NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION WHY IT MATTERS TO “SEE” YOUR CLIENTS
What emotions
could you be
missing out on?
According to dictionary.com, nonverbal is an adjective meaning “not
spoken: the nonverbal signals of body movement.” While counselors,
therapists, psychologists, and
psychiatrists have been meeting
with clients to provide services
on the phone for many years,
they have been missing a critical
part of communication.
Nonverbal communication does
not come through in a standard
telephone conversation. Before
the technology crazed world that
we live in today where video
capabilities are abundant and
more than 87% of the US
population has access to the
internet, a standard telephone
call was the primary form of remote connection. Times have changed
and now is the time to begin to embrace video in mental health.
Here’s the low down. Telemedicine isn’t necessarily new but technology
being an integrated part of our every day lives is.
www.thera-LINK.com | [email protected] | property of thera-LINK, LLC.
Nonverbal communication—our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact,
posture, and tone of voice—are often vital to understanding clients true
feelings or emotions. Many studies have shown nonverbal
communication to be as or more important as the words that are actually
spoken. There are studies by the American Psychological Association
that show telephone counseling can be effective, as well as research by
the VA (who’ve done telemedicine via video for many years!), that shows
the effectiveness of treatment using video technology to be equally as
much as an in-office visit.
Telemental health is a newer term in the industry which is ultimately the
use of real-time video technology to do an online session for mental
health. Many services, including thera-LINK, provide the technology
platform to safely and securely do an online session for therapy. There
are many things to consider when doing an online therapy session as it is
not appropriate for all types of clients. You should select the clients very
carefully and ensure they are in a non-suicidal state. Also, make sure you
have a signed informed consent specifically outlining some of the things
that “could” go wrong during an online session. thera-LINK provides a
sample document for our customers. Remember, seeing your client’s
face really does make a difference in providing the non-verbal
insight you need to provide effective therapy online!
Get the real picture. Video communication allows you to
actually see your clients in real time and interact just as
you would in an office visit.
www.thera-LINK.com | [email protected] | property of thera-LINK, LLC.