Article
A Clinician’s View of PresenceLearning
It’s always a pleasure to hear from our clinicians in the field. This month, Lisa George, a school psychologist working with students in Ohio, shares her onboarding experience and what she has liked the best so far about telepractice. Thank you, Lisa, for all that you do!
Telehealth was new to me when I started with PresenceLearning, but I felt extremely confident and prepared going into my first real session. The company did an amazing job of preparing me between Telehealth Institute trainings for new clinicians and all the incredible Office Hours from my peers. My Senior Clinical Consultants and Lead Clinicians have been phenomenally helpful, too! Before I started serving kids, I played around in my online therapy room quite a bit, and loaded my queue with various “getting-to-know-you” activities. I used the widgets (dice, counters), stickers, the writing tools, everything. It was so much fun and everything went off without a hitch! My first sessions have gone better than I ever could have hoped or expected.
Telehealth has far exceeded my expectations. After having been in brick and mortar schools for over 26 years, I worried that I’d miss the camaraderie and collegiality, but the opposite was actually true. Not having those things to distract me, I felt much more fully connected to and integrated with my students. My focus is solely on them and how to best meet their needs and help them be the best people they can be. PresenceLearning has made the documentation, scheduling, and IEP/case notes access so easy that very little of my time is spent with “paperwork.” It’s a dream!
I’ve been working primarily with middle and high school kids. They come in so eager and excited, ready and willing to open up, be vulnerable, and and are proactive, too! I’ve been so surprised at how quickly rapport has developed. I honestly thought it would take longer than actual face-to-face meetings but it’s been significantly shorter. Many of my students have very high functioning autism/Asperger’s and I’m blown away by how hard they’re willing to work and by how motivated they are to experience social and emotional success. The parents and families have been wonderful, as well….so appreciative and responsive!
If you are thinking about telepractice, my advice is try it!
