I think we can all be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that we were looking forward to more from 2020. The Coronavirus has impacted various aspects of our lives, our physical and mental health, our families, our children, our education, our vacation and leisure time, and our freedom. I never knew I could appreciate the luxury of stopping at the grocery store on the way home from a long day at work to grab baking supplies. The things we love, our ability to be with our friends and family, get lunch on a beautiful day, head to the mall for a new outfit, or celebrations of birthdays, love, and graduations, have all halted.
We want you to keep your weekly appointments. We want you to continue to work with your therapist on your goals and mental health. We want this because we know you have been working so hard and a pandemic should not take away from your resilience. However, we know how hard this time is. We know the idea of getting on your computer for 45 minutes, finding privacy in your home (which I am sure is filled with people working from home and kids home from school), and prioritizing yourself during this time is difficult. And for those who are at the beginning process of your therapeutic journey, we know it took courage to reach out and that should not be minimized.
As clinicians at Nourish Your Mind, we want this process to be as smooth and comfortable as it is to walk into our office every week. Here are some tips we have found helpful for ourselves, and tips our clients have taught us in the past few weeks:
- Test out the video sessions before your appointment time to make sure everything is working, we can help you troubleshoot, if needed.
- Find a comfortable, safe space in your home for your sessions
- If privacy is an issue, do sessions from your car in your driveway. If it is nice, sitting outside is another option!
- Address your concerns with your clinician. We know it is not the same and we are just as disappointed as you are that we are not seeing you face to face. Let’s talk about it.
- This is a great time to practice setting boundaries with the people you live with. Make sure they know that these 45 minutes are important for you and your mental health.
Similar to your previous sessions, you will walk into the office (sign on your computer), meet with your therapist, and begin sessions. It may feel awkward at first, but after running online sessions for two weeks now, I can assure you it begins to feel more normal. If it does not, or you are having questions and concerns, please let us know. We will do our best to keep you coming through our hypothetical doors every week. We want you to keep showing up, even when it seems impossible. Thank YOU for your continued support, it is an honor to be there with you every step of the way through these uncertain and scary times.
Lillian Dugan, LMSW
Looking to pick your weekly sessions back up, or get started in your therapeutic journey? We’re here for you! NourishYourMind.com/Appointment or call/text (845) 547-0479.