Update: I moved offices!
On March 1st of this year, I moved my physical office to 9990 Fairfax Boulevard, Suite 100 in Fairfax, Virginia. My new digs are barely one mile away from my last office. A positive point is that I was happy in my last place, and I am really liking my new work digs, too. I am still seeing clients in person and/or remotely.
If you see (or plan to see) me in person, please take note of this change! The rest of my contact information - work phone, email, etc. - are still the same. All the details can be found on the “Contact” page of my website. If you see (or plan to see) me remotely, well, still this is good to know.
I kept an office because, well, it works for me. Many therapists have moved to a totally virtual office, and if that works for them and their clients, that’s great. But I’m still keeping the combination of old-school/traditional work in-person while offering teletherapy, too. I have worked well with an office and I still want that for myself. I like the hybrid option.
Which has me thinking that there are pros and cons to seeing me in-person versus remote.
Let’s start with in-person therapy.
The biggest con of in-person sessions is, for most people, that they have to physically commute to get here. That can take extra time and effort, and for some people it is much easier and more practical to see me via teletherapy. This can be especially helpful when there is inclement weather and at least one of us cannot make it to my physical office.
The biggest pro is that your time with me is more likely to be very focused and your privacy far better contained. Yes, sometimes things can happen at an office, like the occasional fire drill or local issue, but that is pretty rare. Also, there are some therapy methods, such as somatic experiencing, which are easier for us to work on when we are able to see and experience each other in person.
The pros of teletherapy: Not having to commute. For some people it is much easier and more practical to see me via teletherapy. This can be especially helpful when your location is far from mine or when there is inclement weather and at least one of us cannot make it to my physical office.
The biggest con of remote or teletherapy sessions is that you may not have the same level of contained privacy. That means you may be subject to more interruptions from other people and things in your environment, like kids, pets, spouses or other roommates/guests that are nearby, doorbells, and so forth. The second biggest con is connectivity issues - if servers or or wifi are down, or the connect is poor for whatever reason, that can make for an interrupted or choppy session. And here is one that most people don’t know: Licensing laws on teletherapy mean that I can only provide therapy for people in the State where I am licensed, which, for now, is Virginia. And therapy happens where the client is at the time of service. So if you want to do a remote session from DC or Maryland, or another state, it is not possible right now, but you can see me if you come into the office.
These are things to keep in mind when seeking therapy. Bear in mind your personal situation. Here is a checklist for deciding whether to do virtual or in-person sessions:
Do you feel you can speak comfortably and privately where you are, if your sessions are online? If someone is nearby and you are worried about what they might hear, that could impede you from getting the most out of our sessions.
Will your environment allow you to focus on your session? If kids or other people there are likely to keep coming in and distracting or interrupting you, you might want to come in so you can focus on our session.
Do you have a good, reliable internet connection?
Are you able to be in Virginia for our sessions?
If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, teletherapy is probably a good option.
On the other hand, if you can make time to come in person regularly, if you prefer to focus, privacy, change of scene, and opportunity to do more intensive somatic work if indicated, in-person therapy is a good option.
Whichever way you decide to do therapy, I am here for it! Just give me a call or fill out my email contact form on this website, and we can get started.
