1. Psychotherapy requires privacy. Please make sure you are in a private place where you won’t be overheard or interrupted. 

2. Give yourself 10-15 minutes of quiet, alone time before and after each session. You need “buffer time” before sessions to set aside the activities of the day and let your thoughts transition to therapy, and time after to reflect and absorb.

3. There is no need to keep your eyes fixed on the video screen. In face-to-face conversation, people make and break off eye contact as part of the natural rhythm of communication. Feel free to look at me or look away as feels natural. If you feel too close or too far away, adjust the size of the video window.  

4. Try to meet from the same location when possible. The physical setting is part of the experience and consistency helps.

5. Keep a box of tissues nearby. If you want, pour yourself a glass of water, but don’t snack or eat.

6. Silence other devices and close other applications.

7. If there is a problem affecting audio or video quality, let me know and I will do the same. It’s better to recognize and address the problem than struggle to understand one another.

adapted from guidelines developed by Todd Essig And Gillian Isaacs Russel