Mobile Therapy
by Amy Schmidt
I started my mobile therapy practice after learning about it from my supervisor. She has a mobile practice and has shared stories about meeting clients in the community, resulting in my decision to start my own practice. I really enjoy meeting with clients in a more natural setting because I feel it changes the experience and is more conducive to establishing a therapeutic bond. The services offered in mobile therapy include an intake, assessment, and treatment planning used to structure the sessions enabling the process to follow a plan. Sessions are typically 60 minutes long, with the first session used for information gathering for the intake. After the intake is completed, sessions are recommended once a week until the treatment plan is completed.
Sessions are goal-oriented to facilitate the end goal of the client managing their lives on their own. My goal as a therapist is to assist the client in becoming self-sufficient and not needing a therapist.
There are different ways to structure therapy. For instance, you can actually use therapy to help clarify a single situation using just one session. Therapy can also be scheduled twice monthly or less for checking in about transitions or major life changes. I have one client that meets every six months to check in about life changes and transitions. I have another client that requests a session with only specific issues to clarify and gain an objective opinion. And I have other clients from the Child Welfare System who are required to attend therapy as a plan to get their children back from the court.
I have worked with foster and probation youth off and on for 16 years, and the work is very rewarding. The work is usually in residential settings where clients are offered services of counseling, case management, and emotional support. Clients are often struggling with history of abuse and neglect from the primary caregivers at a young age. These clients have learned from abusers how to have relationships with others with unhealthy boundaries, lack of consistency in showing love, and modeling poor relationships with significant others. Clients often develop unhealthy coping skills resulting from watching dysfunctional caregivers get their needs met by using manipulation, lies, and triangulation. I truly value my work and attempt to provide stable, consistent, and caring support to these children.
One benefit of having a mobile counseling practice such as mine is the great flexibility in location, which allows flexibility in scheduling appointments to provide convenience for the client. I prefer to meet clients in outdoor locations to maximize the benefits of exposure to nature—natural light, fresh air, open space. Exposure to sunlight is recommended especially for clients suffering from vitamin D deficiency and mental health conditions. The recommended dosage is 15-20 minutes a day, three days a week. The dosage is four times the amount for dark skin.
Along with exposure to sunlight, I also like to incorporate movement such as hiking or walking during a session to stimulate blood flow, increase oxygen intake, and use the muscles in the body. Light exercise has numerous benefits to the body and the mind.
Although spending time outdoors is beneficial, providing services in the home also provides valuable insight to the client’s world with exposure to the environment, family, pets, and client interests. The therapeutic relationship can develop quicker with inside knowledge of the client’s world. Some clients can also feel more comfortable and in control in their own home compared to an office setting. Meeting a client in the home also eliminates coordination of location and can be helpful in client attendance of sessions. If the client has children, day care is not an issue as long as the children are able to allow the client to attend a session. And if a client’s family is present, information can be gathered by observation of client interactions and relationship behavior. This information is helpful in making a thorough assessment of the client’s world and speeds up the process of developing a relationship.
Other benefits to in-home counseling include therapist exposure and understanding of the client neighborhood and community, providing information about socioeconomic status, culture, and ethnic identification. I feel that information gathered in mobile settings is incredibly helpful in making assessments and treatment planning.
Over the past year, I have met with clients outdoors, and I feel it has been well-received. Mobile counseling is a wonderful resource for low-income clients who have transportation issues. When clients realize the convenience and benefits of meeting close to their home, they are usually very receptive to the idea of mobile counseling.Amy Schmidt has been working in the counseling field since 1995, with different populations in different settings. She has the most experience working with adolescent foster youth who have been taken from their families due to abuse or neglect. Her current work involves providing counseling services at group home facilities, client homes, and in community locations such as beaches and parks. She has an office location in National City in San Diego County. For information or questions regarding services, e-mail ibcounseling@yahoo.com, call 619.737.9118, or go to her Facebook page, “Imperial Beach Counseling.”
