Eye-contact…

• I make the client’s video small (but not uncomfortably small) and move it to the top of my screen close to the webcam. This mimicks eye-contact as much as possible and is important for rapport-building and communication in general

Headphones…

• Like most things, it’s a personal preference. For me, it ensures that what a client is saying is going straight into my ears only. This reinforces privacy since it is a virtual setting. It also eliminates the echo! No one like the echo.

On Note-taking…

• Type your notes in vivo — as in, during the session
• You can place the client video close to your webcam (this is best practice anyway for eye contact) and also place your note-taking app right next to it
  • This allows you to glance at the note if needed and not drastically divert your eyes
• This is time-saving and you’ll be glad you did

On session length…

• I recommend scheduling in 30 minute blocks but allowing up to 45 minutes. Totally a personal preference. For me, it’s a mental thing. If I’m close to 30 minutes but I know we need to stay on something then I can do that. If I had a 45 minute block, I would be more likely to fill that time and then spill over. Again, a personal preference (some might call it boundary issue ;) ).