So you’ve taken the first step, you’ve decided to try out therapy – congratulations!
Then you’re faced with the daunting task of choosing a therapist (been there – not easy, right?). You’re browsing through a list of therapists and see that some offer online therapy as well as face-to-face.
You may find yourself asking Is online therapy really as good as in person? Or maybe you’re thinking, What do they even mean by online therapy?
Well, you’re in the right place!
Let’s dig into what online therapy is and how it compares to the traditional therapist’s office.
So what exactly is online therapy?
It’s exactly what it says on the tin. It’s traditional talking and/or behaviour therapy that is provided via a secure online platform such as Zoom or Skype.
You still meet with a qualified and insured therapist once a week (or fortnight) to work through whatever life issues you are facing. Through secure video and audio connections, you can speak with and see your therapist as if you were there in the room with them.
You are sent a link via email that will allow you into the virtual therapy room at an agreed upon time and date. All you do is click the link and voilà! You’re in the session, all from the comfort of your own space.
As long as you have a device with a camera that can access the internet, and a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed, you have all you need to get started working with an online therapist.
Still feeling a bit unsure? Fear not my friend – let’s dive into all of the ways that online therapy can be a great option!
What Are the Pro’s of Online Therapy?
- Convenience
Being able to connect to your therapy session from the comfort of your own home, or wherever you may be, makes it so much more convenient than commuting to a therapist’s office.
No travel time means you have a much greater flexibility when it comes to scheduling appointments around your daily life. If you have children, you have the option to schedule an appointment for after the kiddos are asleep and you have some quiet time, but without the need to find childcare and leave the house. Or maybe the only time you can make it is early morning before you start work but don’t want to add an hour onto your already hectic commute. The convenience it affords you is a real win.
The one thing to consider here however, is confidentiality. You will still need to find a quiet space where you can speak freely and not risk being overheard or distracted – your bus journey home from work just won’t cut it.
- Choice
When you look for a therapist within a certain geographical area you are inevitably going to be limited to a select few options. For people living in remote areas, this will be even more noticeable with possibly just 2 or 3 to choose from – and depending just how remote you are, the chances of knowing this person begin to increase.
Enter online therapy – where you instantly open up a whole new pool of potential matches. Finding the right therapist for you is arguably the most important part of therapy and working online makes this a lot easier.
- Cost
Online therapy can be a significantly cheaper option and therefore makes support so much more accessible for many people.
If we take for example, you have 2 therapists with the same qualifications and experience. One works out of an office in central London and charges £200/hour, the other works from home, online, in rural Wales and charges £50/hour.
Neither is better than the other. Their geographical situation just dictates how much they can realistically charge. If you choose to have therapy online, you’re no longer restricted to paying the price for your area.
- Accessibility
Physical conditions and differing access needs can make in person sessions problematic for some.
Online sessions allow you to access the same level of support without having to worry about the logistics of an office. This is also true for people struggling with certain anxiety disorders.
For example, for someone dealing with extreme social anxiety who is unable to leave their home, having to physically travel to a therapist’s office can be the biggest barrier to accessing support. Online therapy can help to bridge the gap and to provide a gateway into support that may have otherwise felt impossible.
- Specialisation
It is often a good idea to choose a therapist that specialises in the area that you need support with, or that specialises in a specific type of therapy.
Depending on what that specialisation is, you may not find a therapist in your local area that meets your wants and needs – unless of course you are prepared to travel each week for your session.
Virtual sessions give you the opportunity to work with a therapist who specialises in your chosen field but perhaps lives hundreds of miles away.
- Research
Studies show that online therapy is as effective, and at times more effective, than in person sessions¹.
A study out of The University of Oxford showed that online CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) proved to be extremely effective in supporting people with social anxiety. Not only is it effective but in this particular study it proved actually to be a more efficient way of working – with online averaging 6.5 contact hours to see improvement vs. 19 contact hours in traditional in person therapy².
Other studies have shown that online behaviour therapy has also proved to be effective when treating ADHD, Depression and a multitude of Anxiety Disorders ³.
But, Like Everything, It Has It’s Limitations….
Whilst there are numerous advantages to online therapy it is important to note that it doesn’t suit everyone. For example:
- Online sessions are not appropriate for serious psychiatric illnesses that need high levels of critical care. This is for the safety and wellbeing of clients – safeguarding should always be your therapist’s main objective.
- It’s also important to consider how comfortable you are working with technology. If the idea of Zoom causes you to break out in a sweat, then perhaps you’re better suited to in person sessions – and that’s okay too!
- Technology has its limitations – there will be times where connections lag and screens freeze. As long as you have a backup option this really is negligible, but it’s something to consider nonetheless.
That being said, we can’t deny that the benefits of online therapy are plentiful and it’s a way of working that we can safely assume is here to stay – and will hopefully continue to grow.
If you’re still on the fence about online therapy, perhaps the best way to understand it is to give it a try? Maybe it’s not for you, or maybe it’s the start of your therapy journey.
1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887618517304474?via%3Dihub
