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Source: Virtues for Life, used with permission Let me begin with a question: Could the COVID-19 crisis be seen as a personal growth opportunity? At first blush, you would probably say, “Absolutely no way!” The current pandemic has created crises of health and financial markets that are disrupting the lives of almost everyone on our planet. People the world over are getting sick and dying, global economies are facing a recession, and the financial futures of many people are at risk. COVID-19 has taken a world that, for many people, was safe and secure, and forced us to confront a new world that is ever-changing, unfamiliar, unpredictable, uncertain, ambiguous, uncomfortable, and uncontrollable. It elicits a wide range of unpleasant emotions including fear , worry, doubt, frustration, and anger . COVID-19 unsettles our confidence in ourselves, our communities, our governments, and the many institutions that we have taken for granted and relied on in the past. … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Use the Current Crisis for Personal Growth

Source: agenturfotografin/Adobe Stock Seeing a therapist used to imply being in the same room with them, but not any longer. Teleconferencing has made it possible to see a mental health professional from a distance. With recent requirements for social distancing, many therapists and clients have had to either pause their work or make other arrangements, including meeting by video conference. I've been providing teletherapy services for about a decade now, and in the past year transitioned to doing only teletherapy. Here are some common questions and issues that come up when thinking about making the transition. Will My Therapist Agree to Online Sessions? Some therapists (myself included) are enthusiastic about using teletherapy, some won't use it at all, and a large number of therapists approach it with some reservations. I've been surprised how many therapists are now moving to it with the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting social distancing. Most therapists generally … [Read more...] about How to Transition to Seeing Your Therapist Online

There is a war being waged over whether the human relationship will remain central to therapy (that battle is well-articulated by psychologist Todd Essig). Virtual therapy is a potential step toward dehumanization. There is no argument—physical co-presence and all that goes along with it, subtle visual cues, scents, chemistry—just isn't the same as an image or a voice on the line. We can imagine high-tech VR therapy, hyperreal, augmented, and transcending physicality. Why not jack into the brain and conjure something more-than—but today’s technology is a dim forerunner of that science-fiction reality. Pragmatically, teletherapy is useful, was arriving regardless, and, courtesy of coronavirus , is now suddenly here . As the potential for distress from COVID-19 increases, the effect of isolation, failure of trust in authority, as-yet-unrealized consequences, the sense of fear from vulnerability—in spite of resilience , people need support and therapy. With this in … [Read more...] about Virtual Therapy: 9 New Lessons for Patients and Therapists