The COVID-19 pandemic has paved the way for the popularity of online mental health services. As quarantines and lockdowns have inhibited people from attending their appointments, both clients and mental health counselors have turned to remote meetings. These provide a safe and accessible way to stay in touch thru email, phone, text, or videoconferencing.
Even as things slowly return to normal, online therapy is here to stay. Its accessibility and convenience are a huge draw for many clients, enabling them to talk with a professional from the comfort of their own homes.
This is especially true for those who are just getting mental health services for the first time. Online therapy, in fact, may be the option for many people today.
How does online therapy differ from in-person therapy?
Conventional psychotherapy or in-person therapy involves meeting with a therapist or a counselor at a set time and date. This is usually done at the provider’s office, along with real-time conversation or speaking face to face. This promotes closeness or quality interaction, with the therapist picking up insights into what you’re feeling through your tone of voice and body language.
Online therapy, meanwhile, provides several options for communicating. It is common for many mental health professionals to also provide online services to their clients. There are also third-party websites that help people find and connect with licensed therapists, with a few offering free online therapy trials. Online services usually include messaging via text, email, or phone, as well as live video sessions.
What is psychotherapy?
Both online and in-person therapy usually involves psychotherapy or talk therapy. It is a type of mental health treatment based on conversations with a trained mental health professional. Talk therapy aims to help people cope and heal in the face of adversities. In most cases, it involves talking or discussing parts of life that you’d wish to cope with better or improve.
Psychotherapy can help with problems or difficulties in daily life. These include: stress, trauma, loss of a loved one, and mental health disorders like anxiety disorders or depression. It can be conducted individually or as a group and be combined with medication.
Why CBT?
There are also different types of psychotherapy, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as one of the most researched methods. CBT focuses on helping clients identify and improve thought patterns that negatively affect emotions and behaviors. It involves using a range of self-help strategies to change and destructive thinking patterns.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is designed to improve quality of life and can be effective in treating anxiety and depression. It can also help reduce stress, deal with grief, handle relationship issues, and face other life challenges.
Why online therapy is an option for many people today
Some of our experiences are just tough to process and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more difficult. It intensified our longing for normalcy or what things used to be, contributing to more worry and stress on the things we’re going through.
This is where professional help in the form of online counseling or therapy can be beneficial. Below are the reasons why it may be an option for people nowadays.
Easy access with fewer physical barriers
For those who are already struggling with anxiety, depression, or hectic schedules, getting to an in-person therapy session can be a struggle. From scheduling the appointment to getting dressed and fighting the traffic, these steps can add more stress and social anxiety that may then prevent the client from moving forward with therapy.
There are also other barriers: physical disabilities, chronic illness, inability to take time off work, living far away, and others. These, however, are not a problem with online therapy. You can begin your first online therapy sessions and continue your appointment anytime and anywhere if you have an Internet connection. This brings the benefit of feeling more at ease, encouraging you to open up more.
Less anxiety and complete privacy
One underlying reason people don’t seek mental help is shame or embarrassment. There’s also this belief that sharing or getting help is a sign of weakness, along with the popular myth that therapy is for crazy people. The sad part about shame and believing such misconceptions is that this stigma prevents us or makes us think twice about getting support.
With online therapy, however, mental support is just a click away. You won’t have to worry about seeing someone you know at a therapist’s office, as you can schedule and attend your online therapy sessions without going out.
You can also choose the mode of communication you feel most comfortable with. There’s the option to keep the webcam off and just stick to phone or text messaging.
Cost-effective according to studies
Several studies suggest that online therapy can be beneficial in treating anxiety, depression, and trauma. A 2014 study found that it was just as effective as an in-person treatment for depression. Another study published in the same year also suggested that online CBT was effective for treating anxiety disorders, with sustained improvements at one-year follow-up.
When it comes to depression, analyses of 17 studies found that CBT online may be more effective than in-person counseling. And when compared to face-to-face therapy, this method was also found to be cost-effective for many clients.
Internet-delivered CBT, according to another review of studies, was also found to be effective in treating panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias.
More comfortable (and accessible) for many people
Many of us are turning to online technology not just for work, but also when interacting or catching up with friends. Online therapy provides a safe space that makes it a bit easier or comfortable than talking face-to-face with someone. This is particularly beneficial when sharing personal experiences or private information.
As online therapy makes mental health care more accessible, it can break the stigma associated with mental health issues. It can help you learn more about your mental health or help you become stronger even if you feel like you’re doing fine.
Online therapy can also lead to better emotional health, as it can teach you coping strategies and help you learn more about yourself.
Can help with a variety of mental health issues
Online therapy can help in managing different aspects of mental health, such as:
- Anxiety and depression
- Stress
- LGBTQ+ issues
- PTSD
- Emotional abuse
- Eating disorders
- Relationship issues
- Anger management
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Interpersonal relationships
- Grief or loss
- Bipolar disorder
While online therapy can be beneficial for a number of issues, it is not the best option if you have a condition that requires direct or in-person care. This is especially true for severe mental illnesses. You can talk to your therapist and doctor in-person about your concerns to find or know the most suitable way to get care for your individual case.
Other benefits you may not have realized
Talk therapy or mental health support can help you achieve good overall health, aside from eating healthy, exercising regularly, and getting adequate sleep.
Below are a few other benefits of online therapy you may not have realized before:
- Reduce workplace stress – If you find yourself overwhelmed with hectic deadlines, heavy workloads, and office conflict, therapy is worth considering. This will help you discover the reasons for your stress and heightened emotions, with strategies on how to cope better, especially in creating a healthy work-life balance.
- Help with love life – Relationship therapy or counseling isn’t just beneficial for couples dealing with conflicts. It allows you to get to know yourself better, so you can confidently voice what you want in a relationship, as well as the things you can bring to the table. There’s also the benefit of identifying unhealthy behavioral patterns and working on them to improve your love life.
- Deal with or adapt to changes – Certain life changes can overwhelm us or make it seem like our world is spiraling out of control. Online counseling can help especially in dealing with change and navigating these transitions a little bit easier. There are also support groups or group therapy sessions that can help people deal with specific life changes like divorce, illness, or disability.
Final Word
While the mind and body are often viewed as separate entities, they are closely related. Accordind to cnns news mental health disorder or issue can manifest itself physically and negatively affect the quality of life. This is why it is only important to seek help when you’re struggling internally.
Consider taking an online therapy today on the online therapy platform Calmerry to get professional help and guidance. It can be one of the best investments you will ever make.