How do you know when it is convenient for you to go to online therapy?
The benefits of online therapy that you should take into account if you are considering choosing this modality.
Nowadays it is becoming more and more common for many people to initiate psychological therapy telematically by means of an electronic device connected to the Internet.
The level of sophistication that technology has reached is increasingly normalizing this form of psychological therapy at a distance; therefore, many people wonder whether this may be the modality of psychological support that best fits what they need, or whether it is preferable to attend face-to-face sessions with the psychologist.
For all those people who are thinking of starting a psychological therapy process online and are doubting whether it fits what they are looking for, in this article we will see the main characteristics of each of the two modalities (distance and face-to-face) and the main reasons why it may be worthwhile to opt for the less known option by most people today, that of online therapy. the main reasons why it may be worthwhile to opt for the option that is currently less known by most people, that of online therapy..
How do you know when going to online therapy is the best option?
Earlier I mentioned that online therapy is, compared to face-to-face therapy, the least known form of psychological intervention. However, this is only true at the popular level; among psychologists, this modality has been gaining a lot of popularity over the last few years, and for good reasons, as we will see.and for good reasons, as we shall see.
Online therapy, as its name suggests, is one in which the client and therapist contact each other through a telematic means of communication, usually via video call.
On the other hand, face-to-face therapy is the classic modality consisting of a session in which the client and therapist meet face-to-face in the same physical space, and in which the therapist can control the physical characteristics of the environment at all times (temperature, lighting, sound, decoration, etc.).
Why choose online therapy?
There are many reasons to choose online therapy over face-to-face therapy. Below you will find a summary of the main advantages that lead many options to opt for this modality.
1. Convenience
It is evident that the therapy that is done remotely and without moving from home, will almost always be more comfortable than the therapy in which we move to the physical office of the therapist.
Therefore, one of the strong points for choosing online therapy is the fact that we will not lose time in going to the professional's therapy center, nor will we run the risk of having to go to the therapist's office.Neither will we run the risk of arriving late, so both the client and the psychotherapist will save their time without losing it due to any mishap that may arise.
2. Cost reduction
Another advantage derived from the first one is that the fact of not having to travel also means a considerable economic saving for the person who requests the for the person requesting the therapy service, mainly in transportation costs.
3. Goodbye to geographical limitations
Telemedicine therapy will allow the person interested in being treated to choose any professional he/she chooses choose any professional he or she chooses, regardless of his or her physical location.and even carry out the therapy if one of the two is in another city or even in another country.
In the same way, any therapist will be able to offer his or her professional services online to a much larger portfolio of clients than if he or she were to do it in a classic way in a private practice.
4. Anonymity
For many people, the fact that online therapy offers a greater degree of anonymity or discretion for the client is important. Some people are wary of the idea of entering psychotherapy facilities, although there are fewer and fewer of them, due to the fact that online counseling services offer a greater degree of anonymity or discretion for the client.However, there are fewer and fewer of them, as psychological services have become more standardized over the last few decades.
The fact that we do not have to be in a waiting room, and that only the therapist knows who we are and what our problem is, can also be an advantage for many people compared to traditional therapy.
5. Choice of environment
The fact that the person can choose the space in which he or she will be located to start the consultation will also have a positive impact on the therapeutic process, since being in a familiar space is likely to reassure him or her.
The control that the client will be able to have over the physical environment in which he or she decides to initiate therapy may be another advantage that should be taken into account for anyone interested in this modality.
Thus, initiating therapy via video call may be the best way for a patient with such problems to gradually learn to communicate with another person via the screen. staying in a place where you feel safe and familiar..
Looking for online counseling?
If you are interested in attending online therapy sessions, in our list of remote psychotherapists you can find professionals who are experts in video call consultations, who can help you with any type of concern you may have. Enter comfortably through this link.
(Updated at Apr 15 / 2024)