The patient sees himself in the video consultation: when it is necessary-PsyCare

20 Feb

When is it done? online psychology a is made parallel reality to the one that is realized in presence and which poses a new perplexity. We have moved fromTo be or not to be? (Shakespeare, 1600) al To see or not to see?(video calls, 2021).

Currents of thought, as often happens, follow two parallel tracks; the point of arrival is, however, common: yes should be able to choose, evaluating case by case, indeed it is fundamental to be able to choose.

Choose whether the patient should be seen or not, as well as choosing the invitation text to the videoconsulto.

For professionals who practice online therapy, therefore, this need is a daily one, and until now, it hasn’t been possible to manage it. It’s important, however, that they have the ability to define this type of setting based on the patient and the therapeutic path they will follow..

Does the patient need to see each other during an online session?

The meeting with the patient during the videoconsulto It’s always a delicate moment, and the therapist knows it. Each patient, depending on their history, their way of being and approaching situations, and even the encounter itself with the therapist, will approach and present themselves differently. The therapist is, therefore, first and foremost, the one who knows how best to arrange and manage the encounter. In some cases, this happens without these considerations being shared with the patient.

On the one hand, therefore, there is the will to recreate the studio environment, where the patient normally does not see himself unless placed in front of a mirror.
On the other hand, many patients are used to video calling programs in which they see themselves and, therefore, they would find an environment without their image being displayed on a special screen.

Managing the session online with a patient, however, it is not configured as a video call with a friend or as a work call with a colleague, but as a videoconsulto:. SI am undergoing therapy and operating in the telemedicine sphere, which has nothing to do with the social platforms that we all use on a daily basis..

So, why not leave it up to the therapist to decide?

Is the online setting customizable?

In PsyCare Yes! The therapist finally has the possibility to manage this type of setting in relation to the new setting, which is configured in a different environment: it is thesetting online. A setting that, in PsyCare, has been configured and structured around the needs of users, to the full advantage of the quality of the encounter and the therapy.

By accessing the waiting room of each of his patients, the therapist will have access to a set of exclusive settings for the patient also selected with regard to the setting of the videoconsulto (which the patient can never access and which, unless shared with the therapist, he may not even know about).
In this section dedicated to settings, the therapist can define one of two alternatives:

the patient sees himself in a part of the screen during the video session
the patient does NOT see himself during the video session.

This type of setup defines a setting that is clearly distinct from what could be created using a common video calling platform. The patient is Like this given due consideration and feels put in the foreground: and so the online meeting becomes therapy.

If you need further information, you can also consult the dedicated page in our support: Customizing the online setting.

Online therapy tools

The core principle of “looking at oneself” is self-exposure. It’s about facing the physical strengths and weaknesses we might have, and more. It means accepting who we are; an acceptance that, clearly, comes from the awareness that we cannot change certain parts of ourselves.Accepting doesn’t mean giving up, but it does mean becoming aware that some things are meant to stay that way. It means making room for awareness.

So, to meet or not to meet? It would be best, as always, to make a virtue of necessity.
There are numerous studies on the subject that, starting from different assumptions, reach a shared conclusion: we must be able to choose.