Counseling Center

Finding a private location for therapy

If you do not live alone, it can be challenging to find a private, secure place for video or phone communication with your counselor. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Talk in your parked car or the parked car of a friend or relative.
  2. Use a yard, patio, or other relatively private outdoor area.
  3. Call from a bathroom or walk-in closet.
  4. If you are working outside your residence, use a private room at your place of work if one is available.
  5. If you live with people who are supportive and understanding, consider asking them to stay in another room or go for a walk so you can have privacy during the session.
  6. If you have a private room but are concerned that other people could overhear you, it may help to:
    1. If you can, wear headphones with a microphone built in so others cannot hear what the counselor says and so you can hold the microphone close to your mouth for the counselor to hear you without you needing to speak very loudly.
    2. Put a towel or blanket along the bottom of the door to add soundproofing.
    3. Play “white noise” or other background sounds near the door of the room. You can use a white noise machine or an app that has white noise or nature sounds.

 

If accessing a private, secure place to talk with a counselor remotely is a challenge, please let us know when you schedule your appointment. We can help you problem solve how to find some privacy for your first secure zoom meeting.  At that first meeting, we can discuss whether texting intervention could be a good fit for your concerns.  We can also explore whether other options might be available for you.