Before you get started, check out some of these tips to ensure that your first session runs as smoothly as possible.

Get Your Tech in Order

The first and most important part of prepping for your teletherapy counseling is to ensure that all of your tech is in order. Make sure you know what type of platform your session will be hosted on and that you’ve downloaded anything that you will need access to on the day of. Also, be sure to check out the technical requirements such as internet speed and any audio or video requirements for platform usage.

On the day of, make sure to log out of other video and audio apps and pages as that can take up additional bandwidth on your device and potentially lead to a poor connection. Don’t forget to also grab a pair of headphones to help minimize background noise and ensure you’re being heard clearly.

Limit Distraction

In the lead-up to your appointment, do your best to limit distractions and find yourself a quiet and comfortable setting. Make sure whatever room you are set up in is as private as possible so you feel comfortable opening up about what’s going on in your life. Grab yourself some water or a warm drink and surround yourself with things that will help you feel comfortable like a blanket or pillows.

Don’t forget to also tell anyone else in the household that you’re going to be in an important meeting and to please not interrupt! 

Check Your Video

When you’re choosing your spot to set up the video call, make sure to double-check that your video image is clear and well lit. Try not to sit in front of any windows as that can cause your image to show up as back-lit and be distracting for both you and your mental health professional, and cause you to move around once your appointment has already started. 

Get Ready to Take Notes!

One final piece of advice is that it’s always good to have a pen and paper handy in case you need to jot anything down or take notes. You can also use this to prepare some questions beforehand if you’re doing teletherapy counseling for the first time and still trying to get a feel for whether or not this professional is a good fit. If that’s the case, make sure you ask about their specialty background, what their philosophy is when it comes to therapy practice, what type of treatment they might recommend, etc. 

Teletherapy Counseling

If you’re interested in finding professional teletherapy counseling, get in touch with us today at ACT Teletherapy. Our professional and qualified staff will help support you through any mental health challenges you’re currently trying to navigate, and we provide a variety of different services from text support to video therapy sessions to couples counseling. Let us help support you through these difficult times and contact us today!