I’m not a therapist who judges the value of a session by the presence or absence of tears. But now that we’re a few months into the pandemic and meeting remotely, I’ve realized that, despite being in the midst of what may be the most uncertain time in their lives, my clients are hardly crying at all.

In the midst of covid-19, therapists and clients are sharing many of the same anxieties. As a therapist, how do you talk about it? In this clip from her 2020 Virtual Symposium talk, couples therapist and bestselling author Esther Perel shares how she's handling the anticipatory trauma of this time.

Marcia's therapist has switched to doing teletherapy. But as a single mother of two adolescent girls all quarantining in a small apartment, sessions have been especially challenging for Marcia. She’s often distracted or pulled away to tend to the girls. When she returns to the screen, she’s flustered and unfocused. Here, five therapists offer tips for keeping the work on track during these sessions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically shifted how almost every therapist works nowadays, in ways both expected and unexpected. Although we’re all in this together, no two stories are the same. In this follow-up to our popular blog on therapy in the age of coronavirus, three more therapists share what this new normal looks like for them.

The covid-19 pandemic is causing almost everyone anxiety. But for therapy clients who were already anxious, it's making symptoms much worse. Therapist and author Jonah Paquette shares the two biggest things he's doing to help them.

What is a turning point, exactly? And how do you know when you've reached one in your career as a therapist? Whether it's a devastating illness, or a few simple words spoken by a wise mentor, there's no denying that even small moments can radically shift the way we focus our work. Here, four therapists share stories of personal and career transformations, and the moment that began it all.

Feelings of awe can have strongly prosocial effects and provide us with an existential and lasting sense of calm. Building our capacity for awe could not only benefit us now in this state of shared crisis, but be a lasting gift of healing through all of life’s challenges. 

Part of our lives is being a therapist, but it's not the whole thing. Now and looking beyond coronavirus times, how do we make sure we're doing the things we want to do? Are we giving time to our relationships outside therapy? What are we doing about our own passion and dreams?

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically shifted how almost every therapist works nowadays, in ways both expected and unexpected. Although we’re all in this together, no two stories are the same. Here, three therapists share what this new normal looks like for them.

How do you find community in the midst of physical distancing? However you can. In this clip from the 2020 Networker Virtual Symposium, trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk shares how he's maintaining social connections, offers a few tips, and explains what attachment and trauma research tells us about the importance of staying connected during times of crisis.

We have a biological need to be in connection with others that’s being challenged right now. Even if we’re staying at home with others—children, a partner, a mammalian pet—our nervous systems are asking to be cared for in a way that we're not used to doing.

By Janina Fisher - Given the way our lives have been turned upside down by the pandemic, a lot of our clients will exhibit signs of depression. Here are some simple Sensorimotor Psychotherapy interventions that can help those who are feeling depressed and alone—and that are easily worked into a video session.

Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing pioneer, shares a personal story about moving through trauma in this clip from the 2020 Networker Virtual Symposium. 

By Alicia Muñoz - In the last few weeks, as the specter of contagion has rapidly grown more ominous with each news cycle, an unthinkable professional reality has emerged for therapists, one that favors technophiles over technophobes. I’m a technophobe—through and through—and a therapist.

A therapist finds her client attractive and says their conversations sometimes border on flirtatious. She says she'd never act on these feelings, but worries about how it might affect their work together. She's also not sure whether to bring this up, how she might do so, and whether to refer him out. Five clinicians share how they'd handle the situation.

Perhaps now more than ever, maintaining strong relationships is crucial to our emotional well-being. In this video clip from the 2020 Virtual Symposium, EFT originator Sue Johnson explains the core tenets of attachment theory.

By Susan Pollak - I particularly like the suggestion to use the time we spend washing our hands during this pandemic to build up mindful compassion in ourselves. So, rather than sing the rather insipid “Happy Birthday to Me” song for 20 seconds, why not repeat these compassion phrases instead? I’m finding that this simple version helps my clients feel more connected and less helpless as they go through their day.

By Maggie Mulqueen - As a therapist, I've always liked to work a certain way, in person, face to face in my cozy office. But when the coronavirus hit and I repurposed a guest bedroom into a makeshift office, I learned some surprising lessons about connecting with clients over video.

In this highlight from the 2020 Networker Virtual Symposium, therapist and author Lori Gottlieb talks about maintaining our mental health amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the concept of "both/and," and the difference between productive and unproductive anxiety.

By Stephen Lyons - I spent my first weeks in therapy recounting my recently-ended marriage: the spreading contagion of lies, fights, and broken promises. I'd never told these stories to anyone, ever. Each scene seemed a searing indictment of my abilities as a husband and father. But Sara simply listened, asked questions I'd never asked myself. Her role as a protective friend startled me into action.

A Networker Symposium highlight, therapist and author Rick Hanson invoked the spirit of Mr. Rogers to help attendees better acknowledge their connection with each other and savor their most inspiring experiences.

By Lynn Lyons - Why are our children so anxious and getting more so? It seems puzzling. After all, we live in the age of “helicopter parents” and ubiquitous child professionals. But too often in our anxiety to stop the anxiety, we surround the child with an anxiety-reinforcing system fixated on protecting the child from any twinge of the dreaded disease.

By Esther Perel - It’s long been the conventional wisdom among couples therapists that if couples fix the emotional issues in their relationship, their sexual lives will improve. But good intimacy doesn’t guarantee good sex.

Networker’s Lauren Dockett talks with teen therapist Britt Rathbone about navigating the tricky issues of confidentiality, risky behavior, and improving teen judgment and self-control.

Mark has anger issues, and his therapist finds herself getting extremely reactive when he loses his temper in therapy. Recently, he called her “a joke” and stormed out of the room. She wants to stand up for herself, but doesn't want to derail their work. Five clinicians share how they'd proceed.