Online Therapy in Wisconsin
Online Therapy in WI is not for the faint of heart.
Therapy is actually quite misunderstood. Often people think that therapy is for people who aren’t strong enough or smart enough to suck it up and feel better. In fact the opposite is true: the strongest people come to therapy.
You have to be really strong in order to face hard things.
Therapy is where you look really closely at what has hurt you and what you’re terrified of. It’s completely vulnerable. And it takes a lot of strength to be vulnerable.
You need the right
support.
Without an environment that holds you up, you could end up feeling more hurt, terrified, and shut down. If you share your fears with someone and you feel dismissed, invalidated, misunderstood - or worse yet ridiculed - that only intensifies your hurt.
You need to feel like you can
breathe a sigh of relief with your online therapist.
You and your online therapist need to click. There are lots of good therapists out there. (And by “good” I mean therapists who do their own inner work, who prioritize tending to themselves, and who participate in ongoing consultation and education.) And, being a “good” therapist doesn’t mean they are the right therapist for you.
Online therapy widens the possibilities of choice when you’re looking for a therapist. Is something lost when you’re not in the same room for therapy? Yes. I’m not going to tell you online is the same. And, I will tell you that it’s worth doing. Before the pandemic there are at least 10 people I told that you would never catch me doing online therapy. I was staunchly committed to the real deal. (And, well, a bit inflexible.) But after having seen the real benefits that my clients have seen with online therapy, never having met me in person - I will tell you that it does work.
Depression Counseling
Feel Alive Again
You know what alive feels like. You’re just not feeling it now. It’s possible to get there again.
Counseling for Anxiety
Nurture your Resilience
The wind doesn’t have to knock you over every time a storm comes.
HSP Therapy
Connect with your strengths
Brimming with empathy, reflective and intuitive - you’d like to live in a way that doesn’t leave you depleted.
Why would I want to do online therapy in Wisconsin?
Choice
By expanding your search for a therapist to the entire state, you have more people to choose from.
Anonymity
Whether it’s not wanting to be seen in the waiting room or not wanting to run into your therapist in the produce aisle, online therapy increases privacy.
Flexibility
You can meet in your comfy pants at home or in the office, with no traffic. Even if it’s just driving across town, sometimes that is enough to make you put off making an appointment.
5 Tips on How to make the most of your Online Therapy in Wisconsin
Make the most of your online therapy in WI Tip #1:
Create a private space for your online therapy session
Therapy is a place where you will talk about really vulnerable things. You want to prepare for this and make sure you’re not worrying about who can hear you during session. If you live with other people, talk with them about your need to not be disturbed during online therapy sessions so you can both plan accordingly. Running a fan or white noise machine outside the room can help. (And, running a fan in the same room with you means that you may talk louder, and doesn’t drown out any noise for people outside your room. You can experiment.)
Make the most of your online therapy in WI Tip #2:
Power up your device before your telehealth therapy appointment
You want as few distractions as possible during session, so make sure you’re either plugged into a power source or powered up enough to get you through the session.
Make the most of your online therapy in WI Tip #3:
Make sure you have a strong internet connection for virtual therapy
You’ll need at least 10mbps for the video appointment, and keeping your device and browser updated will minimize connection problems. Using your car (not while driving of course!) can work in a pinch, but make sure the place you choose has strong enough cell service to work, and that your phone plan has adequate data.
Make the most of your online therapy in WI Tip #4:
Be comfortable, and protect your space during your online therapy appointment
If you’ve worked from home you may have perfected the work mullet. One of the advantages to working with an online therapist from your home is that you can wear your comfy pants and be in your own favorite chair. Something different from in-person therapy is the fact that if you’re going to your therapist’s office, you use that office for only one thing, your therapy. This is a built-in separation from the rest of your life. If you are at home, you are likely using whatever space you choose for more than just your therapy. This doesn’t mean therapy from home isn’t possible, it just means you might want to think about how to protect the space you choose. You’ll want to feel emotionally separated from what you do in that space the rest of the time. It could be as simple as taking a walk before and after session, or turning your computer a slightly different direction, or wearing a different sweater or using a different mug. It doesn’t have to be perfect before you start but rather something you can be aware of as you go along and adjust as needed.
Make the most of your online therapy in WI Tip #5:
Silence your phone and notifications during your telehealth therapy session
One of my massage therapists had a sign on her wall that said, “Silence your phone - this is your time.” The same holds true for online counseling. You will be the most present to yourself with the fewest possible distractions. Whether you’re using a computer, tablet or phone to meet with your online counselor, take the time to silence your notifications during sessions. Making the effort to be present to yourself might be uncomfortable at first but will pay off.
I provide online therapy throughout Wisconsin, including Madison, Verona, Fitchburg, Milwaukee, Oconomowoc and Appleton.
My psychotherapy practice is based in Madison, WI. I also provide online therapy in Massachusetts, telehealth therapy in Washington, DC, depression counseling, therapy for anxiety, and HSP therapy. Learn more about me and my approach here!