I'm pregnant and a mental health counselor. I've been meeting my clients in person during the pandemic despite the health risks — here's why
Kylie Chaffin, left, with her sister, right, sitting where Chaffin's clients sit during their in-person sessions.Kylie Chaffin is a 29-year-old licensed mental health counselor who lives in Spokane, Washington and is expecting a baby.
"A lot of my EMDR clients are hesitant to wear face masks because they want to see my facial expression and I want to see theirs. EMDR is a very emotional process because you're reprocessing trauma," she says.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more storiesI rent a suite in a building of medical offices. When I go to my office on the third floor, I have to pass by medical assistants who take temperatures and ask questions about my health. I call them the 'hall monitors.
In between my in-person clients, I'll wipe down the handles and the seat they sat in. I wash my hands in between people. I also use this fog machine that has a safer chemical that kills the germs. It uses the stuff that's in eye drops. TheThe cleaning and hand sanitizing station at Chaffin's office.I have less time for people because I have to quickly do the cleaning, so I'm always five minutes behind. Some people have done really well with telehealth and even prefer it.
A lot of my EMDR clients are hesitant to wear face masks because they want to see my facial expression and I want to see theirs. EMDR is a very emotional process because you're reprocessing trauma. The mask complicates things, because in the world of therapy you need to be able to connect with each other and the mask covers a lot of that up.
This person was isolated and mentally fragile. They went into a downward depressive spiral during the first six weeks of quarantine when everything shut down. I could just see that something wasn't right and they didn't have anyone to make sure they were okay, so we needed to find a place for them to go.
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