If you are not able to attend therapy sessions in person or would prefer to do so virtually, we offer the option of teletherapy. Anyone located in Maryland or Virginia is able to meet with our licensed therapists from the comfort of their own home or the privacy of their office.

What should I do before and during my Telehealth Therapy Session?

Prepare Your Space Before a Telehealth Therapy Session

Before attending a telehealth session with a therapist, here are some helpful tips to prepare:

Make sure you are in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed or heard. This may be in a bedroom, home office, basement, a large closet, or even in your parked car.

If you live with others, ask that they don’t disturb you during your session time and that they refrain from using the Wi-Fi so that your connection is not slowed down.

Consider putting a white noise machine, small fan, or speaker with music playing outside of the door to the room you will be in so that roommates or family members cannot overhear your conversation.

Make sure the device you are using (a computer, tablet, or smartphone) has a working camera and microphone and is fully charged.

Consider using headphones or earbuds plugged into your device to improve sound quality and maintain privacy.

Maintain Communication With Your Therapist During a Session

Meeting with a mental health therapist or counselor through virtual methods may feel difficult or uncomfortable at first. Keep these things in mind during your session:

Speak clearly so that your mental health therapist can understand what you are saying. Check in periodically to make sure that what you are communicating is being understood and that you clearly understand what is being communicated to you.

Try to make “eye contact” with your camera so that the connection between you and your therapist is stronger.

If you are self-conscious about your appearance or distracted by seeing yourself on your device’s screen, minimize your image so that you cannot see it.

Treat your telehealth therapy session as if you are meeting with your therapist in person. Avoid engaging in any tasks you wouldn’t do if you and your therapist were meeting in their office, such as texting, emailing, working, eating, folding laundry, or cooking.

With the right steps and preparation, teletherapy can be enjoyable and productive, even without an in-person meeting.