Online psychotherapy in times of coronavirus

These are several key ideas on which online therapy apkicada to the context of pandemic is based.

Numerous mental health specialists are warning that when the most critical stage of the coronavirus ends, another epidemic will arrive: that of mental disorders. another epidemic: that of mental disorders..

Many of the anticipated consequences of quarantine and the associated social and physical distancing measures are themselves key risk factors for mental health problems. are themselves key risk factors for mental health problems.. These include alcohol abuse, technological addictions, and depression stemming from loneliness and relationship breakdown.

We are social beings by nature and need physical and emotional contact in order to function normally.

The psychological impact of these times of pandemic and confinement.

In addition to the social stress caused by isolation, a massive UK survey of the population during confinement revealed the cause of this new mental health epidemic: the tremendous uncertainty we will have to face..

The survey showed the enormous impact of widespread worries arising from massive job losses and economic hardship on well-being, associated with anxiety, depression and social unrest.

It is a priority for the population to prepare itself internally to face the challenges ahead.Psychology is a science that can provide numerous personal resources for this purpose.

What to do? Keys to develop in online therapy

Here are 3 resources that, in my experience, are key and that can be that can be developed in an online psychotherapy process..

1. Mental training for calmness and lucidity

Developing self-control and relaxation skills is vital to prevent stress and face crisis situations with greater clarity. These skills can be developed can be developed through Mindfulness and autogenic relaxation exercises..

Emotional intelligence and social skills

The key to combating social isolation is to develop an adequate management of emotions. On many occasions, instead of learning to resolve their relational conflicts and to manage their emotions properly, people decide to alleviate their discomfort with drugs or psychotropic drugs for anxiety, causing an aggravation of these emotional problems.

3. Self-knowledge

If we want to make good decisions for our future and be able to adapt to new changes, we must invest in getting to know our own functioning better. The mental state in which we currently find ourselves is the result of decisions and habits that we have repeated in the past.

Does online psychotherapy really work?

It is possible that we believe that paying for a psychotherapy process is not a priority at the moment and we decide to save that money for other expenses considered essential: food, clothing, entertainment.

However, it escapes us that If we do not invest in our well-being, we cannot enjoy any of the other things we value so much in our visa: food, clothes, entertainment. that we value so much in our lives: possessions, relationships, and enjoyable experiences.

In mental health and in medicine in general there is a maxim that is unfortunately often forgotten. Investing in prevention is infinitely less costly and more effective than investing in treatment.. Waiting for the problem to get worse until it blows up in our face is not an intelligent solution.

Usually, the processes of psychotherapy are usually carried out in a face-to-face manner in the psychologist's office. However, prior to this confinement, my experience in psychotherapy processes through digital platforms (Zoom, Skype) was already consolidated..

At the beginning there is a period of adaptation, and if the client is not very used to interacting through a screen, it can be a bit strange. However, after a few sessions the situation usually normalizes and it feels almost as if we were physically present: that is the magic of the psychotherapeutic relationship..

During the confinement, I have continued to treat patients in online sessions who have never before used the computer or telephone for anything similar, and the results have been very favorable.

Conclusion

Humans have a characteristic capacity for adaptation, one of our hallmarks. It is attitudes of resistance to change that tend to hold us back and leave us paralyzed.. However, the digital era of telework and screens is being imposed on us from the outside and very soon we will have it totally normalized in our lives.

If you wish to obtain more information about how to start an online psychotherapy process or resolve any doubt about it, you can consult a professional psychologist through the Directory of Psychologists.