Therapy is a professional treatment that is given in a comfortable and trustful environment to an individual by a therapist. The therapist establishes a therapeutic alliance with the client and provides enough support and guidance that allows the client to talk about their issues or problems in front of the therapist openly. It takes place in a controlled and positive environment in which therapist has to help the client replace his/her negative thoughts and beliefs into healthy and positive thoughts and beliefs.
Therapy takes place in various modes like offline setting, individual or group setting, online setting and many others.
Now, let’s understand about online therapy in detail:
What is Online Therapy?
In the last two decades, internet usage has increased rapidly as it has become more convenient to access it. Online therapy is the one in which a client and the therapist interact and work together through any medium of online communication rather than face to face sessions that happens in offline therapy. Online Therapists work through a variety of mediums via chats, video calls, audio calls, email etc.
Online therapy/ Tele therapy/ E-therapy/ Web-therapy/Cyber therapy is a professional mental health treatment that takes place over the internet. Computer-aided technologies are being used at a huge level by Psychologists/Counselors to provide mental health treatment or therapy to a huge population.
It is a method of providing guidance, coaching and advice to a client by a professional therapist or a psychologist on one-to-one basis privately via any online medium instead of the old method of sitting face to face and having offline sessions. Various types of problems can be discussed in the online therapy like relationship issues, anxiety, stress, addiction to alcohol; drugs; smoking or shopping, abuse, etc. Many exercises and self-help routines are taught in the online therapy and even full course is provided to the clients.
The privacy and confidentiality is maintained in online therapy as all the information is kept anonymous which can be comfortable and safe. Also, online therapy provided over the internet is great for the people with physical disabilities. Even people who have introvert personality and face communication problems can seek online therapy without any fear or hesitation.
Online therapy existed since a very long period of time but when the smartphones and laptops came into the usage, the usage of online therapy increased. More and more applications came that made services of online therapy easier to accessible and the task of reaching to a large audience a very simple one. Websites have been created by several mental health services providing companies and freelancer psychologists or therapists which makes the services easy to access. As the cost of transportation or land is saved in the online therapy, that’s why it is more affordable than offline therapy.
Keeping in mind the vast population of India living so far away from the big cities where generally the Psychologists or Therapists have offices and clinics, Online Therapy has been a blessing for them. They can save their money on transportation and with lesser money invested on internet they can seek online therapy from the various mental health websites available.
How Online Therapy is done?
E-therapy provides personal and interpersonal functioning in different aspects of life like personal, emotional, social, educational, health, vocational and developmental.
Online websites provides a list of problematic areas from which one can choose their area and then select the right therapist. One can also read the profiles of the therapists given on the website so that one can research about the therapist’s qualifications, languages spoken and skills. Then one has to just book the appointment according to the time slots mentioned.
Informed consent is taken from the client and is informed about all the record keeping arrangements and privacy and confidentiality agreements and all the expectations related to the counseling sessions. Then the client reads all of that and if he/she agrees or feels comfortable, then, counseling session proceeds further. Based on history provided by the client, the therapist makes a treatment plan and then caters to the client’s problems by providing support and guidance.
Types of Online Therapy
1. Mental health advice or guidance
If a person is experiencing a problem in any aspect of his/her life like job, marriage, family, etc. then mental health guidance is provided. The clients solve all the problems by themselves but through the support and guidance from the therapist, client gets motivated and confident enough to solve all the problems.
2. Behavior Modification
Bad and unhealthy behaviors like in OCD or any kind of addiction, overthinking and procrastination needs behavior modification that is done with the help of several techniques like reinforcement, punishment and many others. All these techniques are employed by the therapist in the therapy setting and client participates in it to achieve the goal of desired behavior.
3. Regular Online Therapy Sessions
In this, proper therapy is given in which problematic areas are targeted and the therapist applies the techniques of the particular therapy that is being used.
Benefits of Online Therapy
The various advantages that Online Therapy has made it so easy to seek by a wide variety of population. If you are not aware of the benefits, then, check this out:
1. Confidentiality
Informed consent is taken before the counseling session in which everything is informed to the client beforehand. They are assured that everything that is shared in each and every counseling session is kept under complete confidentiality and all of their records are also safe. Nowadays, several security measures are also allowed that helps in protecting all the data online.
2. It is effective
It is comfortable and easy to just talk about one’s mental health issues and concerns to a therapist online. It also helps in resolving all the doubts associated with the mental health, remove the stigma and increase the awareness about the mental health disorders and available treatment options. People are learning more and more about the mental health daily. People also enroll themselves in several courses, self-help groups and routine classes and get help from that also simultaneously with the online counseling sessions.
3. Wide variety of therapies available
On Online websites, one can get a variety of therapists trained in several therapies. This allows the client to make an informed decision about choosing the right therapist. One should know his/her category of problems and then just find a therapist giving therapy for that particular field of problematic area.
4. Cost-effective and Convenient
Generally, online therapy is very affordable. As the cost of transportation and office is saved, so, the rate of the counseling session is kept low. Also, the client’s cost of transportation gets saved so the overall cost gets reduced. It is convenient to just stay at home and book the session at any time and have it from the comfort of your own home. In today’s time, some insurance also cover the expenses spent on online counseling sessions
5. Best for people with communication issues and physical disabilities
People who have social anxiety or phobia and face problems in the old method of having face to face sessions, online therapy sessions are best for them. They can seek professional mental treatment at their own home and learn how to deal with their phobia. Also, anyone who has any kind of medical illness or physical disability and can’t go outside their house can easily seek help from online e therapy sessions. Also, a therapist who doesn’t have an office can also practice online.
6. Easily accessible for people living in remote areas
The main reason that online therapy has become so much popular since the last few years is that it can be accessed by people who live in remote areas. People living in rural areas can also seek online therapy if internet facilities are available. Even a person living in urban area who has a tight schedule can just simply book the session as per their convenience and seek professional mental help. Online therapy turned out to be very effective during Covid-19 when people couldn’t meet each other but wanted mental health treatment. So, during that time, many people took the approach of online therapy.
Limitations of Online Therapy
1. Sometimes not cost effective
Some insurance don’t cover online therapy and that can cause a lot of problems related to finances. Paying for online therapy out of pocket can turn out to be really expensive at the end.
2. Privacy issues
Keeping records of clients confidential is a very big task and a major concern in online therapy. There are a lot of cases of hacking and leaking information online that makes online therapy even more risky. When personal information is being shared online, there is a high chance that chats, messages or information could get leak.
3. Difficult to observe body language
If the session is happening over texts, email, audio call, it can be difficult to observe facial expressions and the overall body language. These signs are really important in therapy as it gives therapist a lot of information about the client’s feelings, thoughts and moods. Online therapy through video calls allows the therapist to observe the face of the client but the bonding and intimacy that happens in face to face sessions is always absent in the online therapy.
4. Lack of technical knowledge
Therapist or a client, if they don’t possess the skills of using technology or computer-aided devices and are illiterate, then seeking online therapy can be a difficult task. Older people who don’t have much knowledge about digital websites face several issues while taking online therapy.
5. Frauds of identity and verification
There is not a proper procedure related to verifying the details of the qualifications of the therapist online. So, due to lack of verifying the credentials of the therapist, chances of frauds are high. Maybe the person who is portraying himself as a therapist has fake degrees and qualifications. So, it is important to confirm your therapist’s qualifications and experiences before the professional mental health treatment begins.
Online Therapy: Helping You Navigate Life's Challenges
In today’s busy world, online therapy has become really helpful for people who need support and advice about their mental health. This kind of therapy is easy to use and can be a safe place to talk about your feelings and challenges. Online therapy works well, especially for problems like:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress Management
- Relationship Issues
- Trauma and PTSD
- Grief and Loss
- Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
- Eating Disorders
- Substance Abuse
- LGBTQ+ Issues
Visit Medavas for Professional Mental Health Help
If you feel that you need a professional guidance and support but at your own convenience at home then online therapy is the best decision for you. You can access it according to your own time and at your own home. At Medavas, you can have online therapy via any mode like audio telephonic mode, video calls, emails or instant messaging.
Online therapy also gives the advantage of choosing from a wide range of therapists available online and making an informed decision by reading their profiles, researching about it and then choosing the right therapist for you. Also, several therapists trained in various kinds of therapy are available at Medavas who can provide the best online therapy sessions to you. So, quickly make an informed decision and book your appointment with us.
Frequently Asked Questions for Online Therapy
Why should one choose online therapy?
If you want professional mental help then you should seek online therapy. It is a therapy that allows you to have session according to your time, comfort, mode of session (via audio telephonic mode, video calls, emails or instant messaging) and language. According to Researches, people have reported that online therapy feels more comfortable than the traditional method of face to face/ offline therapy. Online therapy is also flexible and can be accessed anytime and anywhere.
What kind of issues online therapy deals with?
Online therapy is very similar to the offline therapy but the only difference is that online therapy takes place over the internet through various mediums of online communication. So, the issues dealt with in the offline therapy are also managed in the online therapy. Issues like anxiety, stress, depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, overthinking, abuse, PTSD, domestic violence, aggression issues, phobia, sexual issues and many others are proven to be managed effectively in the online therapy sessions.
What are the Ethical Issues involved in Online Therapy?
The most important ethical issue that is prevalent is confidentiality. It is therapist’s responsibility that the information that is shared in the session is kept a secret. Also, therapist should take informed consent telling the client all the associated risks and benefits of online therapy. Therapist should also debrief the client after the end of the therapy to provide closure.