Imagine pouring your heart out in your online therapy session, only to discover that your partner has been eavesdropping the entire time…
That’s exactly what happened to one man who was left mortified after his girlfriend heard what he’d told his therapist in private. Much of it had to do with his relationship. It turns out the woman had arrived home without him knowing and decided to listen to his session for a good half hour.
She’s accused her boyfriend of betraying her, and the guy says he’s completely confused about what to do.
Therapy should be a safe space where you can talk about anything
Image credits: kroshka__nastya / envato (not the actual photo)
So when this guy’s girlfriend eavesdropped on his session, it didn’t end well
Image credits: Wavebreakmedia / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: conuse___
Many people had advice for the man, and some had questions that he was happy to answer
Image credits: gpointstudio / envato (not the actual photo)
The man later provided an update revealing that things had taken a turn
Image credits: conuse___
“I knew my mental health would suffer”: He provided even more info when prompted
How to maintain privacy during your virtual sessions, according to experts
Image credits: Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Many people turned to virtual therapy during the Covid pandemic. And even though lockdown has long ended, a lot of people continue to do their sessions online instead of in person.
There are plenty of advantages to talking to your therapist from the comfort of your own home. But one of the downsides is that there might be a lack of privacy, especially if you live with other people. I think it’s safe to say that we want to be able to speak freely, in a safe space, without fear of being overheard or judged.
“It definitely is possible to have some private alone time when living with other people, you just might have to get creative with it,” notes online therapy platform Talkspace.com. “Therapy shouldn’t have to be something that you stress over — it should be helping to alleviate your stress.”
There are ways to maintain your privacy during online therapy sessions so that you don’t find yourself feeling like you need to filter your mouth.
You could go for a walk, for example. This works best if your therapy session doesn’t involve video. You might also try finding a quiet and secluded place away from your home where you can sit during the online appointment.
Alternatively, you could sit in your car if you have one. “Cars are pretty soundproof, so if you’re sitting in your car in your driveway, parking garage, or on the street you can rest assured that your housemates or family members won’t hear you on the call,” says Talkspace’s team. “As long as you’ve got service, you can have your call or video appointment in peace.”
If you prefer to be in your home, Talkspace suggests using a white noise machine. “If you’ve ever been to an in-person therapy office that has a waiting room, you might’ve noticed the therapist has a white noise machine outside of their door. This helps to drown out or mask whatever conversation is going on behind that closed door, so the people in the waiting room don’t hear,” notes the site. You can try the same at home by setting up the machine outside the door of the room you’re talking in.
Another trick is to use text messages for the “juicy” bits that you don’t want to risk roommates, family members, partners or passersby hearing. Either use your phone to send your therapist a private text or WhatsApp during or before the session. Or if you’re using an app like the Talkspace one, you can utilize the text therapy option.
“If you want to get really creative/act like a spy, you can come up with codewords or aliases for things and people you’ll be talking about out loud,” adds the site.
Of course, there’s always the option of being upfront with those you live with. Mental health matters and there is no shame in going for therapy. If they already know you do therapy sessions, simply ask them for space and privacy when it’s time for a session.
“If they don’t know, you can either tell them or just let them know you have an important call or meeting (which, really, you aren’t lying),” advises Talkspace.
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