How to Make Online Therapy Better

Telehealth (online therapy) has become more mainstream and popular than ever.

While there are many benefits, like allowing therapists to offer greater access to services, it’s much easier to get distracted or feel less prepared or focused during an online session.

Luckily, there are some simple changes you can make to ensure you’re getting the most out of your online therapy sessions.

Here are a few simple ways to make online therapy work better for you:

Create prep time out of commute time

While being able to log into session from the comfort of your own home is very convenient, it presents a new problem: lack of time to prepare for your session.

Use whatever time you’d normally drive to your therapist’s office and sit in their waiting room to prep for your session. It’s way too easy to just log in right at the start time and suddenly realize you have no idea what you want to discuss or not feel quite ready to start talking.

Whatever time you’d normally use to prep, reallocate that time to prepping at home or on a walk. Set an alarm reminder and figure out what works best by experimenting with different activities.

Here are some ideas to help you prepare for your telehealth session:

Journal about your week
Practice a new skill
Listen to music
Talk to a friend or partner
Meditate
Drive around your neighborhood
Review any notes from your last session or throughout the week

Set timers to start on time

When you meet with a therapist in person, you wouldn’t normally need to think about the time since you’d be in their waiting room until they get you.

Since this isn’t the case with online sessions, it’s easy to get lost in an activity and lose track of time.

I highly recommend setting a timer for at least a few minutes before session to start getting set up so you’re not rushing to log in. This will give you enough time to make a hot drink like coffee or tea, make a snack, or get an extra pillow or blanket. You can even change into your pajamas if that makes you more comfortable!

Figure out whatever works best for you and gives you enough time to get settled.

Alternate between video and walk & talk therapy

If you’re constantly on video for work or social activities, you may not feel like getting on yet another video call.

I often recommend switching between video sessions and phone calls that allow you to walk and talk during session.

Moving your body can be very beneficial and a change of scenery can help you process whatever you’re talking about. This is especially helpful if you’re stuck at a desk all day.

Reduce distractions to focus better

Create a similar environment to your therapist’s office by removing as many distractions as you can. Think about what you’d normally do and recreate that at home.

If you’ve never been in therapy before and online is your first time, ask your therapist for some tips and experiment based on your first few sessions.

Here are a few simple ideas to try:

If something in your environment distracts you, figure out if you can remove or hide it in the future
If your environment doesn’t feel private enough, try doing the session from your car
If it’s something on your computer or phone, like pop-ups or messages, check your settings ahead of time to prevent them from showing up
If being on your computer at all is too much of a distraction, try a phone session instead

Keep experimenting to figure out what exactly takes you out of the moment, and what helps you remain focused and engaged.

7 ways to reduce distractions

Since we’re so used to multitasking on our computers, it’s important to prep ahead of time to reduce as many distractions as possible. Here are some tips:

Open the video in a brand new window so you don’t have other tabs open
Hide self-view or put a post-it note over your face if seeing yourself is distracting
Put your phone on silent and turn it face down to reduce the temptation to check messages
Put in headphones if your environment is noisy or turn on a noise machine or fan
Let others know ahead of time that you’re unavailable during your session time
Make sure you’re in a private space where no one can hear you
Lock your door if anyone in your home is prone to interrupting

Try out these suggestions to see what works best for you! If you’re really struggling with the format, loop in your therapist to get extra support around making it work.

Notice anything that helps you feel more in tune and focused and keep building on what works.

For many, telehealth isn’t the ideal format to give or receive therapy. With some small tweaks, you may begin to find the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.