Counseling - Oregon & Washington

Together we will face your fears and allow you to live the life you desire.

Teletherapy Set Up

Let’s get your space and your tech set up before your first online session. The information below will help you through the steps.

Creating Confidential Space

Things to consider:

  • Is the space private?
  • Can you lock the door?
    • If not, will others who have access to the space respect your request for privacy and not enter the room?
    • Can you/have you had a conversation with them?
    • Were they receptive?
  • Can others outside the room hear you talking?
    • If so, can you create white noise with a fan or other form of background noise? Preferably placed outside the doorway of the room you’re in.
    • Consider using headphones or earbuds so that your provider’s voice is kept private and is only hearable by you.
  • If you have a hard time finding confidential space, here are some examples that others have used. These are not ideal, but should be considered secondary choices. If you use any of these, please make sure that the space is comfortable for you. Bring in pillows, a comfy chair or anything that helps put you into a positive frame of mind.
  • Laundry Room
  • Basement
  • Attic
  • Your car parked in a safe, private spot. (We want to emphasize that private does not mean secluded. Please make sure you are in a safe location.)
  • Walk-In-Closet

 

Technical Setup

  • A laptop or desktop computer are ideal — preferably the biggest screen size that you have available to you.
  • If you’re using a tablet or phone, please prop up the device so that it is stable and that the camera is about level with your eyes.
  • Please make sure that you’re well-lit and don’t have a bright light source directly behind you.
    • It’s critical to our success that we can see and hear one another clearly.
  • Clear Your Internet Browser and close any programs which use your Internet connection.
  • Be sure to move your computer as close as you can to your WiFi router. 
    • If you have a weak signal plug your computer directly into the router with an ethernet cable.
  • There are speed check sites available online to test internet connection speed. I use this one: https://speedtest.xfinity.com/ (For a comparison my speed is 324mbps, which is fast)
    •  internet connection requirements: If you are using your Cell phone be connected to 3G/4G/LTE. If you’re using a MAC or PC you need a Minimum bandwidth is 600kbps (upload/download speed) and recommended is 1.5 Mbps. The faster your Internet speed the less likely we will encounter any issues.