We get asked this a lot actually. During the pandemic, our staff found that teletherapy had much better engagement and show rates than ever before. No longer were our clients battling the traffic, struggling with time off from the office, or the difficulty of getting fully dressed and leaving the house. Teletherapy increased convenience, consistency, and regularity. It removed travel expenses and allowed families to have more hours in their nights after school or work or the many busy activities we are involved in.
Kids were more engaged with the multimedia online format that includes YouTube readings and participated extremely well with YouTube coping skills videos. They could show off their rooms or toys, and rehearse coping skills in their home environment where they would be more likely to practice them again. Therapists could see the behaviors in the home and coach parents in ways to help the child. One of the therapies that we are skilled in, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 2-7), worked extremely well in the pandemic for working with parents on behavior and attachment.
Therapists were able to use whiteboards on Zoom to demonstrate cycles of self-harm, arguments, or make lists of coping skills or other helpful therapy interventions. Kids and adults benefitted from these interactive demonstrations that were right there on the screen and able to be kept by email. Also found beneficial was the therapist then being able to email these interventions and the handouts so they would always be able to be accessed, versus a piece of paper that can be so easy to lose in the car or home.
Adults didn’t have to worry as much about childcare as usually another partner was home to watch the other children or they knew they were in the next room and not home alone.
Overall, teletherapy had so many benefits, so come try it with us here at Willow Tree Healing Center. Hopefully, you like it as much as we do.
--Mary Willoughby Romm
If you are looking for online counseling, Mary Willoughby Romm is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia who provides online therapy for Willow Tree Healing Center. She enjoys transforming the lives of women, college students, kids, tweens/teens, and families through providing communication strategies, coping skills that work, allowing a safe space to be heard, and actively working towards helping you with your challenges. She is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 2-7) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, counsels substance abuse in teens and adults, and practices Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.
Please send an email to wthc@willowtreehealingcenter.org to explore working together.