Hello all,
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate the rapidly developing changes to our collective way of life. I too have felt unsettled by these recent events and the widespread impact on our families and communities. All of us have had to make major adjustments and sacrifices: canceled vacations, missing family and friends, being laid off from work, being sick or fearing illness, dealing with boredom and anxiety.
Effective Monday 3/23 at 8pm, Connecticut is enforcing “Stay Safe, Stay Home” rules. Only absolutely necessary public facilities (grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, and the like) will be permitted to operate. Because telehealth is now available, we will not be able to provide in-person office visits until the order is lifted, which may be several weeks. Most insurance companies have temporarily lifted resteictions around telehealth, and many are allowing telephone sessions for those without internet. All services will be provided via secure video or telephone until further notice. Secure video is the preferred method, as it allows the closest “equivalent” to sitting together in the office.
Over the past weeks, in anticipation of this possibility, MANY hours have been spent learning and preparing for this “new-to-us” way of doing therapy through video. While it is different, I am deeply grateful that this technology exists, and that governments and insurance regulators have made it possible for therapists to continue providing mental health services during this national crisis. We all need some extra support during physical social distancing; thankfully, losing our connection to therapy is one of many stressors that we can now avoid.
Some creative people have shared their solutions to privacy issues, since the whole household might be at home now:
- Use headphones!! If your headphones have a built-in microphone, you can talk very quietly and still be heard clearly.
- Sit in the car outside the house
- Find a spot on a different floor of the house from the others
- Go to a bedroom, the basement, or even a large closet or laundry room (bring a light with you)
- Put a speaker with music or a TV show playing between you and the rest of the family members; have others also listen to their media with their own headphones to respect your privacy
- Put towels or a blanket in front of the door to muffle the sound of conversation
We are all in this together, and we will continue to adjust and adapt together. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Continued good health and peace to you and your families,
Katy
Undivided Soul Counseling 