5 Ways to Tackle Isolation With an Online Private Practice | Ep 120

Fearless Practice

Do you sometimes feel lonely working as a therapist? Do you have an online practice, and sometimes wish you could chat with a colleague between sessions to let off some steam or to get an ethical second opinion? How do you deal with isolation as an online therapist?

Working as a therapist can be an isolating experience in and of itself, since you can’t talk about the details of your work with friends or family. If you work from home like me, then I’m sure that you know that the isolation can be two-fold!

In this episode, I share with you some tips that I have figured out to help myself - and you - enjoy your work as a therapist while still making time for life beyond it. If you are stuck trying to choose between how to handle the challenge, I invite you to listen in!

In this Episode:

• Be intentional

• Get out of your apartment

• Create peer-to-peer consultations

• Meet with your assistants

• Make time for a weekly activity

Be intentional

Between your work days and work weeks, it can be so tempting to just unwind alone at home, without having to exert yourself further by going outdoors and trying something new after a potentially challenging or long day.

However, don’t isolate yourself further just because you may be nervous about going outdoors. Find hobbies that you enjoy that get you outside of your home - and that are separate from therapy - so that you can unwind and relax in the company of like-minded people while doing something that you enjoy.

Get out of your apartment

Sure, you can enjoy hosting friends at your home. However, if you also work from home and then you socialize at home, there is very little variation in your routine, and you may begin to feel a bit suffocated!

This is even more important if you live alone at home, because staying connected with your friends and with your personal life beyond just working from home is important.

Create peer-to-peer consultations

If you have associates in your Canadian private practice, make sure to schedule a monthly peer-to-peer meeting so that you can consult together to stay connected and on the same page about the practice, and as well as about what’s happening in your lives.

Connect with your team to talk about client cases or maybe have some fun! Having and maintaining relationships with other therapists can help to ease that isolation since they know what it feels like to work in the profession.

Meet with your assistants

If you have a virtual assistant, schedule a 30-minute meeting weekly with them.

This is not only important to discuss business issues, but also to stay connected to your staff so that you don’t pass one another by like ships in the night.

Make time for a weekly activity Something that I do which I love is going to the gym in the afternoon. It’s a lovely way to get out of the apartment, exercise, and to be around other people!

No matter which one you choose, there will be challenges, so you just need to figure out which challenge is the one that you feel most comfortable to work with so that you can make the most of your obligations while enjoying yourself.

Connect with me:

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Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:

Ep 119: What I Learned from Going to the CCPA Conference | FP 119

Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice

Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website

Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice

Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free)

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