Dear Friends,

TI is gifted with a range of great mental health therapists - those currently seeing patients (at low fees) as part of our advanced training track, those who have graduated from the program, and those that now teach, supervise and/or serve as directors in various capacities at the agency.

To this end, we are starting a new series - Dear Therapist? - to mine the wisdom and experience of these dedicated and talented professionals on trending mental health topics.

To start, we asked Delverlon Hall, Jason Kurtz, and Alan Steinberg to share thoughts on the emergence of Telehealth (virtual, digital) therapy during the pandemic, how this treatment compares and contrast to in-person care, and what they see in the future regarding these methodologies.

Delverlon Hall, Director of Couples Therapy

I believe the pandemic has brought us so much loss and division. I believe it's also created opportunities for growth and new ways of doing things. We've been challenged in ways in which we could not imagine. I believe we've also been able to see what we are capable of. I see this in my practice. My clients have readily embraced this new remote platform.

Telehealth has created opportunities to be there for clients no matter where they are in the world. I can now meet clients in their childhood homes, on vacation or in their office after a long day of work. I've also been able to witness real vulnerability and self exploration during this time. I do feel the comfort of home has made a difference in how some of my clients show up. I feel I see more authenticity. My takeaway from this pandemic is that we are all so resourceful, our client's are incredibly resourceful.

Delverlon Hall's Website

Jason Kurtz, Supervisor, Former Director of Training

There are a lot of differences between in person vs digital therapy. Some are good and some are less so. I believe the major difference is that the interpersonal connection is stronger in person. There's something more abstract and distant with digital therapy.  It still works well, but the strength of connection is not the same. 

Sadly, I do think the pandemic has changed therapy forever. On the positive side, clients won't be limited by geography when they try to find a good therapeutic match. On the other hand, I think we are all now so used to doing this digitally, that many clients will no longer want to spend the time to travel to in person sessions, even if they live near their therapist. I do think that some clients will make the effort to come in, but I don't think there will be very many who want to come in weekly. In order for therapists to even offer in person therapy, there needs to be a sufficient demand from clients to come in person, and right now I don't see it. I hope I'll be proven wrong.

Jason Kurtz's Website

Alan Steinberg, Director of Admissions
Many of my patients like the convenience of meeting remotely. However, some have to create a private space at home or at work for our sessions and that can be difficult. Some need to leave their apartments and walk outdoors or sit in their cars while we have the session. In some respects, meeting remotely introduces a level of intimacy that wasn't there before. My patients introduce me to their pets, their children as they walk by, their partners too. They are often sitting up on their bed, I see their bedrooms, their pillows, their possessions, how they decorate their rooms, etc. In a video session, most patients situate themselves close to their devices so I have a close up of their face, as they do mine. So while I cannot observe much of their non-verbal behaviors, I do have a bigger than life view of their face and facial expressions. Although I am meeting with my patients every day, albeit remotely, I feel isolated from my suite mates, colleagues and friends. I have not found any consistent differences between in-person and digital sessions in terms of the quality and depth of treatment. At least a few times a week, sessions are somewhat compromised by poor audio reception.

Alan Steinberg on Psychology Today