Making the Most Out of Online Therapy If You’re Chronically Ill
Online therapy is a safe and convenient way to meet your therapist - especially if you have a chronic illness
Having a chronic illness, or multiple chronic illnesses, can impact your mental health as well has your physical health. You might find yourself feeling depressed about new symptoms or diagnoses or feeling anxious about upcoming medical appointments.
You’re curious about what therapy would be like and how it could help but the thought of getting up out of bed, getting out of your comfy clothes, and driving yourself to a therapy office is an immediate “no”. Your body’s needs shouldn’t be a barrier to you getting the mental healthcare you know you need. That’s where online therapy or “telehealth” can come in.
This article reviews 6 ways online therapy can be especially helpful for you if you have a chronic illness and includes a convenient, downloadable checklist for items to keep in your “therapy space” to make your home as comfortable as possible for online therapy.
What is Online Therapy?
Online therapy, also called “virtual therapy” or “telehealth therapy” refers to meeting your licensed therapist over a secure, private video chat. You might choose online therapy as a convenient option over in-person therapy if you have children or family who cannot be alone in the house, you want to spend less time commuting to appointments, or you’re having a flare up and are in too much pain to drive. You might see your therapist over a video call (similar to Zoom or FaceTime) on your phone, laptop, desktop, or tablet.
While many therapists and clients switched to online therapy during the COVID 19 pandemic, telehealth has been around years before as a way to make therapy accessible for you and others who have medical issues that make it difficult to leave the house - or maybe you just prefer the convenience and freedom of comfort and freedom that can come along with being able to meet your therapist from anywhere with internet connection!
How does online therapy help you if you’re chronically ill
If you have chronic health issues, you already know how difficult everyday life can be, including working at a job, parenting, and even grocery shopping, when managing your symptoms. Online therapy can help you take one more “thing to do” off your list in a way that’s convenient for your body and your schedule. Keep reading for 6 ways you might benefit from online therapy.
Meet in your safe place
You get to be in control of your space when you see your therapist via telehealth technology. Especially if smells can give you migraines or certain fabrics can cause irritation, you having the ability to decide the details of your environment can help increase your comfort.
2. Feel supported through a flare up
If you’re experiencing a flare up (such as a headache, back pain, brain fog, etc), online therapy allows you to feel connected to someone even during the worst of your symptoms. Research also supports the importance of having others validate your experience as part of your pain management plan.
3. Meet with your pets supporting you
As a telehealth therapist, it’s interesting to notice how pets, including cats, dogs, and even birds, come to you when we might be discussing harder topics in therapy. Online therapy allows you to meet with a therapist while cuddling your pet, a major bonus if you’re someone whose pets help with your anxiety. Even just having them in the same room can help you to feel more regulated and help you make more progress in therapy.
4. Elder care and child care
If you have older children that can self-supervise or you care for an elderly parent, traveling for therapy can feel like too much of a task (scheduling a babysitter, paying for childcare or home health, etc). The flexibility of online therapy can allow you to still take care of your mental health (a necessity for all caretakers) while your children play or watch a movie in another nearby space.
5. Spend less time in traffic and parking
This one seems self-explanatory, but if driving in traffic stresses you out or finding a parking space starts to feel like all-day ordeal, online therapy allows you to skip all of the logistical parts of therapy so you can focus on showing up and doing the work. If you find driving or traffic particularly stressful, removing that stress from your life might even help with reducing flare ups depending on if your symptoms are made worse by stress.
6. Reschedule easily
Like most chronically ill people, your schedule might be overrun by doctors’ appointments or pharmacy runs. Telehealth is a convenient way of meeting your therapist that allows you to reschedule quickly around your life and all of your errands.
Setting Up Your Space for Online Therapy
The Importance of Your Comfort
Your comfort in therapy matters - the more comfortable you feel, the easier it might feel for you to open up in therapy and make it more meaningful for you. It’s also important to remember the psychological phenomenon of “classical conditioning” (does it ring a bell?).
This idea is based off of Pavlov’s research where he would ring a bell before feeding his dogs so that the dogs associated the sound of a bell with food. In the same way, you can train your brain to associate therapy with comfort so that your brain thinks of therapy as a pleasant and meaningful experience - meaning you’re likely to get less burned out on therapy and more likely to reach your goals.
Keep reading for 10 items to check off your list to make online therapy as helpful and comfortable as possible.
Checklist for Online Therapy Space:
Internet Connection
Ensure you have a solid internet connection on either your phone or computer (whatever device you prefer to meet your therapist). You can check internet speed online at Speedtest by Ookla or even use Google’s built-in internet speed test box. To help with internet speed, you can try closing other apps or re-starting your phone or computer and testing again.
2. Headphones (if needed)
Investing in a quality pair of headphones, although not a requirement for online therapy, can help you from feeling overstimulated by outside sounds while trying to process your feelings in therapy. You might choose over-ear headphones, on-ear headphones, in-ear headphones (earbuds), or other types depending on your preferences and what feels comfortable for your sensory system. It can also help therapy to feel more private for you.
3. Lighting
No need for fancy lighting in online therapy! Make sure you have a lamp, a window, or an overhead light on so your therapist can see your facial expressions and body language if needed. However, one accommodation for high pain days might be having no light or low light options for online therapy (such as having a warm salt lamp to help with a migraine).
4. Comfortable Seating
If you experience any type of chronic pain, you already know how important comfortable seating can be for your body. Nothing is more distracting in therapy than sitting in an uncomfortable position that puts strain on your back or your joints. An accommodation for your chronic illness might include doing your online therapy appointments from your bed depending on comfort needs and energy levels.
5. Notebook and Pen
Taking notes in therapy can help you make sense of your feelings and keep track of your thoughts that come up during session. It can also be helpful to doodle in a notebook during session to allow you to relax and soothe yourself through repetitive motions.
6. Heating Pad and/or Blanket
On high pain days, you might choose to set up a heating pad in your regular “therapy space”. A blanket can also help you feel extra cozy during sessions and offer a way for you to regulate yourself when you’re feeling vulnerable in therapy. Bonus points for using a weighted blanket if that works for your sensory needs!
7. Medications
If you take medications at a certain time and that time falls during therapy, make sure your medications are nearby. Taking your medications as prescribed can help you feel your best for therapy and are a fundamental part of self-care for your brain and body. Your therapist might also ask about current medications or any medication changes.
8. Water
Water is a basic human need, and sometimes when you’re processing deep emotions in therapy it can be difficult to remember to drink enough water. Especially if you’re chronically ill, water intake can play a huge part in managing a number of chronic health issues. You might even choose to use a smart water bottle like “HidrateSpark” that uses bluetooth technology to track your water intake and reminds you to drink as needed.
9. Snacks
A number of chronic illness also regular eating small meals or supplements regularly to help with symptoms. For example, you might need to eat enough sugar to reach your blood sugar goals or you might need to eat a salty snack to help with symptoms from Dysautonomia/POTS. Having your safe snacks nearby during therapy can help remind you to snack regularly and manage symptoms appropriately. A therapist specializing in chronic illness will understand your body’s needs and will not mind at all if you eat in session.
10. Tissues
Sometimes, hard topics come up in therapy. There is no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed if you cry in therapy. In fact, it can sometimes be a sign that you feel safe enough in therapy to express your emotions. Having soft tissues nearby (or a roll of toilet paper, no judgement here!) can make those hard moments in online therapy more comfortable.
Downloadable Checklist for Online Therapy
Download the attached “Checklist for Online Therapy” so you can keep this checklist on your phone or computer or you can even print it out next to the space where you regularly join your online therapy sessions. Having a clear checklist can help you remember your needs, especially on days where you might be experience brain fog.
Click on the image to download a PDF version of “Checklist for Online Therapy”
Want more tips for making the most out of therapy with a chronic illness? Check out the blog post “14 FAQs About Starting Therapy”. You might also find this blog post helpful to share with your partner or family on how they can support you: “The Step-By-Step Guide to Supporting Someone Through an Illness”.
Ready to schedule your complimentary consultation call to see if online therapy is the next step in your treatment plan for living with chronic illness? Schedule your first therapy appointment with Dr. Victoria Rodriguez here for specialized counseling for medical trauma and chronic illness.
