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questions about seeing a psychologist

lela
Community Member

hello 👋 i'm thinking of seeking therapy for various mental health conditions but i'm immunocompromised and have to take covid precautions. i think i would be really uncomfortable in a traditional therapy setting, as i would have to be wearing my mask the whole time and i don't really like doing that much especially as we get into the summer months lol. i have been thinking of solutions and i was wondering if anyone knows: when booking appointments etc. am i allowed to ask my psychologist to like sit in a park with me instead of being in their office or whatever? how likely would they be to say yes?

 

thank you for reading 💕

2 Replies 2

Eagle Ray
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Iela,

 

I think whether a psychologist would sit with you in a park would depend on the individual psychologist. I have heard of psychologists who do sessions in outdoor settings with the goal of it feeling more comfortable for the client. I don't think there is anything wrong with inquiring with a particular psychologist as to whether they would do this. I really can't know how likely they are to say yes as I imagine some would be ok with an outdoor session but others would prefer to only be in their usual work space.

 

I have also heard of psychologists who actually walk and talk with clients in outdoor settings. I did a quick google on psychologists who practise outdoors in Australia, and there is a group of psychologists under the heading "Walk and Talk Therapy - Walk Different Psychologists Australia". That is just one example. I expect there are others. So perhaps do a bit of an internet search in relation to psychologists who practise outdoors and see if there is someone in your area who also seems like they are a good fit for the things you want to address.

 

What you could consider is Telehealth. I do my sessions this way and my psychologist is actually in a different state. I sought her out in particular as I was looking for someone who worked with a particular approach and she was happy to work with me. In my case we use FaceTime but I know Zoom and other platforms are used by psychologists as well. It actually works very well and doesn't seem to matter we are not in the same room. Many therapists operate via Telehealth now, especially since covid.

 

So I think there are a few potential options. Take good care and I hope you find a psychologist and therapy setting that works for you.

Eagle Ray.

hi ! thank you so much for the response

 

that makes sense, perhaps i will enquire with different psychologists! i don't think walk and talk therapy would work for me as i am disabled and not able to walk far, and i have tried telehealth before but i live with my family and always felt anxious talking to my psychologist when i knew they might be able to hear me.

 

thank you so much for your suggestions, i appreciate them greatly 💕