
Distance Work
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of Telehealth – video or telephone meetings – in psychotherapy. Currently, all my appointments are via a secure Telehealth platform.
Although it remains unclear what is lost when therapist and client are not together in the same physical space, I am not inclined to focus solely on what is lost. I’ve been conducting spiritual companioning sessions by video for more than a decade, with people from east to west coast, and many states in between, and -- despite a technology glitch every now and then – have been pleased at how well this works.
Currently, it is not possible to practice psychotherapy across state lines, and I think this is wise. Although psychiatric emergencies are rare in my practice, they occasionally occur, and I would not feel comfortable responding to an emergency if a patient lives far from where I practice.
That noted, for those who live outside of Illinois and would like to work particularly with me – usually this has something to do with my being a priest and an analyst – I am open to exploring this IF we mutually discern a spiritual (typically spiritual companioning or direction) rather than psychotherapeutic form of working together.