What is the effectiveness of online psychological therapy?

These are the main elements involved in the effectiveness of online psychotherapy.

As the Internet expands to respond to all kinds of human needs, so do the variants of psychological therapy.

That is why while about 15 years ago the idea of "going to the psychologist" via the Internet was considered a rarity, today it is part of normality. In fact, it is one of the services most in demand by patients, and it is becoming more and more so.

None of this is by chance: psychological intervention at a distance combines a series of very significant advantages, on the one hand, with a characteristic to be taken into account, and that is that in most cases, its effects are just as intense and lasting as those of face-to-face therapy, which takes place in the same room as the psychotherapist. In the following lines we will explore just this topic: the effectiveness of online psychotherapy..

The characteristics of online therapy

Let's start with the basics: what is online therapy? It is, basically, the psychological intervention in patients carried out by professionals of the psychology and that using the Internet as a communication channel.. This means that, in practice, patient and therapist can communicate in real time despite being miles away from each other.

Nowadays, more and more psychotherapy centers and psychologists offer online therapy.It is a highly demanded option due to the advantages it offers and its potential to access a wide variety of patients.

The efficacy of online psychotherapy: 4 reasons why it is of great help

Although the differences between online therapy and "classic" face-to-face therapy are evident, this does not translate into differences in their effectiveness. does not translate into differences in their efficacy.. Research shows that, in general, both the intensity of the changes in patients' lives and the duration of these changes are virtually the same.

However, this is not surprising; there are several reasons why interacting with the psychotherapist via the Internet does not result in a significant part of the effects of the psychological intervention being lost. Let us see what they are.

1. The video call option captures nonverbal language.

Nowadays, the technology used for video call connections makes communication fluid and in real time both in terms of sound and image. This makes that, unless the Internet connection is very bad, talking by video call with the psychologist is very similar to being in front of him.

This fact helps to establish the therapeutic bondThis is necessary for patients to connect emotionally with the therapeutic process, to express themselves openly and honestly in front of the professional and, ultimately, to commit to the therapeutic process.

2. Helps patients to be calmer

Since we do not need to go to the psychologist's office, online therapy offers the possibility of having professional support without leaving home, in an environment that is familiar to us..

In addition, the possibility of avoiding exposure to sources of stress and fatigue during the journey (for example, due to bus delays, fear of someone seeing us enter the consultation, etc.) is, for some people, something that also makes a difference.

3. Much of the work is done between sessions

Psychotherapy is much more than what happens during the sessions with the psychologist.

It should not be forgotten that going through psychological therapy to overcome a problem or to satisfy a need is more like receiving a training than participating in a normal conversation, and that the most important advances are made in the course of the sessions.The most important advances occur not while talking to the professional, but in day-to-day life, following the guidelines learned in those sessions and applying them in our lives and in the contexts to which we are usually exposed.

And, of course, what happens between each of these "meetings" is the same regardless of whether we resort to online or face-to-face therapy.

4. Gives access to more tools

Something as simple as having immediate access to a computer helps to have more support resources available throughout the sessions.. This can be very useful in certain treatments.

Are you looking for online psychotherapy services from experts?

If you are interested in having the support of psychology professionals with many years of experience and who offer online therapy with all the guarantees, we invite you to contact us. At Avance Psicólogos we have more than 20 years of experience helping people of all ages, and our team of psychologists has been helping people of all ages for more than 20 years., and our team of psychologists attends both in our center located in Madrid and from the modality through the Internet.

Bibliographical references:

• Change, D. (2008). The Effectiveness of Telemental Health Applications. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 53: pp. 769 - 778.
• Change, D.J. (2010). Empirical evidence on the use and effectiveness of telepsychiatry via videoconferencing: implications for forensic and correctional psychiatry. Soc Sci Med 71: pp. 1308 – 1315.
• González-Peña, P., Torres, R., Del Barrio, V., y Olmedo, M. (2017). Uso de la tecnología en la práctica psicológica en España. Infocop.
• Zack, Jason; Stricker, George (2004). Kraus, Ron, ed. Online counseling: a handbook for mental health professionals. Amsterdam: Academic.