Therachat Blog

Header Right

Main navigation

covid-19

Lessons learnt in 2020 for counsellors and mental health professionals

by

There were many lessons learnt in 2020 for almost every type of profession — and that especially includes counsellors and mental health professionals. In an industry that requires human connection, we would assume that losing in-person counselling would hinder client progress. But that’s not what we observed. The necessary shift to online counselling during the COVID-19 global pandemic demonstrated that not only could it be done, but it could be done effectively. So, what exactly did we learn from this change in the industry? Keep reading to find out. 

Be flexible

No one could have predicted the wave of events in 2020. If this year taught us anything, it was that we can’t always control our world. But we can be flexible in how we respond to external forces. We saw this in counsellors and mental health professionals when they moved online as soon as it became necessary. Some counsellors were already set up for online sessions, and others caught up quickly to meet the moment. No matter how the transition went for you, the important thing is your flexibility in supporting clients through the chaos. Whether in-person sessions turned to video calls for that all-important facetime, or whether clients preferred to just jump on the a phone call. It was inspiring to see the work continue, and the industry progress. 

Virtual counseling is here to stay

We know technology is integral to our world. That’s no surprise, and it’s not new information. However the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light just how critical technology continues to be in keeping us connected when physical connection isn’t possible. This became especially evident in counselling practices. Counsellors who offered both in-person and online counselling had a much easier time transitioning than those who strictly offered in-office services.

Now that counsellors and their clients have discovered that virtual therapy is possible and effective, there’s no going back. For some clients, the sheer convenience of online counselling is what makes it most desirable. The ability to squeeze in a session between meetings, and avoid traffic or transit. For others, like those living in rural areas, online counselling may be the only way they can get the support they need. So not only is online counselling convenient, it’s increasing accessibility to clients everywhere. Accessibility is incredibly important to ensure every client can get the help they need, when they need it. Everyone’s needs are different. Meet your clients where they are — even online. 

Digital tools are a necessity 

As the industry and it’s clients embrace virtual counselling, digital tools are essential to ensure clients are staying on-track between sessions. A digital homework app like Therachat is an innovative tool counsellors can use to support their clients from a distance. It offers features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises. It’s a way to stay connected to your clients and support them as they meet their goals. 

Looking back to move forward: lessons learnt in 2020

This year was turbulent and unpredictable, but there were many lessons learnt in 2020. This year illuminated the need for better mental health supports and celebrated the counsellors doing their part to support the cause. It showed the importance of flexibility and meeting clients exactly where they are. It demonstrated that virtual counselling is not only possible, but it’s fundamental to increased accessibility of mental health resources. And finally, as the industry moves towards online counselling, integrating digital tools in your practice is one of the best ways to keep clients on-track and help them meet their goals between sessions. 2020 was a tough year — but it came with important lessons we can confidently take into 2021. 

Are you ready to integrate digital tools into your practice? Therachat can help. Find out how we can support your practice in 2020. Learn more. 

How counselors can support the transition back to school

by

With schools now reopened, many parents and their children are feeling the stress of our uncertain world. In the past, back to school was a predictable and even comforting time for parents — knowing their children will have a structured schedule. So with everything up in the air, families are unsure what to expect.

Whether children will be returning in-person or online, this won’t be the traditional back-to-school we’re familiar with. As counselors, there are many ways to offer continued support for families as they navigate this time in their lives, and beyond. 

Supporting families back to school

  1. Stay flexible: It goes without saying, these are odd times. The situation is always changing, and no one knows what’s going to happen next. For example, children who were went back to school in-person may be sent home, affecting everyone’s schedules and changing the family dynamic. Be prepared to shift your client support strategies. It’s important to meet the moment as challenges arise. And don’t forget to be patient with yourself. This is new territory for counselors and clients alike, so show yourself compassion and navigate challenges as they come. 
  2. Work closely with parents: Especially in a time like this, children will be looking closely at their caregivers for guidance and behavioral expectations. Remind parents to stay communicative and educate their children about the pandemic and how it’ll affect their day-to-day. However, avoid being fearful — especially when explaining safety precautions like mask-wearing and hand-washing. Taking a fear-based approach may cause unnecessary anxiety or even resistance to change. Through open conversations, setting the right boundaries for children and expectations for the household, the whole family can work towards their goals together and feel more connected in the process. 
  3. Utilize technology: Try utilizing a homework app like Therachat to keep your clients on-track and help them shift as needed. The features include daily reminders to stay on-track, mindfulness exercises, and emotion tracking. It’s an innovative way to help your clients feel supported between appointments. This is especially key when they’re juggling family life. Plus, it’s a great way to encourage open conversations about mental health with the whole family.

Easing into change

Many families are feeling uneasy with change as we enter the fall season and back to school. The reality is, there will be an adjustment period for families as they get back into the swing of managing work, school, and quality time. With wiggle room and the right tools, counselors and their clients can work to navigate this uncertain time together. 

If you’re a clinician looking to utilize digital tools in your practice, learn more about Therachat’s innovative features. We can help your clients reach their goals faster.

How to successfully get clients started with journaling

by

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

by

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.