Our therapists provide online therapy in Bethlehem, PA

Erin: I work from a cognitive behavioral approach to help individuals assess the evidence for their thoughts and explore how these thoughts impact the way they feel. I also utilize mindfulness techniques to help clients learn to identify what they are thinking, feeling, and experiencing in the here and now to enhance awareness and emotional regulation. Finally, I utilize behavioral activation techniques to help clients break down their goals into manageable steps and create reward patterns to reinforce progress made over time.

Jami: My go-to approach for helping people in online therapy is making sure we build a strong relationship and connection first, as it can sometimes be harder to feel that warmth over online therapy, so this is extra important. I find the best benefit in taking a couple of sessions post-intake to really get to know the client before fully jumping into treatment goals because it helps us have a clear idea of where we've come from and where we're heading.

Erin: In therapy, I teach about the following:

• Identifying distorted thinking patterns
• The stages of change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance
• Reframing interpretations
• Challenging inaccurate core beliefs
• Mindfulness techniques
• Emotional regulation techniques
• Thinking through the consequences
• Practicing gratitude
• Reflecting on progress made
• Setting boundaries
• Growth vs. fixed mindsets
• Noticing and accepting
• Exposure and desensitizing

Jami: I teach the following tools in online therapy:

• Self-reflection: Learning how to really stop, clear out the noise, and listen to your body, feelings, and inner self gives you a clearer picture of the “problem” or goal at hand.
• Healthy coping skills: Healthy outlets for stress and handling intense emotions, outlets that don't put us deeper into negative cycles with a well-rounded focus on the whole self — mind, body, soul — help you heal effectively.
• Communication and boundaries: Boundaries are so crucial to healthy, happy relationships with yourself and others. We need strong communication skills to be able to share these boundaries effectively.

Erin: I know a client is making meaningful progress in a number of ways. One, I can tell by how they are talking about their experiences. Clients begin naturally reframing and improving the accuracy of their interpretations. Two, meaningful progress is made when clients report that they are feeling better overall for a consistent period of time. Three, meaningful progress is made when they are following through on intentional changes that produce real improvements to their quality of life.

Jami: I know a client is making meaningful progress in online therapy when they come with their own insights, they're actively and independently deploying the skills we've covered in sessions successfully, and they report feeling better equipped to tackle their life goals.

Erin: Clients can supplement their time in therapy by exploring additional resources that support their therapeutic agenda such as reading books and listening to podcasts. It is also helpful when clients journal to track what they are experiencing day to day in order to provide accurate information on the experiences they are having and any changes that may take place between sessions.

Jami: In their personal time, clients can supplement online therapy by journaling, practicing applying what was discussed in sessions, and keeping a log throughout the week of things that happened that would be important to bring up in their next session.

Erin: To prepare for your first therapy session, you can think about what you would like to work towards in your sessions and what you are hoping to get out of the experience. Most importantly though, therapy welcomes you as you are! In terms of online preparation, it is important to make sure that you have a safe, comfortable, and private location without distractions for the therapy sessions. You also will want to check to make sure that your wifi connection is stable and that you have practiced with the online platform in order to easily sign on for the session when it's time.

Jami: To prepare for your first online therapy session, I'd make sure you have good internet connection, establish a private calm space to complete your session in, and disconnect from distractions.