Updated 5/17/2022

Ever since COVID-19 lockdowns started, telehealth and teletherapy have become the new normal for many people, which has metaphorically brought therapists into our own homes. Although many are now experiencing the benefits of online therapy for the first time,, they may wonder if there’s potentially a new issue: privacy.

Now, we’re not talking about privacy regarding what you tell your therapist. That will always be confidential, whether you’re telling them in person or online. We’re talking about roommates, housemates, and family members overhearing your intimate details.

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Licensed Therapists OnlineNeed convenient mental health support? Talkspace will match you with a therapist within days.

Licensed Therapists Online

Need convenient mental health support? Talkspace will match you with a therapist within days.

Start therapy

I’d say most of the time,mostof us don’t want anyone to know what we’re talking about in therapy. After all, therapy is our safe space to talk about literally whatever we want with no judgment. Plus, sometimes, we want to talk about the people we live with! It’s totally reasonable to be worried about your roommates listening in on your virtual therapy sessions where you complain about them eavesdropping. While switching tovirtual therapymay require a few adjustments, in the COVID-era, it’s definitely worth it. Once you’re comfortable with the new mode of therapy, you’ll reap the same benefits as you would in person.

How to Maintain Privacy in Virtual Therapy

Whether you’ve been using teletherapy for years or you’re brand new to it, here are some tips for maintaining some privacy during your sessions.

Use headphones

Go for a walk

Walk and talk therapy is very much “a thing,” so who says it can’t be incorporated into virtual therapy? Just throw on your headphones and you’re good to go. Plus, if you’re working from home and sitting at a desk all day, it’s great to get up, stretch your legs, and get a change of scenery. This will benefit your mental health, too. Just make sure to be aware of your surroundings while you’re on the call or video so you don’t walk into any poles or fall down a man-hole. Admittedly, this technique is likely best for audio-only sessions.

Sit in your car

If you have a car, you can turn it into your makeshift therapy office while it’s parked (we definitely don’t recommend therapy while driving, since your full attention should definitely be on the road). 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. As long as you’ve got service, you can have your call or video appointment in peace.

Use text therapy for juicy bits

Get 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. You can use this same principle at home. You can find relatively inexpensive machines for sale, and then just get it up and running outside the door of the room you’re talking in.

Ask your roommates for space

Therapy is nothing to be embarrassed about, anda lotof people are in therapy these days. Your roommates or family members might already know that you see a therapist, in which case it might be a little easier to 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).

Here are a few ways to do this:

It’s important to let the people you live with know you’re grateful for their help and willingness to give you privacy. Don’t forget to thank them! You really aren’t asking for a whole lot here, but let them know that you’re happy to reciprocate their generosity. Let them know that whenever they need privacy — whether it’s for a phone call, booty call, or therapy — that you’re willing to give them that privacy in return.

It definitely is possible to have some private alone time when living with other people, you just might have to get creative with it. Therapy shouldn’t have to be something that you stress over — it should be helping to alleviate your stress — so if getting the privacy you need can help you feel less anxious about your sessions, that’s great! Now, go forth and pour your heart out to your therapist in peace.

Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.

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