Online Therapy In California and Oregon For Skeptical Trauma Survivors
Online counseling brings up many questions for people with past hurts or traumas that want to start healing. Can past hurts or traumas truly get better? And if they can, is it really possible for healing to happen through online therapy? Below you will find some facts that I hope put your mind at ease that you can heal from your past and yes, it can be done online.
Reasons Why Online Therapy Really Can Help You Heal!
Technology Has Made Advances That Make It Just As Effective As In Person Therapy. Video sessions make it possible to see and connect with each other and your therapist can still share assignments and coping skills with you that you can practice in the video session and throughout your week.
Just About Any Therapy A Counselor Would Do In Person Can Be Done Online. It may look a little different, but I honestly cannot think of an intervention I would do in the office that cannot be done online. Even somatic or EMDR interventions can be done online. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy can be done online. Anger management skills can be taught online. Relapse Prevention skills for substance use and addictions can be done online. Marriage and family counseling can be done online. Play Therapy and Art Therapy can be done online. And I can tell you from doing trauma work both ways, that it works just as well both ways. In fact, some people say they prefer online as it gives more distance between you and the counselor which can feel more comfortable for some, especially those with social anxiety.
Online Counseling Gives Your Therapist More Information And This Helps Them Create Better Interventions For You. As you are often in your home or somewhere you are comfortable, people often are more open and interactions between family members become more clear which helps your therapist know better what might help you and your family heal.
For Those With Busy Schedules Or Who Are Caregivers, It Can Be Less Stressful That Planning How To Make Therapy Fit Your Schedule. For many, it can be a relief to not have to worry about how to get from one place to another on time and it is nice to have one less thing to stress about.
A Nice Side Benefit Of Doing Counseling From Home Is Having Things Around You That Comfort You And Make Talking About Painful Things Easier. So many people tell me how it comforts them to have their pet with them or be talking about trauma while petting their cat or dog. The same is true of having a favorite blanket or pillow or the comfort of sitting on your own couch where you are comfortable. This helps regulate your brain and can keep you in the present rather than feeling you are back in the past as can often happen when talking about past hurts.
I hope this information helps you find the right therapist whether you choose to do in person therapy on online counseling. If you are still feeling stuck or have questions, 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 in your life and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with anxiety counseling, depression counseling, or counseling for trauma or PTSD, you can read more about how I can help here.