Opening line for sessions lately:
“These are strange times, aren’t they?”
As a therapist based out of Westchester, New York, I’m centered in one of the hot spots for the Coronavirus spread. Mental Wealth Practice’s brick-and-mortar site is located about 25 minutes north of Manhattan. Initially, this gave me 3 major concerns: The wellbeing of the clients I already work with, my ability to work with new clients who may be seeking services, and my ability to meet my overhead and keep my business running
A moment in history and a moment of pride
To put into context in case this is read years later, at the time that I am writing this, the Coronavirus COVID-19 reached Westchester about 1 month ago and has began to spread at an exponential level. To avoid the infection and death rates that has been seen in other countries, people across the country in the United States are quarantining themselves, shutting down their businesses as regulated by the government, and working from home. What better time to halt therapy? Surely clients wouldn’t come in person when they are being told how important it is to stay in their homes. Much to my surprise, people adapt and show their commitment to their own health.
My clients continue to attend their scheduled sessions, albeit mostly through webcam services such as FaceTime and Zoom. I have been so impressed by the commitment my clients have had to their own mental health and by their support to my organization. Without them, I would never be able to imagine affording to keep my practice running and open to the public. If by some chance you are a client of mine and you are reading this post – Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. And also kudos to you for continuing to work on improving yourself no matter the circumstances.
To potential new clients:
Our mental health is just as important as our physical health – one supports the other. I implore you to get yourself some help if you need someone to talk to because you have cabin fever, if your job refuses to shut down, you got laid off, you’re weary about all of the misinformation you’ve been hearing, or god forbid a loved one is sick. Of course I’d love to be the person that you work with, but no matter what you should find yourself support from someone in the field. My practice is offering HIPPA-compliant mental-health services through several webcam services including Facetime, Zoom, and Facebook Messenger. Once life begins to go back to normal, we can resume in-peron treatment if you’d like to make that transition. We are also accepting United Health Care, Optum, Oscar, Aetna, Cigna, Beacon, and Humana at this time. Thank you all again.