In these times of COVID-19, when it’s recommended to stay home and practice social distancing, how can you manage your own well-being so that you don’t get stuck in survival mode or experience prolonged stress?
Relatable
This article in the Washington Post That really resonates with me.
Despite my initial reluctance to conduct online sessions, I had no choice in recent months due to the coronavirus and had to start working online to support my clients.
Getting Used to It
At first, it took some getting used to conducting online sessions and workshops:
- Where should I put my laptop?
- How should I position myself so that I'm clearly visible and can still be heard?
- What about the internet connection? Is it fast and stable enough?
- How can the client position his or her screen so that I can see and hear it clearly?
- …
An Extra Dimension
It took some getting used to and trial and error at first, but I soon realized that it actually works quite well and also creates a sense of intimacy that you don’t get in regular sessions. Because as a therapist, I literally get a glimpse into the client’s living room and daily life, with all the patterns and behaviors that go along with it. This is something I normally never get to see, since the client comes to me. So those online sessions actually add an extra dimension.
Safe environment
As a therapist, I create a safe environment in my practice space. But perhaps the safest environment of all is a person’s own home. Some clients sit in their bedroom or another place that feels very safe, familiar, and like their own space. What’s more, the client doesn’t have to travel to Racour or Herent and can attend a session from the comfort of their own home.
Body-oriented work
As a body-oriented psychotherapist, I often work with movement, touch, inner dialogs, and constellations. And this works just as well online. The client can move in front of the screen, and inner dialogs and even constellations can be done online. Sometimes the client needs to reposition the screen slightly, but it all works out—and quite well, actually. The only thing that isn’t possible is physical touch: I can’t touch the client, but in that case I work with selftouch and ask the client to touch themselves. Or use visualizations in which I have the client imagine that I am touching him or her.
The Other Side
Of course, working online also has its downsides. The internet connection needs to be stable for both the therapist and the client; otherwise, the video or audio will cut out. Or the online session will freeze, and you’ll have to reconnect. In an online session like this, you also miss out on being physically together, and you can’t see the client’s entire body. So the nuances in body language are a bit harder to pick up on. But it also has many advantages, as outlined above.
Workshops
The workshops, too Manage Your Emotions The workshops I teach together with Gerda are going surprisingly well, and the feedback has been very positive. We’re already thinking about a follow-up with a slightly different approach.
Take Control of Yourself
This way, as a client, you have the option to regulate yourself from the safety of your home (or living room).
