Online Therapy in Massachusetts
Why Online Therapy?
If you had asked me 10 years ago whether I would be offering online therapy, I would have laughed and said no. I was committed to the “real thing.” But a lot has changed since then. I have seen that online therapy actually works. Like most things, it’s not black and white. Some people really want an in-person therapist and choose not to try online therapy. Others are skeptical but have tried telehealth therapy and found it to be helpful. Others know they want online therapy from the start.
What works for you is up to you, and may change under different circumstances. Below are some reasons I’ve heard from clients about why they have chosen online therapy in Massachusetts.
Increased Flexibility
Whether it’s for minor illness or the hassle of driving across town, online therapy in Massachusetts offers the opportunity to keep more appointments. If you have privacy at work, you can even make appointments from the office.
More Choice
There are more therapists licensed for online therapy in Massachusetts than there are providing in-person therapy. By expanding your search online, you can be more selective when it comes to a good match with your online therapist.
Another layer of Anonymity
You may not want to run into your therapist at the deli. If you’re in the mental health field, you may want a bit more distance. If you’re meeting with an online therapist in Massachusetts who doesn’t live in your area, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll see them around town. It’s also less likely they will know your colleagues as well as you do.
Depression Therapy
Feeling like you’re underwater doesn’t have to be forever.
Start making your way up for air.
Counseling for Anxiety
Trying to make everything perfect is exhausting.
You don’t have to feel at the whim of the wind.
Tips to prepare for Online Therapy in Massachusetts
Secure your privacy during your online therapy appointment
You get pretty vulnerable in therapy, online therapy included. It’s part of what makes therapy effective. If you were coming to my office, I would be responsible for sound-proofing the office. With online therapy, you need to think about how to protect the privacy of your online therapy sessions. You don’t want to be worrying about whether anyone can hear you. If you will be in a space where there are people around who might interrupt you, let them know you can’t be disturbed. Fans and white noise machines can make it harder for people to hear you. The thing to know about noise machines and fans is that you need to put them outside your room, ideally close to the door. (If you have it on in your room, it has the opposite effect. You end up talking louder and people outside your room can hear you better.)
Charge your computer before your telehealth therapy session
This one is similar to not wanting to worry about people hearing you during session. You don’t want to have to look for your power cord just as you’re getting into how upset you are about what your boss did yesterday. Or worse, you don’t want your device to die half-way through your online therapy session. If you’re not used to video meetings online, know that they take a fair amount of battery from your device. Ideally your computer will be plugged into a power source during session. Do yourself a favor and check this before therapy starts.
Check your internet to optimize your connection with your telehealth therapist
To support the video call, you need at least 10mbps of Upload speed. You can check this using an internet speed test. It also helps to decrease connection problems if you keep your device and browser up to date.
Turn off your notifications during your online therapy appointment
I used to have a massage therapist who had a sign in her office that said, “Silence your phone - this is your time.” You need the same privacy during online therapy. You’ll be able to go to focus on yourself the best without electronic distractions. And that is the point of online therapy - to focus on yourself. Regardless of what kind of device you’re using to meet with your online counselor, take the time to silence your notifications prior to your online therapy appointment. You’ll thank yourself.
Make yourself comfortable, and separate your space
You may be familiar with the work mullet after working from home. It’s the same as the online therapy mullet! If you’re meeting with your online therapist from your home, you can sit in your favorite chair and wear your comfy pants. What I tell clients in the first session is one seemingly obvious difference of online therapy to in-person therapy. For in-person therapy, you use your therapist’s office for only one thing, your therapy. This makes it quite easy to separate your therapy time from the rest of your life. If you are going to therapy online, chances are you use whatever space you choose for more than just your therapy. So for online therapy, take some time to think about how you can protect the space you’re using for sessions. As in, think about how you can emotionally separate from your therapy space. Some people like to take a walk before and after session. Others find that turning their computer to a slightly different angle can help. It’s not something you need to have all figured out before meeting with your online therapist. You can play with it as you go along and tweak it as needed.
A Telehealth therapist in Massachusetts
…..located in Madison, Wisconsin? It might not be that surprising, given the huge increase in online therapists in the past few years. My connection to Massachusetts started before grad school, when I apprenticed at Caretaker Farm in Williamstown, MA. (If you’re in the Berkshires and don’t know about this farm, check it out!) Later I went to graduate school in Northampton at Smith College School for Social Work. Learn more about me and my approach here.
Online Therapy in
Williamstown and the Berkshires
Beauty and feeding your soul in nature: you could not be in a better spot. Anonymity with your therapist in a small town: less room for that.
Whether you’re a CSA member of Caretaker Farm in Williamstown or a regular at North Adams’ Concerts at the Lake, you may not want to run into your therapist at the library. Or you may not want to drive an hour to see them.
Telehealth Therapy in Northampton and Amherst
You might not be able to walk down the street without running into a therapist in Northampton, but it’s not about quantity, it’s about fit.
You may want more time to sit at Hungry Ghost Bread or to grab a frozen yogurt with mango from Go Berry. Or perhaps a stroll through the Botanic Garden of Smith College is what you would rather do instead of drive to and from therapy.
I’m glad to offer online therapy in Massachusetts.
My private practice for psychotherapy is based in Madison, WI. I also provide online therapy in Wisconsin, anxiety therapy, counseling for depression, and therapy for HSPs.