Online Therapy And How Technology Helps Make This As Effective As In Person Therapy

When you think of therapy, it’s not likely you think of online therapy. You probably think of maybe a couch, lounge chairs, or a desk maybe. If your familiar with therapy with children, perhaps you think of a play room. But as technology continues to change our lives, it is also changing how we do therapy.

Online therapy is different from in person therapy with it’s own benefits and guidelines of who benefits the most from it. See Online Counseling- Does It Work and Is It As Effective As Going To See A Therapist, if you want more info on this and the effectiveness of online therapy.

While its not face to face, it allows the counselor and client to be face to face though their computers and webcams. This lets them communicate in real time with many of the benefits of in person therapy and some additional benefits as well.

There are many reasons to choose the online approach. Those with social anxiety or fear of leaving their home tend to especially like this approach. Those responsible for caregiving or that have very busy schedules often like it as well. It can also give you access to counselors with specialties that may not exist in your local area.

Technology has also made many advances that help improve online therapy such as screen sharing. This means your therapist can show you on your screen assignments or strategies they want you to work on using. If it is hard to say something you have the option of using chat to tell them. You can also show your therapist things you want them to see through screen sharing. Technology also has made certain techniques more accessible like EMDR with programs that connect to your video and allow you to see the eye movements needed for this approach across your screen. All of these things are possible on most of the video platforms. If you have questions about this, ask your counselor about this.

So, are there any drawbacks to online therapy? Sometimes, it can be more difficult for the therapist to see body language so you may need to verbalize things like body sensations you are feeling. This can also be a difficult way to do therapy for those that struggle with technology. Though the technology piece has become a lot easier now with the therapist able to email a link that takes you directly to the video session, it may still not be preferable for some people.

Another question many have is whether it is safe and secure. The programs most therapists use have encryption and many other safety features in place, but there is always a risk with the internet of a hacker finding your information so you will need to decide if this is an acceptable risk or if in person therapy feels better to you.

Whether you plan to do online or in person counseling, mental health is crucial to our overall well being, and with all the new technology developments, therapy is becoming more and more available to those who need it.

I hope this helps you find the right therapist whether it is online or in person. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call me at (707) 954- 7060 for a free 15 minute consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with anxiety counseling, depression counseling, or trauma counseling, you can read more about how I help here.