Online counseling is a great way to get all the benefits of good psychotherapy without the hassle of traffic and travel to get to a therapist’s office by a certain time. This is good news for those who are housebound or live in rural areas with no therapy services, or for those who simply don’t have more than an hour at a time to set aside for emotional and psychological support.
What it is?
Video counseling is like skyping with a therapist, via a secure portal. You can have therapy at the touch of a button – literally – making it more convenient than ever to access healthy support around chronic emotional issues that drain and drag you down. You can get help any time, anywhere. All you need is access to the internet.
Telephone therapy is what is says it is, you talk with a therapist by phone from the comfort and convenience of, well, anywhere. You don’t even have to shower, shave or make yourself presentable in any way, which can be a relief in itself.
Research consistently demonstrates the therapeutic benefits of talk therapy to actively address and relieve a range of issues, from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and work stress, to trauma, PTSD and a host of others. Research also suggests that online therapy enables clients to get to root issues more quickly, this is thought to be because they are generally more relaxed in a setting that is more personal and familiar to them. They are not carrying the stress of having fought through traffic to get to a new environment to talk about their personal issues.
As a therapist, I have the specific skill set needed to engage with my clients online and you won’t miss out on what I offer clients who meet in my office.
Pros
- The convenience and comfort of being in your own space can help you feel more motivated to follow through with your personal therapy goals.
- Being in the privacy of your own space can eliminate the worry of possibly running into a friend or neighbor in the waiting room.
- There are no commute issues which saves you time and money.
- It is a great option for the housebound, those who travel, or those not in my immediate area.
- Couples therapy can still happen even if you are in different locations because we can participate in a three way conference video.
Cons
- If you have a slow internet connection it could cause annoying interruptions in your online session.
- If part of your goal is to work on increasing social connections then online video counseling wouldn’t meet that goal.
- You or your therapist may lose some of the body language and cues that you would see during in person therapy.
Clearly there are more reasons to engage in online therapy than not. The road to a new you could be just a click or call away.