What is the effectiveness of online psychotherapy by video call?

These are the aspects that influence the effectiveness of online psychotherapy by video call.

If there is one thing that characterizes the world of the Internet and audiovisual electronic devices, it is that their functions have diversified greatly in recent decades. 30 years ago, who would have thought that a computer could be used for therapy? And yet it has: today, online therapy by video call is a reality.

However, this might draw the attention of those who see the process of psychotherapy in a superficial way, since sitting in front of a computer offers a clearly different picture than sitting in front of a psychologist.

What happens is that scientific research on this subject shows that such a difference is only apparent: although the communication channel changes, online psychotherapy has an equivalent effectiveness to face-to-face psychotherapy, and the fact that in many cases it is cheaper is mainly due to the fact that the professional has to face fewer costs, not because it is less useful for the patient. In this article we will see which are the aspects that explain the high effectiveness of the therapy online by video call..

Why is online psychotherapy by video call effective?

These are the main reasons why the effectiveness of online therapy by video call is equivalent to "traditional" face-to-face therapy with the psychologist.

1. It is a very adaptable mode of psychotherapy.

Online psychotherapy by video call can be adapted to a Wide range of contexts.For example, it makes it possible for sessions to be interrupted even if the patient goes away for a week, or even if he has to leave the office late one day.

It is true that there are some material limitations, but these only arise in very specific cases in which it is necessary to make use of materials that the patient does not have and that are in the psychologist's office; nothing that cannot be foreseen or remedied by other intervention methodologies that are compatible with the online format.

2. It makes it possible to take non-verbal language into account

Not so long ago, most households did not have the possibility of having a video call service in which the data transmission was fluid and the image quality was good.

Fortunately, nowadays this has changed a lot, and that is why video call sessions without technical problems and in which you can see the other person in good picture and sound quality and in real time are totally normal, no one is surprised. and in real time are completely normal, no one is surprised. And this plays a role in the effectiveness of online therapy.

Being able to see the non-verbal language of the patients in real time makes it easy for psychologists to adapt their communication style to what they hear the patient say. to what they hear the other person say, correctly inferring the real meaning of sentences beyond their literal meaning, and knowing more about the emotional state of the interlocutor.

Considering that in psychotherapy it is essential to make patients feel comfortable so that they can express their fears and concerns openly and without reservation, it is natural that research shows that online therapy by video call is effective: sitting still, the vast majority of the nonverbal information expressed by the other person is captured by the camera.

3. It allows the establishment of a good therapeutic alliance

The therapeutic alliance is the bond between therapist and patient that is established in the context of the psychological intervention, both in the sessions and in the time that elapses between them, and in which an agreement is generated on the objectives to be achieved and the means to be used to achieve them. Thus, is linked to a mutual respect and a sense of identification with the other, which, of course, is always which, of course, always takes the form of a professional relationship, not a friendship.

Although it is appropriate for both to deal with each other only when there is a reserved time and it has been agreed beforehand to work on the problem affecting the patient, the therapeutic alliance also takes shape when the patient is living his or her daily life without the direct supervision of the professional and without talking to him or her at that moment.

The therapeutic alliance is a large part of what makes it possible for the patient to commit himself to the therapeutic process, even though he knows that it demands a lot from him.The therapeutic alliance is a good part of what makes it possible for the patient to commit to the therapeutic process, even knowing that this will require him to leave his comfort zone and make short-term efforts in order to benefit from it in the long term. This link with the psychotherapist is the push that helps the patient to progress and reach the therapy goals, that is, a source of self-motivation and confidence in a professional trained precisely to help in these cases.

In online therapy by video call, it has been seen that the strength of the therapeutic alliance is comparable to that produced in face-to-face sessions.In this sense, it has a fundamental advantage over other forms of psychological intervention at a distance, such as chat sessions with psychologists. In the latter, since there is no real-time audio and video exchange, it is more difficult to "connect" with the psychologists, as the treatment is perceived as more impersonal and distant.

4. Provides extra discretion

For many people, it is a challenge to go to an unfamiliar place and start talking about their lives and the aspects of their lives that they would like to improve. Although the psychology centers try to offer discretion and always offer the possibility of talking to the psychologist in quiet rooms where privacy is available, the truth is that this cannot compete with that offered by the online modality, since in the latter it is not even necessary to go to the health center or the psychology center or office.

That is why in some cases the patient is able to relax more, feeling that he is going to therapy without leaving a place he knows well.. When the patient's attention can be focused solely on making sure that the therapy is going well, not being "on alert" because of anxiety, the results obtained are better and the treatment is much more likely to flow well.

Looking for professional psychological support?

If you are going through a bad time and there are aspects of your way of thinking, feeling or behaving that you want to change, contact our team of professionals. At Avance Psychologists we have been working in the field of psychotherapy for more than 20 years, and we attend both in person at our center in Madrid and through online therapy by video call, if you prefer.

In addition to offering individualized psychotherapy for people of all ages, we also perform other types of related services: couples therapy, speech therapy, coaching, and psychiatric and neuropsychological assistance. You will find more information about the way we work (as well as our contact details) on this page.

Bibliographical references:

• Abbott, J.A.M.; Klein, B. & Ciechomski, L. (2008). Best Practices in Online Therapy. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 26: pp. 360 - 375.
• 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. Social Science & Medicine, 71: pp. 1308 – 1315.
• Cohen, G. & Kerr, B. (1998). Computer-mediated counseling: an empirical study of a new mental health treatment. Computers in Human Services, 15(4): pp. 13 - 26.
• Gratzer, D. y Khalid-Khan, F. (2016). Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy in the treatment of psychiatric illness. CMAJ, 188(4) pp. 263 – 272.
• Rees, C.S. & Haythornthwaite, S. (2011). Telepsychology and videoconferencing: Issues, opportunities and guidelines for psychologists. Australian Psychologist, https://doi.org/10.1080/00050060412331295108