Our therapists provide online therapy in Cedar Park, TX

My go-to approach for helping people in online therapy is a person-centered approach. I enjoy this approach, along with others, as it helps create a unique and genuine experience with each individual. I want my client to feel heard, supported, and encouraged to use their own abilities and strengths to take control of their lives and make meaningful changes.

I teach the following tools in online therapy:

• Cognitive restructuring: Helping clients identify and challenge negative thought patterns.
• Behavioral activation: Encouraging clients to engage in activities that improve their mood.
• Mindfulness meditation: Teaching clients to focus on the present moment without judgment.
• Deep breathing exercises: Techniques to help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
• Identifying and labeling emotions: Helping clients become aware of their emotional states.
• Effective communication: Teaching assertiveness and active listening skills.
• Boundary setting: Helping clients establish and maintain healthy boundaries in relationships.
• Conflict resolution: Strategies to manage and resolve conflicts constructively.
• Journaling: Encouraging clients to keep a journal to track thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
• Providing information: Educating clients about their specific mental health issues, treatment options, and coping strategies.
• Resource sharing: Offering articles, videos, and other educational materials relevant to the client's needs.
• SMART goals: Helping clients set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals.
• Action plans: Creating step-by-step plans to achieve short-term and long-term goals.
• Anxiety management: Techniques such as grounding exercises and worry time.
• Depression management: Strategies like activity scheduling and positive reinforcement.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in online therapy when they report fewer episodes of anxiety, depression, or other symptoms, and when symptoms do occur, they are less intense. Also, meaningful progress is noted when the client is achieving their goals, has better emotional stability, effectively uses coping strategies and therapeutic techniques learned in therapy, and has an increased sense of self-awareness and insight, to name a few.

Clients can supplement their time in online therapy by reading books and/or workbooks relevant to their issues, using apps to track their mood and/or thought record diary, journaling, practicing mindfulness activities, getting regular exercise, participating in creative outlets, and practicing coping strategies and techniques learned in therapy sessions.

To prepare for your first online therapy session, you can find a quiet, comfortable, and secure space; have a stable internet connection and familiarize yourself with Zoom; reduce distractions as much as possible; keep a pen and notebook handy for notes; think about the specific issues or topics you want to discuss and goals for yourself; and understand that the first session is usually an intake to discuss your background and goals for therapy so we might not dive into therapy right away.