An increasing number of therapists are having to – at least temporarily – take their practice online by offering online counselling sessions during the Covid-19 outbreak. If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend you read my previous article (Therapists: Safeguard your private practice during the coronavirus outbreak) where I talk about specific platforms/software and resources for transitioning to providing online counselling services. 

One of the main challenges for therapists when they start out with online counselling is getting comfortable and confident with the idea, and also being able to instil confidence in their clients by providing a secure and smooth process. 

With that in mind, here is a simple checklist that will take you from pre to post-session with ease and help you to avoid any stress or rushing about, technical issues or distractions. 

Preparation

Start your preparation in the morning or night before.

  • Review your diary/schedule for the day ahead
  • Schedule the heating to come on
  • Charge your laptop and any backup devices, such as your mobile phone or tablet
  • Make sure your devices and anti-virus software are updated and/or not scheduled to update during your session times
  • Send out appointment links to your clients

Before the Session

Make sure you have everything ready on the day.

  • Gather any items you might need (see the separate list I’ve put together below)
  • Check the temperature and lighting in the room. 
  • Restart your laptop/computer 
  • Shut down or quit any programmes you don’t need during your session, such as Skype, Word, Dropbox etc.
  • Check your emails and messages and put your phone on silent so nothing will distract you during your session
  • Let everyone else in the office/house know not to disturb you. (You might also want to ensure they know not to go heavy on the internet use!)
  • Tend to your pets so they won’t distract you
  • Allow time to read your previous session notes

DOWNLOAD A FREE PRINTABLE COPY OF THIS CHECKLIST

Items to have at hand during the session

  • Pen
  • Notepad
  • Diary
  • Client notes
  • Earphones/Headphones
  • External microphone
  • A glass of water
  • Tissues
  • Your glasses
  • Suitable cushions

I hope you find this checklist helpful, and if you did please don’t forget to share it with your network. 

Think there’s something I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments! 

Need Help?

In light of the current outbreak, I am offering FREE 15-minute calls to anyone who would like to discuss their business or processes. During this difficult time, I am happy to give free advice where I can and signpost to suitable resources where possible.

In addition to the free calls, I’m currently offering, Koala VA is still very much open for business and available to provide all of the support and services you need. 

I normally only advertise the services I love the very most, but these are exceptional times and I am perfectly positioned (and experienced) to provide support in all areas of your business, including:

  • Social Media Management and Scheduling
  • General Admin
  • Book Formatting
  • Online Course Creation
  • Diary Management
  • Creating Processes and Procedures 
  • Document Creation and Editing
  • Email Template Creation
  • Website Maintenance
  • ‘Techie’ Stuff
  • Finding Information and Researching
  • Data Entry
  • Making Calls and Writing Emails

Book in a FREE 15-minute call (even if you could just do with a coffee and a natter) and let’s see how we can work together to get through this together. 

Even if you’re not a therapist but are in need of extra help at the moment, I’d love to help.

Koala VA’s mission is to make social media simple for therapists. Through our social media packages, we help ambitious and busy professionals like you find more time in the day so you can feel more in control of your business and do more of what you love!

Wish your social media was simpler? Check out our packages.

P.S. While you’re here, don’t forget to join the Koala Tribe on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram