Keep Teletherapy Sessions Focused When Distractions Appear
Distractions are inevitable during teletherapy sessions, but they don't have to derail meaningful progress with clients. This article shares practical strategies for managing interruptions and maintaining therapeutic focus in remote mental health sessions. Experts in the field offer proven techniques to handle common challenges while keeping the work on track.
Take a Quick Movement Break
In my remote sessions, attention wanders. I suggest a quick 90-second movement break. Clients can stand up, stretch, or pace around while we stay on the line. Then we each state one simple goal for the rest of our time. This helps us refocus without any awkwardness and usually gets us back on track for the rest of the hour.
Invite a Brief Presence Reset
I also use what I call a 20-second presence reset. I'll start by saying, "Let's take a moment so that we can both get back in the room fully." And then I give my client permission to silence their notifications, make sure their camera and headphones are right where they should be, and just take a grounding breath before we resume. The important part is that I frame it as a collaborative invitation, not an intervention. In teletherapy, the distinction isn't really "you're doing this incorrectly"; it is "this time is important, and I'd like to defend it together."
Name the Hiccup and Explore
Being curious and paying attention to the hiccup is my ritual. It's the opposite of shaming and can lead to interesting insights, such as issues and emotions being avoided by multitasking. Or it might be a child who is not only disturbing my client right now but terrorizing the household, construction work next door that drives the client crazy without her ever mentioning it, or difficulties asserting the purchase of new technical gear in the relationship. The hiccup, once named, frequently turns out to be useful material.
Use Calm Humor and Gentle Redirects
I don't have one set ritual because every client is different. It really depends on the rapport I have with the client and what's happening in the moment. I've found that trying to rigidly control distractions can sometimes create more disconnection than the distraction itself. If technology glitches, a pet makes an appearance, or there's unexpected background noise, I may use a little levity and normalize it as part of the reality of telehealth. Other times, I'll gently redirect by summarizing what we were discussing before the interruption or by intentionally recapturing the emotional tone we had established. Modeling curiosity and calm in a non-reactive way often helps clients re-engage without feeling corrected or shamed. The goal is to help find our way back to the conversation together, not necessarily perfect focus. It also helps to be prepared ahead of time with backup options, such as alternative video platforms, and to review in advance with clients what to expect if technology fails so we are not scrambling in the moment.
