Online Sessions
Sessions are available by secure video as well as in the office. For a lot of people it is the difference between having therapy and not — no drive across town, no rearranging the afternoon.
How it works
You get a link before the session and join from a phone, tablet, or computer. The platform is encrypted and intended for healthcare, rather than an ordinary consumer video call.
There is nothing to buy and nothing complicated to install. If the technology gives you trouble on the day, we sort it out or move to the phone. It is not a test.
What you need
- A private space where you will not be overheard
- A reasonably steady internet connection
- Headphones, which help more than people expect
- An hour when you are not driving or working
Being genuinely alone matters more than the equipment does. Some people take the session in a parked car for exactly that reason, which is fine as long as you are not driving.
Where you have to be
You need to be physically located in Texas at the time of the session. That is not my preference — it is how counselor licensing works. A license is issued by a state and permits practice with people in that state, wherever the therapist happens to be sitting.
In practice: if you live in Texas but are travelling out of state, that week's session usually has to wait. Tell me your plans and we will work around them.
Does it work as well?
For most of what people bring, yes. Research on video therapy has generally found outcomes comparable to meeting in person, and it has been studied a great deal more since 2020.
My own view is that the approach I use relies on noticing what happens as you talk — a shift in posture, a change in the voice — and a fair amount of that survives a video call, though not all of it. Some people find it easier to say difficult things from their own home. Others find the screen puts a distance in the way.
You do not have to choose once and for all. Plenty of people mix the two depending on the week, and if video turns out not to suit you, we move to the office.
When in person is the better choice
Video is not the right container for everything. If you are in crisis, if there is immediate risk to your safety, or if what you are working on needs the steadiness of a room set aside for it, meeting in person is better and I will say so.
If you are ever in immediate danger, do not wait for a session. Call 911, or call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
