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How to successfully get clients started with journaling

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Daily journaling has become very popular in the mental health community among clients and therapists. Similarly, its accessibility has made it a huge topic of conversation in popular culture as more and more people realize the benefits that come with it. So, how can you get your clients started with journaling, and what are effective ways to make it a habit? As therapy shifts to digital, journaling paired with the right digital tools can keep therapists connected with their clients. Here’s how.

The benefits of journaling 

Journaling is a great way for therapists to capture their client’s emotions, analyze concerns, tune into areas of growth, and start a dialogue. It can help support many mental health conditions, like: 

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression
  • Low self-esteem
  • Relationship issues
  • OCD conditions
  • Grief
  • Chronic Illness
  • Substance abuse

What Do Studies Show?

Quite a bit. Journaling can help manage the symptoms of physical illness and keep the immune system strong, reduce stress and boost mood, and accelerate the process of healing from injury. 

Getting clients started with journaling

Here’s how you can get clients started with journaling: 

  • Start small: Firstly, start by recommending the practice of journaling to your clients. Explain what it is, what the benefits are, and set an action plan together.
  • Introduce homework: After that, give your client a 10-minute writing activity to kick things off. 10-minutes is the perfect amount of time to get them building a habit, without it being overwhelming. 
  • Review: Check-in on your client’s progress during each session. How did journaling go? How did it make them feel? Have they noticed any changes? This will increase homework compliance and boost engagement rates. 
  • Introduce more complex exercises: By slowly introducing them over time, clients will slowly become more comfortable. Additionally, they’ll have exercises to lean on between sessions. Keep reading for a list of recommendations. 

Keep clients on-track with digital tools

In today’s socially distanced world, digital tools are an essential way to support your clients between sessions — especially when they’re missing the in-person experience. A digital homework app like Therachat will keep you connected to your clients in real-time, allowing you to check in on their progress, and send them prompts between sessions. With mindfulness exercises, homework reminders, and emotion tracking, it’s a personalized way to keep your clients on-track.

For more tips on using Therachat, check out our blog posts with advice specifically for clinicians here

Advanced journaling exercises

One of the best things about journaling is its flexibility. Once your client has aced the 10-minute journaling sessions, you can introduce new exercises. This will keep things fresh, prevent boredom, and help them grow at their own pace.

Here are just a few:

  • Letter Writing: This is a healthy way for clients to process difficult emotions that are often attached to those closest to them. Entries can be positive, like writing a letter of gratitude. On the other hand, they can be constructive like relaying difficult emotions. The best part is, they never have to send the letter. It’s a simple way for clients to process how they feel in a private manner. 
  • Dialogue:  For example, ask your client to take the role of someone else and write about how that person would feel, behave, or approach a certain scenario. This helps strengthen theory of mind, practice non-attachment, and promotes social learning as clients take the perspective of another. 
  • Photo Entries: This one is perfect for clients who are visual learners. Giving your client an unfamiliar photo that they’ve never seen before can boost creativity, and help them get in touch with their intuition. Or, asking your client to look at a personal photo can help them recall emotional states of that particular moment. As a result, clients are able to process emotions more effectively. 
  • Prompts: These are a great way to get a client started if they’re not sure what to write about. Depending on where your client is in their progress, prompts can be as simple or complex as needed.
  • Listicles: Ask clients to list, for example, 10 things they’re grateful for, or 10 people who have influenced their life in a positive manner. These are flexible, and can be positive or negative lists — totally dependent on the client’s needs. This is a great way to gather talking points, especially early-on in the therapist-client relationship.

Make journaling a habit

Like any habit, getting your clients to journal regularly may take time and encouragement. But the benefits are well worth it. Journaling boosts mindfulness, reduces stress, gives clients an enhanced sense of well-being, and helps them become better problem-solvers — to name just a few. Above all, it’s an effective way to support clients in achieving their goals. So keep it top of mind as you guide your clients through their mental health journey. Digital tools like Therachat can help keep your clients on-track, and support them in reaching their goals faster. For more information, read our FAQ.

Successful Online Counselling Practice Tips

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The COVID-19 global pandemic forced many of our physical, in-person services to go digital — one of which has been counseling. Many counsellors are scrambling to gather the tools and technology they need to successfully shift their practice online. Particularly for counsellors who have never done this before, it can be tough to know what you actually need for an online counselling practice to go smoothly. We’ve put together a checklist to make sure you don’t miss a thing. 

Earbuds or headphones

Many of us who are isolating aren’t doing it alone. Whether you’re sharing your space with family, a roommate, or a partner, it can be tough to set and maintain your privacy. Headphones are a really simple way to create a non-physical boundary. Not only is it less disruptive to the person you’re sharing your space with, but it’s a great way to get in the zone and focus on your work. 

A fast laptop or computer to support a video platform

Video platforms are essential for an online counselling practice. They give us the face-to-face contact that’s so necessary for picking up client cues and expressions. But of course, you’ll need something to access the platform. It doesn’t have to be fancy — any computer or laptop that gets you online and supports your video platform of choice is perfect. 

High-quality WIFI

So, you’ve got your earbuds and your computer. You’ve chosen a video platform. Now you need the connection to support it. A WIFI network of 250bps is optimal for maintaining clear audio and video during your session. It sounds like tech jargon, but your service provider will know exactly what you’re talking about. 

Is your audio still lagging during the session? Ask your client to mute themselves on the video platform, and call them on their cell phone or landline. That way you’re able to maintain the face-to-face contact through video, but you won’t have to deal with audio cutting out. The last thing you want during an especially sensitive moment is to be unable hear your client. 

Built-in or external microphone

Clear audio is essential for the back-and-forth conversation, and to pick up cues in their tone of voice. Most of today’s computers and laptops come with a good quality built-in microphone. But if not, or if you want to upgrade, you can buy an external microphone online or at the store. These are usually really simple to get working — just plug them into your computer, and you’re good to go. 

Make your cell phone work for you

There’s a good chance you have one of these. But how you use it is what’s important. Your phone can be like a personal assistant, if utilized correctly — keeping you on-track, on-time, and on your toes. Use it to plug in all your scheduled calls, meetings, and appointments. And, you can set up push notifications so you never miss a beat. 

Stay connected between sessions

With the physical world shifting online for all of us, including our clients, it can be tough to ensure they’re doing the work between meetings. A digital homework app like Therachat is an amazing tool to keep you connected to your clients. With skill-building activities, daily reminders to stay on-track, mindfulness exercises, and emotion tracking, it’s an innovative way to help your clients feel supported between appointments — especially when they’re missing the in-person experience. 

Looking for tips for using Therachat as a clinician? Check out our blog posts with advice specifically for clinicians here

Keep certain aspects traditional

While being technology-forward can be a game changer for you and your clients, some things are best kept traditional. We recently chatted with one of Wellin5’s counsellors, Amelia Larson, MSW, RSW about her best-practices when it comes to tech-forward counselling. 

“Im sort of old school. I take notes in a notebook. When we introduce technology into a therapy setting, it can divide the attention differently. In my sessions, I always use a notebook because I want to avoid clicking away on the keyboard while a client is sharing some of their toughest moments with me.” 

Amelia’s strategy allows counsellors to fulfill the ethical requirements of note-keeping in a respectful way. 

Shifting to online counselling doesn’t have to be stressful 

The sudden shift from an in-person practice to an online counselling practice is unprecedented, and it hasn’t give counsellors much time to plan. It can be a big change for both you and your clients. But with the right equipment and setup, it can feel almost like you’re face-to-face. 

For more ways to elevate your client experience during isolation and beyond, check out Therachat’s innovative features. 

Sarina Arefzadeh is a Vancouver-based content marketer, mental health advocate, and pop culture enthusiast. She brings her education in psychology and sociology to unpack topics like tech, gender, mental health, and online life. She’s a speaker with Jack.org, regularly visiting schools to talk to students about their mental health, what it means, and how they can be there for themselves and their peers. Connect with Sarina on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email.

Providing Client Care in Uncertain Times

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The combination of the pandemic and racial unrest has been stressful for many. Racism, illness, uncertainty, anticipatory grief, changes to employment status and separation from usual social circles can be really challenging.

As a therapist, you may find you are seeing clients who are struggling with the weight of current events who are seeking help, maybe for the first time, or maybe in addition to the existing challenges they are seeking support around.

At Therachat we want to provide you with some tips on how to approach these difficult times in your practice. You may be struggling with some of these challenges yourself, in addition to potentially providing support in a telehealth format where you would normally deliver services in person.

Here are some of the things our clinical director, Dr. Wilson Cheh has been doing for his clients:

1) Create a safe space. Dr. Cheh has been reinforcing that therapy is a safe environment for the clients to unload and process how they have been impacted and their genuine thoughts. That sense of safety can help deepen the therapeutic relationship and improve the quality of interactions and conversations.

2) Help them dig deeper. On the surface, events are traumatic in themselves but it can be helpful to facilitate clients gaining insights on how their responses could be linked to their own personal fears, past traumas, internal tensions and conflicts. That perspective can help them understand and manage their emotions better.

3) Hold space. As your clients share their troubles, validate and hold the tension and suspense of the struggles with the clients while there may not be any resolution yet. In a time of loneliness and isolation, presence is so valuable.

4) Equip them with what they need. Offer practical tools to clients that match their needs to increase self awareness, self care, and internal capacities. Having tools in their toolbox to manage new challenges can increase client confidence, resilience and self-efficacy.

With these tips in mind, hopefully you will find yourself feeling better prepared to meet the challenges of your clients in these difficult times. By creating a safe space, helping them dig deeper, holding space and equipping patients with what they need, you will be able to continue to provide the same excellent level of care they have come to expect from you and your practice.

While you are busy taking care of your clients, make sure to take time to take care of yourself. The level of trauma and unrest is unprecedented and providing support to so many facing such difficulties can feel overwhelming. Self care is so important always, but especially these days as we navigate an ever-shifting landscape and new challenges in mental health and wellness.

At Therachat, we want to support you in growing and building your practice and wish you continued wellness, safety and comfort. We are proud to be part of the way you provide care and look forward to expanding the support we offer in the future. Thanks for being part of the Therachat family!

Sarina Arefzadeh is a Vancouver-based content marketer, mental health advocate, and pop culture enthusiast. She brings her education in psychology and sociology to unpack topics like tech, gender, mental health, and online life. She’s a speaker with Jack.org, regularly visiting schools to talk to students about their mental health, what it means, and how they can be there for themselves and their peers. Connect with Sarina on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email.

Ways To Enhance Therapeutic Effectiveness and Efficiency Between Sessions

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While different modalities of clinical practice have different theories, the time between sessions can be crucial for the continued progress of clients in your care. Homework assignments are common to help propel clients towards their goals. But how do you get your clients to be compliant?

Do you have clients who never do their homework?

It can be so frustrating to make progress in a session, assign work to reinforce what was discussed and find in the next session nothing has happened. When homework assignments are completed, you can cover more ground with your clients, allowing them to get more value out of their time. It can make therapy take longer, cost more and generally address fewer issues when time between sessions isn’t maximized.

The client-therapist relationship is that of two mature adults. You can’t hound them to do their homework like you would a high school student. You need to encourage clients to participate in their treatment plan while still maintaining mutual respect.

These are some ways to address homework non-compliant clients to help them make more progress:

  1. Get to the root of why they aren’t doing homework. Dr. Michael Broder writes “What can you do with clients who do not complete agreed-upon homework assignments? The answer often lies in the very resistance to change that could be behind practically all of their therapeutic issues.”
  2. Be clear about why homework needs to happen. Bruce E. Wampold says in his paper for the American Psychological Association on Qualities And Actions Of Effective Therapists, “The effective therapist provides a treatment plan that is consistent with the explanation provided to the client. Once the client accepts the explanation, the treatment plan will make sense and client compliance will be increased.”
  3. Follow up consistently. Research suggests that “Therapists who do not consistently follow up on homework assignments are less likely to generate appropriate patient regard for the activity.”
  4. Leverage technology. Therachat is an electronic platform that can be used to remind clients to complete their homework in a non-offensive way where they still have the autonomy to ignore it, letting them feel empowered by their choice to complete their assigned homework. The Therachat infrastructure also allows for post session surveys and pre-session input to allow for course correction in the treatment plan. This helps contribute to better client satisfaction and retention.

Better homework compliance can help clients see better results, leading them to feel more self-efficacy and trust in the therapeutic relationship. Most importantly, they are better able to both reach their goals and feel ownership of their progress. This allows for more independence and confidence that they can continue to use the skills they acquire in therapy out in the world.

Between getting to the root of why client’s aren’t doing their homework, being clear about why they need to do it, following up consistently and leveraging technology you can help support your clients in being more effective between sessions. What strategies have you found to be most effective?

If you’re looking for a technological solution to support better homework compliance, reach out to us at Therachat and see how we can help you and your clients achieve more through your therapeutic relationship.

Sarina Arefzadeh is a Vancouver-based content marketer, mental health advocate, and pop culture enthusiast. She brings her education in psychology and sociology to unpack topics like tech, gender, mental health, and online life. She’s a speaker with Jack.org, regularly visiting schools to talk to students about their mental health, what it means, and how they can be there for themselves and their peers. Connect with Sarina on LinkedIn, Twitter, or by email.