Don’t get me wrong, I do not think the fear of the pandemic itself has improved depressive symptomatology nor reduced anxiety in my patients or in the general public for that matter. To the contrary, it clearly has exacerbated fears for a great many. What I mean to say here, briefly, is that in our professional duties we rarely have had the opportunity to enter a patient’s home. But the necessity of using video therapy during COVID-19 has allowed us this window, one that has a three-fold benefit. First, it reframes and normalizes our exploration of their inner world. Secondly, if I may generalize from my experience, it can provide the therapist with insights difficult to achieve in our more sterile office setting. Finally, it adds a comfort to the therapeutic alliance akin to a neighbour dropping in for a cup of coffee‌.but with a backpack full of knowledge as to how to help. Our invisible walls, during these moments, seem to vanish.
About the Author
Mary-Ann Saltstone has a Ph.D in Psychology. She is a Registered Psychotherapist in private practice in North Bay with her husband Rob, a psychologist. She spends her free time playing the piano, writing music for short films, walking northern trails, and playing with her three dogs, Scout, Baron and Sammy.
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