Online Therapy 101: For People Struggling with Disordered Eating, Trauma, and Body Image
For the majority of us, March of 2020 marked the beginning of all things zoom and telehealth. Our phones, computers, and tablets were forced to become our primary way of interacting with healthcare professionals, family, and friends. Online therapy has been around for a long time, and here at Reclaim Therapy we’ve been offering online therapy in Pennsylvania since 2016. However, more recently it has now become an increasingly popular option when seeking treatment for disordered eating, trauma, loss, and grief and body image.
But how do you know online therapy is right for you? What are the benefits of online counseling? What should you ask a therapist who will be seeing you for online therapy? How can you get the most from your online counseling sessions? What should you avoid when starting online therapy?
phew! those are a lot of legit questions!
This post should help you understand more about online therapy in Pennsylvania and if it’s the right option for you. Consider it your guide to online therapy in Pennsylvania!
How do you know if online therapy in Pennsylvania is right for you?
Online therapy is a good fit for the vast majority of people. Although many people were wary of the transition to online sessions at the beginning of the pandemic. Most found that treatment was as effective as in-person sessions. Even EMDR therapy for trauma has been shown to be just as effective. In 2014 and 2018 studies were performed and showed that online therapy outcomes were similarly maintained when compared to in-person therapy outcomes.
online therapy gives you access to a wide range of therapists.
If you’ve been looking locally and haven’t been able to find someone that specializes in what you’re struggling with or that you can see yourself opening up to and trusting, online therapy could be a good option for you. Online therapists in Pennsylvania can see anyone within the state, which means finding a specialist and someone who really gets what you’re going through can be much easier.
online therapy is also a good option for people who have busy schedules and don’t have time to drive to and from appointments, battling traffic, construction, and the unknowns of busy times on the road.
If you’re a parent and have young kids to juggle, it could be easier to get a session in during quiet time, or nap time, without having to hire a sitter or ask family and friends to help. If you’re a busy professional, online counseling is a great option- many clients schedule sessions during their lunch break or slow time during the day. When you cut out drive time, you can really make therapy appointments work for your schedule.
online therapy is also a good fit for folks who feel more comfortable and grounded in their own space.
If you worry about opening up and being vulnerable in an unfamiliar place, if you struggle with anxiety and leaving the house, having sessions from your bedroom or your living room is a great way to feel settled and access to things that comfort and soothe you.
We want you to know that the most important part in-person or online therapy, is the relationship you have with your therapist. The relationship is the biggest indicator of clients achieving their goals throughout the counseling relationship. Reclaim therapists uphold our relationships with our clients first and foremost. We want you to know that we will do whatever we can to make you feel supported, challenged, cared for. Additionally, we want to feel that you have someone reliably in your corner.
What are the top benefits of online therapy in Pennsylvania?
The ability to see a counselor outside of your immediate area.
Having access to true specialist in binge eating, eating disorders, trauma, and body image.
Fitting therapy sessions into your schedule more easily because you don’t have to drive to and from appointments.
Most insurance companies will provide out-of-network reimbursement for online counseling appointments, just like in-person sessions.
You can utilize your HSA account to pay for sessions.
Access to your everyday comforts if needed before, during, or after your sessions.
Not having to worry about running into someone you know at your therapist’s office- if that’s a concern of yours!
What should you ask an online therapist who you will be seeing for online counseling in Pennsylvania?
We want you to think about what you would like to know from any online therapist you are considering working with.
What is most important to you about the person who will potentially be holding space for you and your story, and helping you make progress toward your goals?
some people want to know the nitty-gritty:
Where did you go to school?
What is your degree?
How long have you been practicing?
What specialized training do you have that will help you help me?
Do you receive regular supervision or consultation?
How often will we meet?
How will we know if I am making progress?
other people want to get a bit deeper, or get a feel for how their therapist works with specific problems:
What is your philosophy about treating people who have similar struggles as me?
Do you use evidence-based practices?
What have you found to be the most effective interventions when working with people who struggle with body image, eating disorders, and trauma?
How is working with you different than working with other eating disorders, body image, and trauma specialists?
Why do you treat eating disorders and body image from a Health at Every Size lens?
What is a non-diet approach, and why is that important in treatment?
Can we talk about things other than food, body, and my past?
What does it mean to be trauma-informed? How does that help me?
Do you have personal experience with similar issues?
Have you personally gone to therapy?
What if I still want to lose weight? Can I still start counseling in Pennsylvania with you?
How can I give you feedback about what’s working for me and what isn’t working for me in our online sessions?
When starting an online therapy relationship, it’s important to understand how your therapist deals with technical issues, cancellations, and missed sessions.
some questions to ask your online therapist:
What platform do you use for online counseling sessions?
How will I access our sessions?
What happens if I lose power or internet connection during our session?
If we spend a lot of time troubleshooting technical issues, can we make up that time later?
What happens if my internet is down at the time of my appointment?
Can we have telephone sessions?
How will you be sure my online session remains confidential?
These questions should help you get a feel for the online therapist you are considering working with. Remember, having a trusting solid relationship with your therapist is one of the most important parts of therapy. We want you to feel comfortable starting a relationship with us.
How can you get the most from online therapy in Pennsylvania?
Because you aren’t sitting in a shared space with your online therapist, you have to take some personal initiative to make sure you’re set up to get the most from your therapy sessions.
We suggest that you find a private space for your sessions if you can. For online counseling sessions to be most effective, you want to be able to hear your therapist clearly and similarly, they need to be able to hear you clearly. If you are in a shared space, consider wearing headphones so that you can communicate more effectively, and your conversation can remain private.
we’ve had clients join sessions from just about anywhere in Pennsylvania. some of the most common spaces are:
A bedroom
Your office/home office
A car
Your front/back porch
Taking a walk
Your yard
A closet in your home
Because you’ll be on your computer/tablet/phone, it’s important to be aware of the temptation to multitask. We encourage our clients to put their devices on do not disturb so that distractions are minimized. Additionally, we can typically tell when someone is texting, reading, or scrolling while in session- if you get distracted, know that we will encourage you to shift your attention back to the session because we want you to get the most out of it your time together.
suggestions for the people in your immediate space
Let people you share space with know that you will be busy for the next hour. If you have children that will be present and needing your attention, you can work out a plan with your therapist. This will help to ensure your needs are being met, while also tending to your responsibilities. We understand that life happens and that we all have to be flexible, especially when relying on technology.
when preparing for your session make sure you have what you need.
A cold or warm drink, a snack, a box of tissues (just in case!!), a pen and paper if that’s helpful to you, and anything else to keep you comfortable during your session.
we believe that the most important part of getting what you need from online therapy sessions is to have a solid and trusting relationship with your online therapist.
We want you to feel safe and comfortable communicating your needs and boundaries with us. Additionally, we want you to feel comfortable letting us know when something isn’t working, when we’ve said something that has bothered you, or when/if you find yourself wanting to skip or no-show to your session. When in doubt, communicate, communicate, communicate.
What should you avoid when starting online therapy?
To make your experience in online counseling sessions the best it can be, it’s important to avoid a few things.
If you’re using WiFi it can be helpful to be aware of other people in your home or space who are streaming and using similar video platforms. Zoom (the platform we use for online counseling in Pennsylvania) can use quite a bit of bandwidth, and if multiple people are using similar services, it can slow your connection.
Just like you would for in-person sessions, avoid using substances before and during your online therapy sessions. For you to get the most out of your treatment, it is vital for you to be present in not only your body but in your mind.
If you’re using cell service to connect to your session, avoid dead zones and areas with poor cell service. This can cause delays in the video and audio.
Do your best not to multitask. Glancing at an email, text, or a quick scroll on the ‘gram is tempting. We get it. But to reach your goals in counseling, we need you to be present. If you’re struggling with this, make sure you talk to your online therapist so that together, you can come up with a plan.
We view the online therapy relationship the same as we view the in-person counseling relationship. Avoid taking your sessions less seriously because they’re over the internet- reaching your recovery goals depends on it. If you’re dreading sessions regularly, or are skipping sessions for any reason, be open and honest with your therapist so they can help you address what is going on and what you might be needing.
Try not to have sessions in public places. We want you to feel safe in getting vulnerable and sharing your lived experiences. It can be difficult to do that when managing being around other people.
Don’t settle for an online therapist who isn’t the right fit for what you need.
Ready to Begin Online Therapy in Pennsylvania?
Here at Reclaim Therapy, we love being able to work with people all over the state. Like we’ve shared, online therapy in Pennsylvania can be a great option for most people. Our online therapists are prepared to support you in engaging in recovery, setting goals, and making progress so that you can find healing and a sense of peace from symptoms that have been causing you distress.
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other therapy services offered
It’s important to our online therapists that we’re able to support you in any way we can, so we offer many different services online. If you’ve been looking for specialized treatment for your eating disorder, binge eating, body image, trauma, and EMDR, we’d love to talk with you about how we can support you via online therapy in Pennsylvania.
looking for a different kind of support?
If you’re local to us and are looking for in-person support, all of our counseling services are offered in person at our Horsham, PA office. We also provide online coaching services to people looking for structured, concrete body image and Intuitive Eating coaching. Group coaching is also available for women struggling with binge eating and body image. Find out more about our 13-week online group, The Dieter’s Rebellion, here.