What’s the difference between in-person and tele-health?

In-person sessions allow for therapists to create an environment their client is comfortable in and note other conversational signals that may be lost over a call (ex. a person’s tells). Tele-health therapy is often more accessible for patients and allows patients access to practitioners within their state that may be too far to see in-person.

Is one better than the other?

The best method is whichever works best for you.

Can therapists only practice in one state?

Every state has its own regulations for multi-state practices. Some allow practitioners who have been licensed in a different state to qualify while others have practitioners take a state specific exam before being qualified to. Make sure your potential therapist is licensed in whatever state you’re receiving care from.

Can I “break up” with my therapist? How do I do that?

You can! Remember that therapy is a professional, medicinal relationship. Your therapist will understand if at any point you decide to stop receiving treatment from them or find a different specialist. Here are some guides on how to navigate the conversation.

What should I expect for a session? Do I need to prepare?

The agenda for a session will depend on a) what you want to address b) what your therapist may suggest based on previous sessions and c) any strategies that would be used for your therapy modality. You can prepare topics to cover but it’s not necessary.

For particularly tough sessions, you may consider planning with your therapist self care strategies for recovery.

How do I know if therapy’s working for me?

Therapy is “working” if you see improvements in your overall quality of life. It is also working if you’re experiencing growth and improved ways of tackling challenges. Since therapy is a different experience for everyone, the results will manifest a little differently too.

How do I figure out what kind of therapy is best for me?

You can look through the different modalities and see which sounds the most compatible for your brain, but ultimately it will be trial and error.

Do I have to open up right away?

Absolutely not. I don’t recommend paying to sit in silence for an hour but you can take your time getting comfortable in your sharing. Like any relationship, trust needs time to foster.

What if there’s something specific I want to talk about?

You can share this information at the beginning of a session as something you want to make sure is covered. It can also help to dedicate sessions to only specific thing instead of doing a general overview of your life.