Online Counseling

Are You Overwhelmed and Wanting Help, but Can’t Seem to Fit Therapy Into Your Busy Schedule?

• Are you struggling with depression, stress, anxiety or disconnection and conflict in your relationship?
• Are you a busy professional who would like to come to counseling, but your work schedule, traffic and travel make it impossible?
• Have you recently had a child, and the new baby makes leaving the house a challenge?
• Is a physical health issue restricting your ability to visit a therapist’s office?
• Are you and your partner struggling to find time for couples counseling?
• Do you wish you could find a way to balance your busy life and also benefit from consistent therapy sessions with a counselor you trust?

A busy schedule can make it difficult to seek the help and support that you need. You may feel like the demands of inflexible scheduling and traffic on your way to sessions will only add to your stress and anxiety. Or, maybe you worry that you will not be able to make real progress in therapy because work trips frequently pull you away for long stretches at a time. Perhaps you want to invest time in couples counseling, but between work and kids, you and your partner would rarely have time to come to the office together. You might be seeking a flexible way to make therapy work for you so that you can enjoy greater calm, fulfillment and peaceful productivity in your life.

Many People Crave a Simple and Convenient Therapy Option

Many people feel that they could benefit from therapy, but significant life events, frequent travel, chronic illness and/or an unpredictable schedule make it difficult to imagine consistent office visits. In Silicon Valley especially, traffic alone can make people second-guess seeking the help and support that they need. Many people never try counseling because they feel that inconsistent sessions will just be another commitment to juggle or a waste of valuable time. Thankfully, video conferencing and online counseling makes therapy convenient. You can keep up with sessions and continue your progress, no matter where you are.

Online Counseling Provides Consistency and Continuity

VSee is a video chat program that allows me to offer online counseling in your home, the office or anywhere you bring your smartphone. I understand that work and life events can be unpredictable, and with VSee, I can offer a flexible alternative on hectic days, If you are stuck at the office or in traffic, I am happy to move our session to the computer screen rather than canceling it. I have also worked with three-way video calls, which allow couples to attend sessions even if one partner is at the office and the other is at home with the kids. While I don’t recommend relying on online counseling alone, video sessions can be an important supplement to in-person therapy.

Continuity is an important part of the therapy process. Consistent sessions provide the structure needed to help you build momentum, develop fresh perspectives about the things that are causing you pain and make important advances more quickly. In addition, video counseling allows us an uninterrupted schedule. Using this tool, we can continue to develop our therapeutic relationship so that I can offer you effective guidance and support. Even if you have to take a long leave of absence from in-office sessions due to the birth of a child or travel, I can remain your therapist.

In online counseling sessions, I will use the same eclectic approach that I employ during in-office sessions. I will respond to your specific needs and help you cultivate specific tools such as mindfulness and communication techniques. I will also work with you psycho-dynamically so you can make important connections between your past and your present, enabling you to embrace life with greater awareness, confidence and calm. Regardless of what you are struggling with today, video counseling can help you continue making consistent strides toward a more meaningful, productive and balanced future.

Although you may believe that online counseling will help make therapy convenient and consistent, you still might have questions or concerns…

I’m worried about the confidentiality of video chat technology.

VSee is HIPAA-compliant and does not go through a third-part server. This means that our video sessions will be just as safe and confidential as those in my office. No one will have access to our session other than you and me, and I will never record or save our conversations. In addition, I use VSee in my office rather than at my home or on the go. You can rest assured that I will always respect your privacy.

Won’t you miss important things if you aren’t in the room with me?

In-office sessions are great. I can get to know you in person and pick up on subtle body language in a way that might be difficult over video chat. However, online counseling is an important supplement for busy people who can’t always make it into the office. If your schedule or life circumstances are keeping you from seeking in-office therapy, video counseling is an effective alternative. And, I am trained to pick up on your words and cues both in person and through a screen. By working with me consistently, you can see greater progress and healing than would be possible with widely scattered sessions.

How hard is online counseling to use? Will I need special equipment?

VSee is very simple to use, regardless of your experience with technology. It works on smartphones and on desktops and laptops with built-in or attachment web cams. Before our session begins, I will send you an email invitation that you simply have to click on to access the video call. The user-friendly program will do the set-up work for you.

For more information on how I can help you, to schedule a no-charge 20 minute phone consultation, or to make an appointment, please call or text 408-213-8148 or email at DrGinger@GingerMartirePhD.com.