Is it worth enrolling in online psychotherapy? If so far my psychotherapy has taken place in a traditional form, should I / should continue it remotely? How is online therapy different from that in a therapy office? How is the online therapy session performed? Are both of these forms of psychotherapy equally effective?
Our office has recently dealt with this type of questions from patients. These are very valid questions, especially in the times of a pandemic. In this article, we will try to answer them.
Due to the epidemic threat, many offices, including Target MindCare, decided to conduct psychotherapy only remotely. It is perfectly justified, because in this way we care for the health of both patients and our therapists.
Is it worth enrolling in online psychotherapy?
Of course, if you feel the need to start therapy at this point, it is not worth delaying this decision. Perhaps the desire to start therapy resulted from the need for isolation?
It is then worth consulting a psychotherapist and he will help you decide whether longer-lasting psychotherapy is needed or whether support in the form of several consultations is sufficient.
Remember that any moment is a good time to start therapy if you only need it, and when everything returns to normal after the pandemic, you will be able to continue therapy in a traditional form, if it suits you better.
If so far my psychotherapy has taken place in a traditional form, should I / should continue it remotely?
The answer here is definitely yes! The therapeutic process should not be interrupted. If you are in therapy, do not give up on it, even, especially when you see progress. If you stop the therapy, the problems will probably come back in time and the therapeutic process will have to be started all over again.
How is online therapy different from that in a therapy office?
In fact, apart from the place where it takes place and the need to have an electronic device – nothing. The course of the therapy session is exactly the same. The therapist does not change either.
How is the online therapy session performed?
Usually, the psychotherapist connects with the patient via an application that also allows video transmission, which is quite important because it is important for the psychotherapist to be able to observe the patient’s reactions, facial expressions and gestures, which also says a lot about his well-being.
The session lasts 50 minutes, just like a normal practice session. The patient can choose a convenient communicator, and now we have access to a very wide range of applications that enable audiovisual connections. The rest of the online therapy session is just like regular face to face therapy.
Are both of these forms of psychotherapy equally effective?
Yes, online therapy is the same as in-office therapy, if the patient approaches the therapy with commitment, it will be effective no matter in what form it takes place.
Online therapy – advantages
- Online therapy can take place anywhere – when you are on vacation, live abroad, and you prefer to receive therapy in your location.
- You can choose a therapist from all over Poland, then you can only suggest qualifications or which therapist suits you better, not the location.
- You don’t have to travel anywhere.
Greater anonymity – Many people delay starting therapy out of fear of what others might think. For such people, online therapy will be a good start because they can be done at home.