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I've been thinking this past week about how a large-scale infectious disease outbreak, such as appears likely with our current Coronavirus, might affect psychotherapists' private practices.

I've been surprised by how many clients come into my office with sniffles and worse. It is cold and flu season, but now many clients nervously mention their sniffles and some are much more careful to not infect others in the office.

It strikes me that teletherapy would be fine for most (70%) of the work I do. Getting ready now to provide teletherapy may make sense.

There are a number of articles about how the general population can prepare for the increase in COVID-19 cases, such as this article: https://www.nytimes.com/article/prepare-for-coronavirus.html.

Synthesizing what I've read, here are what I'm seeing as the key points for private practice folks:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. You can use hand sanitizer if your hands aren't dirty.
  • Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze with the crook of your arm.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • If you are sick, stay home unless you are leaving to see a medical doctor.
  • Get a flu shot, if you haven't already.
  • You may not want to use face masks unless you are already sick, have a compromised immune system, or are in regular contact with sick people.  (Good quality masks appear to now be very expensive and in short supply.)
  • Keep at a distance from sick people. (The safe distance is often described as 3 to 6 feet, which is how far large droplets travel. This article -- https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/eyes-ears-nose-throat/how-far-does-a-sneeze-travel/ -- suggests that fine droplets may travel 19 to 26 feet, or even 200 feet, and at great speed. So, the advice to stand away from sick people may not be realistic.)
  • Prepare a plan and communicate it to your clients.
  • Stock up on any supplies your business might need in the event that shopping or supply chains are interrupted. (This may also apply to essential food and water. Already, an office device I had ordered is on indefinite delay because COVID-19 has caused manufacturing and supply problems in China. Face masks, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper may also be in short supply.)
  • Realize that only about 2% of people who catch COVID-19 die, but be especially careful if you or any your clients likely have weakened immune systems.

I'm very aware that a post like this could be viewed as fear-mongering. That's not my intention. Our goal should be to be able to offer ongoing psychotherapy services while also doing what we can to help our clients and ourselves remain healthy.

Please send me an email if you have comments or additional suggestions!

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We are designed to feel anxiety. Anxiety is protective because it helps us survive by warning us of dangers.

Everyone experiences anxiety, although some of us get so anxious that we wonder if we can handle it. And sometimes our anxiety may be unreliable, giving us false alerts.

Luckily, there are a number of relatively simple, effective, and inexpensive ways to deal with anxiety. ...continue reading →

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If you're experiencing chronic pain, you already know how terribly debilitating it can be. This video shows how one person gets relief from severe chronic pain with Infra-Low Frequency Neurofeedback.

Many forms of neurofeedback are also effective for migraines and some types of headache.

...continue reading →
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Anyone who has struggled with an addiction will tell you that addictions are very difficult to beat. Even those who desperately want to quit may go to rehab multiple times before succeeding.

For over three decades, neurofeedback successfully helped reduce cravings and resolve any underlying issues that may be driving addictive behavior. In a 1989 study of veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder, 80% of clients were able to remain sober for at least 18 months. Most of the clients also were able to eliminate their PTSD symptoms. ...continue reading →

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Mental health providers and other professionals often talk about a child or adult's "dysregulation" and "self-regulation," but these terms are often left undefined. A 2017 summary and the 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services help define self-regulation and show the complex social, biological, and environmental factors involved in development of self-regulation.

The summary defines self-regulation as "the act of managing one’s thoughts and feelings to engage in goal-directed actions such as organizing behavior, controlling impulses, and solving problems constructively."

Components of self-regulation
Self-regulation is a term that refers to a number of essential capabilities for successful human functioning.

Being able to self-regulate helps us succeed in many aspects of life, including creating satisfying relationships, tolerating difficulty, prospering in school and work, managing finances, and maintaining physical and mental health. Self-regulation is a critical life skill. ...continue reading →

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If you're wondering how to motivate your child or teen to do their school work, you're not alone. Many parents struggle with this.

An article on motivation noted how difficult it is to motivate kids to do their school work.

That article describes several approaches for encouraging others to change their behavior:

  • economic incentives - rewards that appeal to self-interest,
  • moral or social incentives - pressure to follow social norms for the common good, and
  • intrinsic incentives - being motivated by one's own inner desires.

Behavioral methods often begin with economic or moral incentives, but ideally culminate with the student learning to work for internal or intrinsic incentives.
...continue reading →

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