Why hold sessions via video conference on zoom?

Many of us don’t have time to spend travelling to and from office-based sessions as it can often mean that the time taken for the therapy hour is doubled by travelling time. Therapy is just as effective when accessed via video conference as it is in an office-based setting and you can be anywhere in the world when you access your session as long as you can find a private space and access to a computer, laptop, tablet or phone. When you book a first session you will also be figuring out if working with me is a good fit for you as well as whether you want to access sessions via video conference, in either case if you decide against further sessions and we are not going to continue working together I will always do my best to help you find another therapist that meets your needs and requirements.

Using Zoom

Zoom is a video conference platform similar to skype or FaceTime. It is end to end encrypted and uses a slightly slower bandwidth than other video conference platform which is more stable and reliable in connection terms. You can connect with me on zoom using any laptop, PC, tablet or smart phone, (it is compatible with Apple as well as PC and android devices).

 In advance of our session I will email you an invitation to our Zoom session that has a link to our online ”room”.  The first time you use the link in the invitation you will be prompted to download an app to your computer or phone which only takes a few seconds and will then launch and bring you into the zoom room.  On subsequent sessions if you are using the same device that you used for the first session the app will launch automatically when you click the link.  You do not have to have a zoom account to access the zoom room all you need is the app on your device – I am the host and account holder for the session.

If you can stream videos and tv shows using your internet connection you will find Zoom connection very straightforward and a good quality in image and audio terms. However, very occasionally poor Internet connection during Zoom calls can mean that there are glitches in visual and or audio quality.  Usually this is not too problematic but if it begins to detract from the session we can resume via telephone (I will provide you with a landline number to call or you can call my mobile number, we will agree which is best for you in advance). If you have trouble connecting with me on Zoom in the first instance I ask you to text me to let me know and we can continue the session by telephone instead.  We can also use the telephone in the event of computer breakdown. It is a good idea to make sure your device is fully charged before the session begins and that there is also a power source available just in case of battery failure.

Safe Space

Conventional office-based counselling makes use of a private space allocated for the duration of the session and the counsellor endeavours to arrange that the session remains free of distractions of interruptions.  

When using Zoom for counselling sessions I ensure that I am in a private space and make every effort to prevent other interruptions that would intrude on our time together in the same way that I would for office-based sessions.  

In order that you get the most out of our time together on Zoom I ask that you also use a private space where you can remain undisturbed.  This means that you will need to make arrangements to make sure that interruptions from family members (and pets), the telephone or other household demands do not intrude on our session.

Therapeutic Process of Sessions via Video Conference

Shortly before each session I will email you a link to the “zoom room”.  On the first occasion that you use the link you will be prompted to download a piece of software onto your device, this only takes a few seconds and once it has downloaded it launches automatically and will take you into the “zoom room” where I will be waiting. If you always use the same device you will come straight into the “zoom room” on subsequent occasions.

Sessions last for approximately 1 hour and we aim to meet on a weekly basis on the same day and time that becomes “your slot” for the duration of our work together. Each week we take a few minutes to review how things have moved forward and decide on the focus of the session ahead.