Virtual Backgrounds for Therapists
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Whether you’ve moved your practice totally virtual or you’re offering only a few telehealth sessions, chances are you’ve spent some time thinking about your therapist office background and the impact it may have on your sessions. As telehealth care becomes the norm, private practitioners will have to find new and creative ways to bring the same energy and intention they would have brought to their physical office spaces. And a carefully-chosen virtual office background is a great way to do just that.
Why have a virtual office background?
If you’re offering your telehealth sessions from your home, even if you have a dedicated office space, you may not want clients to see what’s happening in your background. A virtual therapist office background helps protect your privacy, and also helps make sure your clients won’t be distracted by anything that may be going on in your background.
You can choose a background image that emulates the energy and style that you would want to have in a physical office space, so you can set the tone of your sessions and the work you’re doing with clients. Here are some examples of different therapist office backgrounds you can use in your practice.
Soothing patterned office background
A simple, calming pattern like this is a great way to take focus away from whatever is happening around you and bring it back to the work you’re doing with your clients.
By using unobtrusive patterns in soothing colors, you’ll also be able to set a calm and grounded mood for your sessions and encourage your clients to fully relax and be present in your work together.
Download our free virtual therapist backgrounds bundle to see some additional different color and pattern options you can use for your practice.
Open & airy office background
A virtual background like this one is bright, with lots of natural light—something that makes sense in a physical office space as well as a virtual one. The bright, open feeling and the greenery behind you sets a welcoming mood that encourages clients to feel at ease and open up to you.
At the same time, there’s not too much to take in, so your clients are less likely to be distracted or thrown off by the virtual office background that you’ve chosen.
A vibrant, modern office background
If you generally work from a traditional-looking home office and have to move for some reason for one session, it might make the transition less bumpy for your clients to choose a virtual office background that pretty closely mimics your actual office.
The camera angle of a therapist office background like this one positions you in such a way that it looks like you could really be in this space, and that this might be what’s behind you.
How to choose your therapist office background
When it comes to actually choosing your virtual office background, you have unique considerations as a mental health provider. Think through your client base, and if any of them might be thrown off if you have different backgrounds each time.
Some clinicians might opt to always have the same background, to make sure they set the mood for their sessions with the same intention each time. Plus, the therapist office background you choose can help set your telehealth sessions apart from other video calls your clients may have had that day, so they can get the most out of their time with you.
How virtual office backgrounds can work with your EHR
There are a lot of telehealth platform options for therapists to provide virtual care. Most EHRs that include telehealth should also include the option to blur your background or choose a virtual office background.
SimplePractice’s telehealth feature has virtual backgrounds built right into the product, so you can choose the one that feels like the best fit for you, your practice, and your clients.
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