Align Couples Therapy is 100% online for awhile. Please don't delay starting therapy at this time; self care and relationship care is as important as ever! Online sessions are easy and so convenient!

I’m working very hard on making this experience as impactful as an office session and believe if you give it a try, you will be glad you didn’t wait. Online video is much more engaging and warm than trying to build therapeutic rapport behind face masks. Both client and therapist must be able to view the full range of facial emotion in session.

Many clients are reporting that online couples therapy is working better than they imagined. I have noticed that when positive relationship experience happens in your own home during session, instead of only in the therapy office, it is moving couples along faster in the change process.

Here are some tips:

• Allow some buffer time before session to get set up, comfortable and adjust your computer settings. You will also want to simulate the brain space that a typical car commute and alone time in a waiting room counseling office gives you. This allows you some time to think about your goals for the session and your assessment of the week prior. Jumping into a therapy session straight from an online work meeting will make it hard to orient yourself to the process.

• Have some headphones handy. This can help with privacy and filtering out background noise and echos.

• Sit in front of a window or shine a lamp in your direction for light.

• If you are signing on as a couple, set the computer on a table and sit back from it a few feet to provide ability for both people to be seen on the screen.

• Check your internet speed here, and make adjustments below.

• Restart your computer before session and close all extra tabs that are open, check your location to your router, you may need to move closer.

• Call your internet provider and make sure you are getting the best available speed, I was able to increase my wifi speed and get a reduced bill all in one phone call!

• For privacy: sit in your car on your lunch break or in your driveway. There is also no shame in meeting from the comfort of your closet! The hanging clothes make it very soundproof.

• Use your phone as a sound machine/put on some music outside of the room where you are having your session. I use a sound machine outside my office door. I use this one from Amazon, it’s got an amazing sound and has held up wonderfully over time.

• Ask family members not to game or stream movies during your session if wifi speed is an issue.

• Place your computer/laptop on some books or a pillow on your lap, prop up iPad to bring the camera to your eye level.

• Turn off messages/email notifications during your session to eliminate distracting dings, put phone on Do Not Disturb.

• Allow yourself some time after your session to adjust back into your day. Don’t rush right back to life.

• Give yourself a session or two to adjust to the difference, it definitely grows on you! Research shows that online sessions are not less effective than in-person sessions.

• Do not multitask during session, give it your full attention, like you would in a therapy office.

• This is a good article and more information from Apple about how to make video conferencing more enjoyable.

  I look forward to seeing you online!