“Safe place” is a counseling exercise during which the client describes a calm, relaxing setting to give themselves peace of mind. For some Telehealth clients, the inspiration for their safe place can now be shared with counselors.
“I have one client who, during a Telehealth session, was able to physically go to his safe place in his house,” said Rachel Martinez, Family and Mental Health Counselor at Child & Family Services. “He said, ‘This is where I feel comfortable and safe!’ That is where we do all of our counseling sessions now.”
The ability to get a glimpse of a client’s home life is just one benefit of Telehealth counseling. Up and running since mid-March, Telehealth is available via both video and phone sessions – for those without a computer or smartphone. “[Clients] get to let us into their world,” said Rachel. “We get to meet their dog that we heard about, or see their hamster. It’s been amazing.”
Beyond finding more ways for counselors to engage with clients, there are also practical benefits to Telehealth sessions. “People with high anxiety worry about going to a public waiting room,” Rachel explained. “This has also been great for people with transportation issues. There were people who missed sessions because they just don’t have reliable transportation. Now they can just pick up their phone and connect with us. People who had missed several appointments now haven’t missed any because so many of the barriers are out of their way.”
On-site counseling has recently re-opened, but Telehealth is still an available alternative. “Some people can’t wait to get back to our physical locations, but then there are others who actually prefer the Telehealth,” said Rachel. “They enjoy how accessible it is. It is great to have both options available for our clients. We’ve got it all right now! ”
Registration for Telehealth is the same as setting up an on-site appointment – call (716) 842-2750, email Intake@cfsbny.org, or fill out the form on the Counseling page of www.cfsbny.org.