As a psychodynamic trained therapist providing telehealth, I believe voice sessions provide the lack of visual cues that can allow for more inward focus and for the unconscious to make a grand appearance.
Voice sessions focus more on asking questions about emotions and clients can feel greater freedom to share deep feelings or memories when they don’t have to look me in the face, and this allows greater space to do good work.
Voices can carry nuances within the patterns of rhythm, speed, inflection, tone.... that gives information needed regarding how a client is feeling in the moment. When the distractions of the visual world are removed, our hearing becomes more sensitive.
Clients find freedom speaking into a phone with no one else in the room, and they address subjects they otherwise wouldn’t. These moments are acknowledged and we explore what it might feel like to be vulnerable with someone who’s actually present with them.
Video sessions have much more intensity than sitting across the room from someone. In person clients can look around, look away, move freely...while on video clients tend to stare at the screen making it harder to maintain natural eye contact and also can create an expectation around important moments of silence.
Voice sessions can create a close connection and provides the safe space for clients to explore. learn, heal, and grow!