Online Session Preparation: Environment, Technology and Privacy

Online session preparation made simple: environment, internet, headphones, time difference and emotional readiness. Use this list before your first session.

The time of your first online therapy session is approaching. On the one hand you are curious, and on the other you are wondering, "Will the connection drop?", "Will someone at home overhear?", "What will I talk about?" All of these questions are completely natural. Online session preparation matters not only for making sure the session goes smoothly from a technical point of view, but also for helping you feel safe and comfortable. For people living abroad who are meeting with a Turkish-speaking professional, extra details come into play too, such as time differences, crowded homes and different devices. In this article, we offer a step-by-step preparation guide covering the environment, technology and privacy.

Why Does Online Session Preparation Matter?

In face-to-face therapy, the client arrives at a calm room prepared by the professional. Arranging the setting, closing the door and making sure there are no interruptions are the professional's responsibility. In online therapy, part of that responsibility passes to the client. The professional provides a quiet and private setting on their side, but only you can arrange the room you are in.

Good preparation makes a difference in the following ways:

• Focus: You can concentrate directly on the subjects you want to talk about, without dealing with technical problems.
• Trust: When you know that no one can hear, you can speak more openly.
• Efficient use of time: The first minutes of the session are not spent on connection problems.
• Emotional transition: You give yourself time to move from the bustle of the day into the therapy space.

If you are curious about how online therapy works in general, you can look at the online therapy page.

Small signs that you are not ready

Sometimes the reason a session does not feel productive has less to do with the subject being discussed than with the environment. The following situations may suggest that you should review your preparation:

• If you keep looking at the door or behind you during the session
• If you constantly feel the need to lower your voice
• If the connection often drops or the picture freezes
• If you join the session in a rush from work or from travelling, out of breath
• If notifications on your phone distract you
• If you have to dash off to something else as soon as the session ends

All of these can happen from time to time. What matters is that, if they happen often, you improve the setting with small changes.

Environment: Creating a Private and Calm Space

Choose the right room

Choose a room with a door that closes and that is as quiet as possible. A bedroom, a study or the least-used room in the house can be a good option. In flats with thin walls, you can choose a corner that does not adjoin a shared wall.

Let the household know

If you wish, you can tell the people you live with that you do not want to be disturbed for an hour. You do not have to explain in detail what you are doing; saying "I have an important call" may be enough. Putting a small note on the door also helps.

Alternative spaces

Many Turkish families living abroad live in crowded homes or closely with their extended family. If you cannot find a suitable space at home, the following options can be considered:

• Planning the session for times when the household is out
• Holding the session in a parked car
• Using the empty home of a friend you trust

Shared spaces such as cafés, libraries or open-plan offices, on the other hand, are not suitable in terms of privacy.

A comfortable seating arrangement

Choose a chair or armchair you can sit in comfortably for an hour. Keep a glass of water and a packet of tissues beside you. It is natural for emotions to intensify in therapy; having tissues within reach is a small but important detail.

Lighting and camera angle

Having your face clearly visible helps the professional better understand your facial expressions and feelings. Place the window in front of or beside you rather than behind you. Position the camera close to eye level.

Background

Check whether there is anything in the camera's view that you would rather not share. If family photographs, documents or personal belongings are visible, you can change the camera angle. A plain wall makes it easier for both you and the professional to give your attention to the conversation.

Technical Preparation: A Checklist for Online Session Preparation

Device

A laptop, desktop computer, tablet or smartphone can be used. If possible, prefer a device with a larger screen; if you are using a phone, place it somewhere stable so that you do not have to hold it in your hand. Make sure your device is fully charged or that the charging cable is plugged in.

Browser and permissions

Video sessions on this site are held in your browser; you do not need to download a separate program. Use an up-to-date browser. When you join a session for the first time, the browser will ask for permission for your camera and microphone; you need to grant it. If you refuse the permission by mistake, you can change it in the settings in the browser's address bar. Sessions take place over an encrypted connection and are not recorded.

Internet connection

Make sure your home internet or mobile data is stable. Your connection may be affected if someone else at home is downloading a large file or watching high-resolution video during the session. If possible, sit close to the router. Avoid connecting through public, unsecured networks.

Headphones

Headphones both improve sound quality and prevent the professional's voice from being heard in the room. Headphones with a microphone also make your own voice come across more clearly. If you are using wireless headphones, check their charge.

Notifications

For the duration of the session, silence your phone or switch it to "do not disturb". Turn off email and message notifications on your computer. This small step largely prevents distraction.

What should you do if the connection drops?

Technology does not always work perfectly. When the connection drops, do not panic; refresh the page and try to reconnect. It helps to agree with your therapist in the first session what to do if the connection drops. For example, if you cannot reconnect within a few minutes, an alternative way of communicating can be arranged.

Time Difference and Scheduling

For people living abroad, scheduling is an important part of preparation. The time difference between Turkey and where you live can vary depending on your country and daylight saving time. For this reason:

• Note your appointment time in both Turkey time and your own local time.
• Check your appointment time again in the weeks when the clocks change.
• Set a reminder on your phone according to your local time.
• If possible, plan the session for a time when you are not tired and will not be rushed.

Imagine someone living in Canada who joins the session straight after finishing work and spends the first ten minutes of every session settling down. When they move the session half an hour later and start taking a short walk in between, they notice that the sessions become more productive. For more detailed information about the time difference, you can read the online therapy across time zones article.

Emotional Preparation: Before and After the Session

Online session preparation is not only about technology and the environment. Preparing yourself emotionally for the session also helps you get more out of it.

Before the session

• Be ready a few minutes early. Take your seat five to ten minutes before the session, turn on your device and steady your breathing.
• Note down what you want to talk about. Write the thoughts that come to mind during the week, the situations that challenge you or the questions you want to ask as short bullet points. This especially prevents the feeling of "I have forgotten what I was going to say".
• Review your expectations. Not every session needs to bring great relief. Some sessions open up difficult subjects; this too is part of the process.
• Do not worry about language. If you have lived abroad for many years, you may find it hard to remember some words in Turkish. Using a word from the language of the country you live in, or switching languages in the middle of a sentence, is completely natural.

After the session

• Give yourself a short break. Instead of walking straight into a crowded setting or a busy task as soon as the session ends, sit quietly for a few minutes, drink some water or take a short walk.
• Note down the important points. Record in a short note something you noticed in the session, a sentence that stayed with you, or a goal you want to work on. Keep these notes somewhere that suits your privacy.
• Plan your homework. If your therapist has suggested small exercises for you to practise between sessions, decide on which day and at what time of the week you will do them.

Preparing for couple, adolescent and parent sessions

Apart from individual sessions, some sessions are held with more than one person or with different age groups, and the preparation is slightly different.

For couple sessions, set up a seating arrangement in which both people can comfortably appear on the same camera. Using a single device, and a good microphone if possible, rather than connecting from two separate devices prevents the sound from echoing. So that your children cannot overhear the session, you can schedule it for their bedtime or ask someone you trust for help during that hour. Try not to start an argument just before the session; leave the subjects you want to talk about for the session itself.

For sessions with adolescents, it is important that the young person is in their own room, with the door closed and where parents cannot hear. Parents not waiting outside the door helps the young person speak freely. The scope and limits of confidentiality are discussed in the first session with both the young person and the family.

For parent counselling sessions, it is preferable for the child to be busy in another room at the time, or not at home. Hearing what is said about them can make the child anxious or lead them to feel guilty.

Good preparation makes therapy feel less formal and more relaxed. The aim is not a perfect setting but a space in which you can feel safe.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

The reasons behind your thinking of starting online therapy may be very varied: anxiety, unhappiness, relationship problems, loneliness far from home, family conflicts or life changes. In the following situations, it is important not to delay seeking support:

• If symptoms last longer than two weeks and affect your daily life
• If there are marked changes in sleep and appetite
• If you struggle to meet your work, school or family responsibilities
• If you constantly feel lonely, hopeless or exhausted

Online therapy is not an emergency intervention service. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, or if your safety is at risk, call the emergency number of the country you are in: 112 in EU countries, 911 in the USA and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK, and 000 in Australia. In situations of serious risk, local emergency services and local psychiatric services are necessary.

How Does Online Therapy in Your Mother Tongue Work?

Online therapy in your mother tongue lets you speak in the language in which you can most comfortably express your feelings and memories. Being able to talk about your family's migration story, your longing for the bayram holidays, or the worry of "what will people say" (elâlem ne der) without long explanations can make the therapeutic relationship easier. This option can also be used alongside the mental health services in the country where you live.

A cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based process generally proceeds as follows:

• First session: Confidentiality principles, the technical set-up, what to do if the connection drops and the emergency plan are discussed. After that, the issues that brought you to therapy and your goals are explored.
• Goal setting: Achievable and measurable goals are set together.
• Regular sessions: Patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour are examined; new coping skills are learned.
• Work between sessions: Short exercises may be suggested so that the skills you learn can be applied in daily life.
• Review: Progress is evaluated at regular intervals and the plan is updated if necessary.

Payment is made online; fees are in TL and payment by international card is possible. For insurance reimbursement, you need to check the insurance terms in the country where you live. For details on confidentiality, you can read the online therapy security and privacy article, and for general information about sessions from abroad, you can look at the Turks living abroad page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long before should I start online session preparation?

It is a good idea to do the technical checks the day before your first session. On the day itself, taking your seat five to ten minutes early is generally enough.

Can I join an online session from my phone?

Yes, you can also join with a smartphone. Placing the phone somewhere stable, checking its charge and using headphones make the session more comfortable.

What happens if someone walks into the room during the session?

You can pause the session briefly or change the subject. It also helps to agree a signal or word for such situations with your therapist in the first session.

What should I do if I do not know what to talk about in a session?

This is very common. Making short notes of what comes to mind during the week helps. Saying that you do not know what to talk about is also a perfectly good way to begin a session.

• #online session preparation
• #online therapy
• #privacy
• #time difference
• #Turks living abroad

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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