Face-to-Face Healing: The Benefits of In-Person Trauma Therapy in Sacramento
/I provide trauma therapy in Sacramento and since the pandemic I’ve had a hybrid practice with a mix of in-person and telehealth clients. It’s only recently that I’ve realized I strongly prefer in-person therapy and I’ve made the decision to slowly start phasing out video sessions. Today I’d like to share my reasons for that.
There are benefits to telehealth services, including easier access to care and the convenience of meeting from a location of your choice. I want to be clear that this post is not intended to disparage online therapy. Instead, think of it as my personal love letter to in-person therapy.
The office creates a container.
The physical environment of my Midtown Sacramento office creates a safe container for the work I do with my trauma therapy clients. My office gets plenty of natural light and I’ve decorated it in a warm but minimalist style. It’s my oasis and I hope it feels that way for clients too.
Over time, my clients begin to associate my therapy office space with healing, calm, self-reflection, and support. They’re able to leave behind the distractions of home. The time and space are for them, their healing, and nothing else.
Over the pandemic, I did video sessions with my own therapist, and we did a lot of good work together. But some things were not ideal.
It can be hard to create a container for yourself at home. Sometimes it was difficult to mentally let go of the tasks I was just doing and “arrive.”
There were distractions—my cats pawing at me begging to be fed (even though there was still food in their bowl). A pile of laundry I could see out of the corner of my eye, tugging at my attention. And of course, the leaf blower guys always seemed to magically know when it was time for my session and that’s when they showed up, right outside my window.
We made it work but as soon as she was available to meet in person again, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Her office is a 30-minute drive from my home in Sacramento but it felt worth it to me, and the drive actually served as a useful transition.
On the drive over, I could think about what I wanted to talk about that day. And on the way back, I had time to decompress. If heavy emotions were lingering, listening to music and letting the breeze blow through my hair as I drove helped me process.
Co-regulating works better in person.
In my last blog post about building secure attachment, I shared about co-regulating.
Co-regulating is when the whole of our two nervous systems together are greater than the sum of the parts. When my nervous system helps yours regulate, and your nervous system helps mine regulate, as a result of our shared presence, connection, and attunement.
To be regulated doesn’t always mean to feel calm, but a feeling of calm and settling is often the result of my connection with clients in person.
A couple of my favorite experts in the field of attachment, authors of Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World (this book is also available at the Sacramento Public Library) and cohosts of Therapist Uncensored Podcast Sue Marriott and Ann Kelley, refer to co-regulating as “neural Wi-Fi.” I love this analogy. And as you know, the connection tends to work better if you’re closer to the router.
Our hearts literally create an electromagnetic field that extends a few feet outside of our bodies. It may sound “woo woo” to some but when we’re together in person, I can feel your energy and you can feel mine. There is an alchemy to in-person therapy and it’s one of the things I most adore about my work.
You’re a whole body and not just a floating head.
I’m currently in the process of getting certified as a Somatic Attachment Therapist. I LOVE somatic therapy and the more I use somatic techniques with my trauma therapy clients, the more excited I get about the ways it can defy the limitations of traditional talk therapy and help clients get unstuck.
I know some wonderfully skilled somatic therapists who do great work with online sessions only. But I know for myself, it feels much easier to do somatic work in person.
In my office, I can see your whole body and not just your head. I can read your body language.
Often, for different somatic exercises, I’ll have clients get up off the couch and move around. This can all be done on video, but for me it’s just not quite the same.
It just feels better to me.
My reasons for switching my focus to primarily in-person work are both professional and personal.
Personally, I’ve noticed that I feel more energized at the end of the day when I see clients in person, compared to video therapy days. Even though my telehealth clients are people I really enjoy working with.
I’m in private practice so that I can have the freedom to work in the way that works best for me and for my clients. And the reality is that I don’t want to spend all day looking at a screen.
Our modern lives are becoming increasingly fast-paced and increasingly digital. And, not coincidentally, rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns are at an all-time high.
I don’t want to conform with what the dominant culture has normalized. I want to live a slower paced, more analog lifestyle.
I try to minimize my screen time as much as possible. It keeps me grounded, calmer, and happier.
I use social media sparingly. Most of my free time is spent reading (3D books made of paper), spending time outdoors, catching up with loved ones (in person whenever possible), and making art.
I share this not to get on a high horse, but to show you what is possible. Maybe you suspect that you too would be happier spending more time unplugging.
For those of you who look at a screen all day for work, in-person therapy is a nice change of pace and break from that.
Online therapy has its uses.
I still provide telehealth services for a few ongoing clients who live outside of the Sacramento area.
Video sessions have some advantages. It’s sweet and heartwarming to get to see people’s pets. Clients can lie down in bed if they want. It’s comfortable and informal.
Video sessions also come in handy when a client is sick or out of town and still wants to get their weekly session in. Consistency is so important for getting the results you want from therapy, and I support this.
Different strokes for different folks.
I was eager to write this post after my recent aha moment. I’m passionate about in-person therapy and want to share that enthusiasm.
And, candidly, part of me is also nervous to share these thoughts. I’m scared of upsetting beloved and much-respected colleagues who work primarily or exclusively online.
Again, I want to be clear that the purpose of this post is not to devalue or minimize the benefits of video therapy. It’s convenient, and it works well for a lot of other therapists.
Subjectively to me, telehealth feels about 90% as good as an in-person session. That’s pretty dang good, and for many the convenience is worth it.
For me, I’ve learned that the extra 10% of magical, getting in sync, hearts beating six feet away from each other, somewhat intangible and difficult to describe energy means a lot to me.
Want to learn more about in-person trauma therapy in Sacramento?
If you prefer online therapy, you have many options. I often hear from new clients that they had difficulty finding a trauma therapist who sees clients in person, and I’m happy to provide a service that so many desire.
As a trauma therapist in Sacramento, my specialty is self-worth focused trauma therapy. Whether you believe you have a history of trauma or not, I can help you work through the past experiences, negative beliefs, and wounding that have lead you to feeling not good enough.
Click the link above to learn more and schedule a free 15-minute phone or video consultation. I’ll tell you all about how trauma therapy works and we’ll get to know each other better and see if it’s a fit.
Whether for therapy or just when you’re spending time with loved ones, I believe it’s healing to connect with another person face to face with no distractions. It’s a welcome and much-needed change of pace from the increasingly digital lifestyles that so many of us live.
I would love to hear your thoughts—Do you prefer meeting for therapy in person or on video? Please share in the comments!
