ONLINE THERAPY
Have You Considered Seeing An Online Therapist, But Are Not Sure If It’s As Effective As Traditional In-Person Counseling?
Are you looking to make a change in your life and have been considering seeing a therapist? Have you been reading about online counseling and are interested in finding out more? You may be wondering if online therapy is as effective as traditional counseling. Perhaps you are worried that something is lost or missing when there is a computer screen between you and the online therapist.
It Is Normal To Have Reservations About Something That Feels So New And Impersonal
The world has been going digital for some time now and counseling is no exception. Although online psychotherapy has been around for the past decade, it was not until recently that it became more common place. In fact, many private practice therapists now offer some form of e therapy. If you are reading this page, it is likely that you are in pain and looking to find relief. The good news is that research is very clear that online counseling is just as effective as in person counseling and may even come with some benefits. Our years struggling through the Covid 10 pandemic have pushed us all online in a lot of ways, with plenty of new research supporting the effectiveness of telehealth.
Virtual Counseling Has Proven To Be As Effective As Traditional Counseling
Like most therapists, we were both skeptical of online therapy and kept it at an arm’s length for years. We had a lot of the same reservations you may have. We thought that it might be impersonal, that you need to be tech savvy, and you would miss out on non-verbal cues. Most of all it would just feel artificial. We are here to tell you that none of these concerns have turned out to be true.
We have found that people are more comfortable in their homes than the office setting, and that the “meat” of therapy tends to happen quicker. Happily, more and more research has supported our personal experience. It has shown that people tend to be less inhibited and more “themselves” behind a computer screen. This increase in authenticity is valuable in therapy and helps the client and therapist move more quickly towards, ultimately, pain relief. Perhaps all those years staring at our phones have some benefits after all.😊
Open Up In A More Familiar And Comfortable Environment
Although therapists try their best to make you feel comfortable, many people have trouble opening up in an office environment. Being somewhere that makes you feel at ease can make your therapy sessions more pleasant and effective. Our clients tell us that their favorite thing about working with us is that they can attend sessions from their home, office, or even on their smart phone in their car. By being able to work from home, it also frees us up to offer sessions at non-traditional times or weekends. We don’t have to drive to the office or deal with traffic either!
While some individuals have difficulty expressing themselves in an office environment, others find themselves facing the opposite problem: the therapy sessions seem to be progressing well. After only a few sessions, they feel they have made substantial progress and improvement. However, when they try to implement the changes they learned in therapy, nothing seems to work. It turns out that the therapist’s office can become an artificial safe space, where you momentarily become a different person. Although this can feel empowering for an hour, you will need to implement these changes in the real world. Online therapy allows you to get treatment in an environment where you can be true to yourself.
Of course, virtual counseling is not appropriate for all psychological concerns, and it should not be relied upon for crisis intervention.
Online Counseling May Be Right For You If:
You have difficulty traveling to a therapist’s office due to health or scheduling constraints
You don’t have time to commute to appointments
You feel more comfortable in your home environment
You can only arrange therapy appointments after regular business hours
You have young children or family commitments at home
You hate traffic and waiting rooms😊
You live abroad or in a remote location
What If I Am Not Tech Savvy?
No problem here. Most of us can open a browser or click on a link. Our tele-counseling platform makes things as simple as logging into your secure portal and clicking on a link. The HIPPA secure platform does the rest.
Is My Personal Information Secure?
Just like in the traditional office setting, keeping confidentiality in a therapy session is of primary importance. The electronic health record and video conferencing software we use is deemed HIPPA secure. This basically means that your electronic information and our video sessions are protected at multiple points and levels with fancy sounding tech words that ensure confidentiality.
How Does It Work?
It’s simple, really. You can access your sessions through your computer, tablet or smart phone. All you need is Wi-Fi or a strong data signal. Once you create an account through our teleconferencing site, you simply login and set an appointment on our virtual calendar that works with your schedule. At the time of the appointment you either click a link sent to your email address or login through the portal and the session begins.
Why Work With Us?
Allison and I are both board certified Tele-Mental Health Counselors with over 25 years of experience between us. Our therapy is warm and nonjudgmental. We create a safe and comfortable space for you to work through whatever is hurting you. We can help you identify patterns in your life that are no longer serving you. Ultimately, we believe that all of us have what we need internally to heal. Sometimes it just takes a caring guide to gently help us step out of our own way. Let us help you discover what stands in the way of your wellbeing.
Call To Schedule An Appointment With An Online Therapist
If you are ready to get relief from the pain you are feeling, I encourage you to contact us today though the “contact me” page on our site, or you can also call us at 850-290-2020. We offer a free 15- to 20-minute consultation to see if we would be a good fit to work together.
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