Building Trust in Telehealth Therapy: The Journey to Connection

Building Connections: The Journey to Unconditional Love in Telehealth Therapy

Whether you’re preparing to begin therapy for the first time, starting sessions after considering treatment for some time, or finding yourself unexpectedly in need of mental health support, you may experience a wide range of emotions. Beginning therapy can be a significant decision that reshapes your perspective and future. Preparing for your first telehealth session can feel overwhelming, but doing so may make the therapeutic process easier to navigate once you’ve begun.

During this time, it’s normal to experience concerns about opening up to a therapist, affording mental healthcare, handling video technology and scheduling, possible diagnosis disclosure, wondering how you’ll function during emotional sessions, and all the other basic expectations of the therapeutic relationship. Another worry that new therapy clients sometimes experience is whether they will be able to form a meaningful bond with their therapist through a screen.

Starting therapy and building the therapeutic alliance

Beginning therapy can be a complex experience involving many changes to your routine and the need to prepare for the transformations that will happen as treatment progresses. There can be many adjustments to your schedule, mindset, and comfort level that may cause overwhelm or stress.

The start of therapy can bring a range of strong emotions

Those who have been planning to seek help may feel immediate relief from the very beginning when they complete their initial intake assessment or schedule their first appointment. Clients who tend to be naturally open and have previous experience with therapy may immediately feel comfortable and have no trouble growing attached to the therapeutic relationship developing through their video sessions.

For clients who may not have planned to enter therapy but find themselves needing support due to unexpected life stressors and transitions, the transition to becoming a therapy client may feel intimidating at first. They may consider different treatment options or research first-time therapy experiences to understand how to get the most from their sessions.

Your feelings about therapy may change throughout

You may have no experience opening up to a mental health professional at any point in your life, and the weight of vulnerability might seem overwhelming. But as the weeks pass and your therapy becomes more established, you may start to grow more comfortable with your therapist and feel more at ease with the idea of telehealth sessions.

It may feel challenging as therapy begins to make things like confronting difficult emotions or changing established patterns far more complicated than before. Still, many therapy clients find that the supportive presence of their therapist during the process eases the stress. Many even find themselves looking forward to their sessions.

Therapists respond to more than just your words

Your therapist will likely be attuned to your communication patterns, and may sometimes even notice shifts in your mood or demeanor that you haven’t yet articulated. They may respond to your verbal expressions, your body language visible through video, and the patterns of engagement you demonstrate throughout your sessions.

Tracking therapy progress

ReachLink’s platform offers numerous tools, some built into your regular sessions and some as supplementary resources, that may help you track your progress while you’re in therapy and offer you suggestions on how to discuss certain topics with your therapist to ensure all concerns have been addressed; that way, you can ensure your mental health journey is as productive as possible.

For moments between sessions when you need support, there are journaling and mood tracking features within the ReachLink system to help you keep track of emotional patterns and breakthrough moments. These tools may help you determine what to bring up in your next session as the frequency and intensity of those feelings begin to indicate areas for therapeutic focus.

Ways to strengthen the therapeutic relationship in telehealth

Clients may worry about forming a connection with their therapist since they aren’t meeting in person. They may feel disconnected from the process. However, research shows that therapeutic relationships formed through telehealth can be just as effective and meaningful as those developed in traditional settings.

Clients may strengthen their therapeutic relationship by being open with their therapist through their secure video connection. Clients can share their concerns honestly, express their therapy goals clearly, and might choose to prepare discussion points before sessions to make the most of their time together.

Once therapy is established, the initial awkwardness of telehealth takes weeks to fade, although clients can begin to feel comfortable when engaging fully, such as during emotionally significant moments in session.

Therapeutic relationships begin with initial hesitation, but as with all meaningful connections, it can take time for the client to learn to trust the process. However, your therapist is trained to create a safe space even through video sessions, and you might find yourself developing a strong therapeutic alliance despite the digital format.

Building a strong telehealth therapeutic relationship

Here are some ways that you might enhance your telehealth therapy experience with ReachLink:

• Educate yourself on the therapy process and the experiences you might go through weekly during treatment.
• Prepare your space before sessions to ensure privacy and comfort.
• Research and read literature about getting the most from telehealth therapy.
• Give yourself support to stay engaged. For example, you may set reminders for sessions and ensure you have time to decompress afterward.
• Take on a more significant role in your treatment by completing recommended between-session activities.
• Utilize ReachLink’s educational resources about your specific concerns.
• Learn about therapeutic approaches to feel prepared for different techniques your therapist might use.

Your therapist will appreciate your engagement and commitment, and studies have shown that therapy outcomes improve when clients actively participate in the therapeutic process and utilize the support available between sessions.

Trust, vulnerability, and growth in the therapeutic process

Once you’ve begun regular sessions with your ReachLink therapist, clients without previous therapy experience may feel overwhelmed by the vulnerability required to make meaningful progress.

How will you know what to talk about when you’re feeling stuck? How often should you be practicing new coping skills? Do you share everything or just the highlights? Are you making enough progress? How do you know if a technique is working properly? What’s normal in therapy? What’s not? It may seem like a lot to navigate that can vary on an individual basis depending upon your specific needs.

However, you’re not alone. Many clients struggle with the therapy process, especially if it’s their first experience, and many feel unsure what to expect at first. ReachLink provides many resources to help you understand the therapeutic journey, including educational materials, skill-building exercises, and progress tracking tools. Some resources may be available directly through your therapist, and some may be accessible through the ReachLink platform.

ReachLink helps you keep track of your therapeutic journey

Once you’ve established regular sessions, you might choose to use ReachLink’s tracking features to help with monitoring your mood patterns and skill practice to ensure you’re meeting the goals you’ve set with your therapist. If something seems concerning, the platform may provide resources or encourage you to bring specific topics up with your therapist so that you can discuss any worries you may have.

ReachLink’s resource library also carries materials about various mental health concerns and treatment approaches. Some of these resources describe what to expect at different stages of therapy and which milestones might indicate progress in your specific situation.

Even if you feel inexperienced with or concerned about whether you’re “doing therapy right,” your progress won’t be hindered if you take time to figure things out and learn how to be a client and therapist team together. Building trust with a therapist is a process that can take time, but your therapist is trained to help guide this development.

Many clients have a harder time opening up in therapy than broader culture might suggest

Some people may find they have difficulty being vulnerable with their therapist, which is something that happens frequently in therapeutic relationships. People who are experiencing this challenge can do several things to help strengthen the connection, like being honest about their hesitation, ensuring their own comfort needs are met during sessions, and spending time reflecting between appointments on what they hope to address next.

Therapeutic trust doesn’t always develop automatically

For many clients, factors like previous negative experiences with healthcare providers, cultural stigma around mental health, or fear of judgment can create barriers to forming a strong therapeutic relationship. For telehealth specifically, technical difficulties, distractions in the home environment, or technical interruptions can further challenge the development of trust and emotional openness. However, these obstacles can often be addressed proactively by maintaining clear communication with your therapist, setting boundaries around your environment to minimize distractions, and troubleshooting technology issues ahead of time. Therapists understand these challenges and work collaboratively with clients to create the most supportive and effective telehealth experience possible.

Ultimately, building a trusting therapeutic relationship is a foundational element of successful treatment, whether conducted in person or via telehealth. It requires patience, honesty, and commitment from both the client and therapist. With the support of ReachLink’s comprehensive tools and resources, clients are empowered to engage actively in their mental health journey and navigate the complexities of therapy with confidence.

By embracing vulnerability and fostering open communication, clients can develop meaningful connections that lead to lasting growth and healing. Telehealth therapy offers a flexible and accessible way to access care without compromising the quality of the therapeutic alliance. Remember, every step you take in therapy is a step toward a stronger, more resilient you.