Our therapists provide online therapy in Toms River, NJ

My go-to approach for helping people in online therapy is to do my very best to replicate the positive impact that face-to-face therapy can have in a virtual setting. Since the client and clinician can only see the tops of one another in a little box on their screen, I find that maintaining eye contact and being sure to ask many directly related follow-up questions helps to replicate the warmth of an in-person setting on the computer. I find the best benefit of online therapy to be the flexibility it provides for a client to have a session in a situation where they might not be able to do in-person therapy, such as not feeling well, inclement weather, or a situation where transportation is not readily available. Online therapy allows a much wider client base to have access to services they otherwise may never be able to get.

I teach very similar tools in online therapy as I do with in-person sessions, such as interpersonal conflict resolution (ways to resolve challenges between the client and someone else in their lives, coming to a positive resolution), progressive relaxation (deep breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation), cognitive reframing (learning how to see alternative ways of addressing situations, interactions, and other people's opinions and emotions), de-catastrophizing (directly addressing a habit of intrusive and worst-case scenario thoughts that can be overwhelming with a series of logical, fact-based lines of questioning), and many other helpful and productive strategies.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in online therapy when they first state they are feeling comfortable with speaking virtually. Initially, many clients can feel uncomfortable or apprehensive about speaking to someone on a computer instead of face-to-face in an office setting, so when a client begins to feel comfortable and at ease utilizing a virtual setting, that is typically the first sign that the process is working. Additionally, a client's self-report that they are noticing changes in themselves and their interactions with others, or recognizing they are utilizing positive coping strategies in the moment, can be another huge sign that meaningful progress is being made.

Clients can supplement their time in online therapy by journaling their thoughts on topics and emotions related to the sessions throughout the week in an effort to be more aware of the changes from day to day and to have a much more thorough conversation in the following session.

To prepare for your first online therapy session, you can do a few things to ensure you are as ready as possible. Firstly, ensure you have Zoom installed, along with having access to some kind of web camera for video and headphones for privacy. You want to ensure you also have a private space within your home where you feel secure and comfortable speaking about your experiences away from others. The most important thing you can do to prepare for your first online therapy session is to acknowledge any concerns and discomforts with your clinician about the process right in the intake session in order to get those feelings out in the open, so you and your clinician can directly address and find solutions for them.