I offer this to people in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and New York.

Please take the following into account in order to make the most of a virtual visit:

These were developed for virtual psychotherapy but can be applied helpfully to any type of mental health visit.

1. Make sure you are in a private place where you won’t be overheard or interrupted. 

2. If possible, give yourself 10-15 minutes of quiet, alone time before and after each session. You might need “buffer time” before sessions to set aside the activities of the day and let your thoughts transition to therapy, and time after to reflect and absorb.

3. There is no need to keep your eyes fixed on the video screen. In face-to-face conversation, people make and break off eye contact as part of the natural rhythm of communication. Feel free to look at me or look away as feels natural. If you feel too close or too far away, adjust the size of the video window.  

4. Try to meet from the same location from session-to-session when possible. The physical setting is part of the experience and consistency helps.

5. If you want, pour yourself a glass of water, but don’t snack or eat, as that tends to become (even if subtly) distracting from the task at hand. Some find it helpful to keep a box of tissues nearby.

6. Silence other devices, turn off notifications, and close other applications.

7. If there is a problem affecting audio or video quality, let me know, and I will do the same. It’s better to recognize and address the problem than struggle to understand one another. If we’re encountering a persistent technological problem during a session, we can pivot to a phone call.

8. If you are driving during a session I will need to cancel it due to concerns for your safety. If you’re able to stop and park, we can begin the session once you’ve done so. However, whenever possible, I strongly recommend attending sessions from a room.

Adapted from guidelines developed by Todd Essig and Gillian Isaacs Russel