When are therapists seeing clients in the office for in person sessions during COVID?

I get this question a lot.  As a therapist, there are just as many benefits of being in person, face to face with a client as there are benefits of being online or phone with a client.   During COVID, most of the in-person benefits  (being face to face to observe non-verbal communication, etc)  disappear.

Logistics

Imagine what it feels like to wear a mask when you are crying in a therapy session.  Not being able to blow your nose without it being a huge process.  Not being able to see if your therapist is smiling, frowning, or otherwise reacting to what you are talking about because they are wearing a mask. The therapist not being able to see your facial expressions.

Safety

I have had 3 clients who have been exposed to COVID who have gotten COVID tests.   Other therapists at Long Beach Therapy have also had clients who have either tested positive.   If I had been seeing clients in the office, I would have had to inform every one of my clients that I was in a small room with a client with COVID and that I exposed every one of my clients to COVID.  How would that call from your therapist feel?  The therapist is supposed to be there for you and now they have exposed you to a potentially deadly disease.    Conversely, imagine how it would be to have to tell your therapist that you have COVID and that you exposed them.  Is your therapist truly going to be able to support you in your process when in the back of their mind they are wondering if you infected them?

Inconsistency

If you are seeing your therapist in person in their office, then every time they are exposed to someone with COVID or someone who has been exposed to COVID, they will have to either go back to online sessions or hold off sessions for 14 days.

Worst Case

Indoor activities are supposed to be the highest risk for getting COVID.  Therapists cannot open windows for better airflow because opening windows would not ensure confidentiality which is necessary for therapy to feel emotionally safe for clients.  Worst case scenario is that a therapist who is seeing a client in their office gets COVID and gets sick.  In this scenario, the client now loses their support and may have to find another therapist.

Is it worth it? 

As a therapist who believes constancy and safety are necessary for therapy to be successful, all of the unknowns that COVID brings doesn’t seem worth it.   Given all of this information that I have listed, Long Beach Therapy will be conducting online therapy sessions and phone sessions until it is completely safe to be indoors without a mask.

Some of the things I have enjoyed about doing online therapy since COVID started:

I get to to see you in your natural environment and therefore I get much more insight into your life that allows me to help you in ways I would not be able to if you were in person.

I am getting more clients who live farther away because they were able to focus on picking a therapist who they like and not have to worry about distance.

I haven’t had clients run late to their session because of traffic or having to find parking.

Clients who would normally feel uncomfortable walking into a therapy office can skip that discomfort.

I can see clients earlier in the day and later in the evening  because I don’t have travel time getting to/from the office.

I really like being able to do therapy and not have to worry about a mask.

I like being able to see clients without having to sanitize the office between each client.