When you look back to January, does it feel like 5-10 years of life has happened?
2020 is a wild ride, with many stressors, countless twists and turns, and more than its fair share of uncertainty. It has been fascinating to witness how the response and impact of COVID-19 has unfolded uniquely in all of our lives.
Last year, (was it just last year???) was a huge time of growth for my practice. I made the tremendous leap and investment to integrate neurofeedback into my practice with the support of my first team member, Sara Comp, who was instrumental in helping me get this exciting service up and going for clients. And then, in the fall, Jenessa Goodman came aboard as the first associate therapist to the team. We had BIG PLANS for this year, and we hit the ground running in January and February, only to have it all come to an abrupt and shocking halt. Sound familiar?
Adaptation is key in 2020.
In March, we quickly learned to adapt our practice to tele-therapy through Simple Practice, our online client portal. (Kudos to Simple Practice for all the support they provided to clinicians far and wide!) Our clients were so patient and flexible as we shifted our entire process of providing care to online and from home, in the middle of great uncertainty, and let's be honest, a ton of fear. We are so grateful to our amazing clients for hanging in there with us as we were figuring it all out.
One of the silver linings of our adaptation to life with COVID-19 was to realize that EMDR therapy is robust through video tele-therapy. In fact, many of our clients have found the transition to tele-therapy convenient and preferable for their lifestyle.
Another exciting aspect of our transition to tele-therapy is it expands access to care for clients when they are traveling, as well as to potential clients throughout the state of California. We are excited to provide service to those that otherwise would not have access to our specialized care throughout the state.
For the big news...
With all this adaptation, I have come to a decision that would have seemed unimaginable, just 6 months ago. I have decided to take my practice completely online, and let my cherished "tree house" office space go. Safety for our clients, for us, and our families is my top priority, and I could not foresee a consistent workaround that would satisfy my desire to keep everyone safe in providing care in office during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the success of tele-therapy over the past 4 months, it became clear this was the best path forward. While I will miss this cozy nest in which we all created great energy together, I am also beyond grateful that we can continue to provide care with flexibility and ease through these uncertain times.
Neurofeedback
I know many of you have been missing your sessions of neurofeedback in office, and I hear your frustration with this interruption of support. We are making adaptations here, too. Moving forward, we are prioritizing monthly rentals for our NeurOptimal® systems to existing clients to utilize while they are receiving tele-therapy with us. We are also exploring the possibility of providing weekly "pop-up"opportunities for neurofeedback in the community. Keep a look out for upcoming blog and Instagram posts on these developments.
Both Jenessa and I have weathered a great deal these past 4 months, as we all have, but through it all, we continue to find inspiration and motivation to adapt and serve our clients. We are so honored to support our community, now, more than ever. We will continue to be as nimble and flexible in our goal to provide you quality care. Thank you for entrusting us.
With much love,
Annie