Remote Therapy For Difficult Times

How are you holding up? Life has certainly taken an unexpected turn for all of us the past few weeks. The fear and uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic and the huge effect it has had on our lives in such a short period of time has caused a lot of fear, stress and uncertainty about what life might look like for the next few weeks or months.

I have talked with many people who have felt that sheltering in place, either alone or with their family, has exacerbated issues such as anxiety, depression and anger that they were already dealing with. Isolation can cause loneliness and overthinking or maybe grieving for events you were expecting to happen but no longer are. For others, such forced togetherness has made old relationship and parenting issues come to the surface again.

How Can Remote Therapy Help?

Although I have never had to help my clients deal with a pandemic before, I do have 25 years of experience helping people develop coping strategies for managing difficult times and through the use of remote therapy (also called teletherapy and is provided by phone or video sessions similar to Skype but HIPAA compliant), I can bring support and counseling to your home, office or other location.

Here are some questions I am frequently asked about Remote Therapy.

What Issues Can be Helped by Remote Therapy?

All the issues I typically help people with:

• Anxiety / Worry
• Depression
• Eating/Weight Issues
• Pregnancy & Postpartum Mood Disorders
• Parenting Issues
• Relationship Difficulties
• Stress management and navigating life transitions

Therapy provides a means of helping you gain a different perspective and insight about what you are experiencing and Cognitive Therapy (CBT) gives you the tools to manage overwhelming emotions.

The important thing at the moment is that you are carving out some time to look after your own mental health. During times of stress, you are more able to deal with your own stress or issues with your family or spouse, if you take time for your own self-care.

Is Remote Therapy Confidential & Private?

Yes! I conduct remote sessions from my home office which is in separate area from the rest of my family so no one can overhear or interrupt our sessions. When we are no longer sheltering in place, I also conduct remote sessions from my Northbrook office.

I use a HIPAA compliant video conferencing platform that can work on wifi or cellular data which means it enables my clients to find a way to talk to me in whatever way they can, whether it is a place in their house where they won’t be disturbed (I don’t mind if the only place you can get a bit of privacy at the moment is in your bathroom or closet!) or they sit in their car in their garage or parking lot or go out for a walk.

Is Remote Therapy Covered By Insurance?

Although there are some variations depending what policy you have, most healthcare insurance plans provide coverage for teletherapy in the same way they cover in-office therapy.  I am out of network with all insurance companies and you can read more about my fees and how out of network insurance works, including questions to ask your insurance company before you start therapy on this page Dr. Allen’s Fees and Out of Network Insurance.

Is Remote Therapy As Good As In Office Therapy?

Yes! The American Psychological Association (APA) published an article stating that research demonstrates that psychotherapy delivered via the phone is as effective as the care delivered in person. A review of 13 studies found significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression when therapy was provided via telephone (Coughtrey and Pistrang, 2018) and the World Journal of Psychiatry concluded that there is a large evidence base that supports teletherapy being as effective as in office therapy.

How Do Remote Sessions Actually Work?

Head over to my website page all about remote counseling to read the practical information about the video platform and the forms that need to be completed before our first appointment Dr. Sarah Allen Teletherapy page. I have been conducting therapy remotely for many years with clients who live too far away to come to my Northbrook office or for their convenience i.e. someone has a new baby. During the pandemic I am only providing remote sessions until it is safe to meet in person again.

I want you to know that you are not alone in how you are feeling, and I am still here to help!

 

Dr. Sarah Allen has 25 years of experiencing providing therapy to individuals and couples, adults and teens. If you would like to read more about her areas of specialty and training visit her bio page.

If you have any questions at all, please contact her on the form below or by calling 847 791-7722.

 

Do you ever look in the mirror and focus on a particular body part you are unhappy about and then start to be hypercritical and notice and worry about other parts of your body too? You wish your bum wasn’t quite as big in those jeans and then you notice your thighs and the wrinkles on your knees and soon your negative, super critical thoughts are out of control. Here are three ways you can nix those negative thoughts and give a positive boost to your body image.

 

1. Get Grounded

Thoughts race from one thing to another because they are fueled by adrenaline. We think something negative about one part of the body and those thoughts spiral, increasing our anxiety about how we look until we can start to feel utterly hopeless about our whole body.

This simple grounding trick helps you get out of your brain and into your body so you can feel how strong and capable your body is. Start by standing up. Feel that negative energy fueled by those criticisms you are saying to yourself. Let the energy travel down from your brain, through your body and down through your legs and feet. Like roots of a tree the energy is connecting you to the floor. Feel how strong your legs are. Feel the energy coming down your arms and out of your fingertips, shake it out.  Be present in your body and breathe in slowly for the count of 4, hold for 4 and breathe out for 4.

For more grounding techniques read 7 Simple Grounding Techniques For Calming Down Quickly

 

Now that your brain isn’t racing, let’s take a calm look at those critical things you are saying to yourself and challenge their validity.

 

2. Stop That Critical Voice & Be Kind To Yourself

Try to notice what exactly you are saying to yourself when you are being critical about your body. You are probably being very harsh on yourself. You wouldn’t dream of saying those things to anyone else so why is it okay to talk to yourself that way?

Write down a list of your top-ten strengths: What do you like about yourself? What do you do well? Many people I work with find it hard to come up with a list of positive things about themselves, so I suggest they ask a couple of supportive friends to chime in too. Not just about how you look but who you are as a person. When you stop judging yourself so harshly, you begin to see your strengths, as well as your perceived flaws. Build up yourself-confidence by talking nicely to yourself and by reminding yourself of everything you have to offer the world is a powerful tool you can use to head of self-criticism.

 

3. Use Your Body To Trick Your Mind

Another way to get your body to influence your mind is to do the “Wonder Woman” stance, feet apart, hands on your hips , chin up and shoulders back. Smile! Tell yourself you are great. Louder, I didn’t hear you! That’s right, loud and clear, smile and tell yourself how great you are!

Ann Cuddy’s research on body language found that adopting a positive and strong body pose can actually subconsciously change the brain to give us a message that we are a confident person. It also reduces cortisol levels (the stress hormone)and so reduces stress levels. Cuddy’s research showed again and again that when people adopt an expansive confident stance they actually feel more confident and better about themselves.

To read more about the Wonder Woman stance click Presence – A Simple Way To Increase Confidence