Online Therapy Proven to Be Just as Effective as In-Person Therapy

Since COVID-19 has prevented people from safely leaving their homes, they may be unable to carry out daily routines, such as attending weekly therapy sessions. However, other alternatives to in-person therapy, such as online therapy, have risen in popularity. Many people rely on online therapy to maintain their mental health.

Some people question if online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy sessions. While there are pros and cons to online therapy, the answer to this question rests on what you want from a therapy session.

Some people fear that online therapists don’t have as many qualifications or won’t treat their patients as effectively as a face-to-face encounter.

While online therapy is more convenient for some people, security may pose a potential issue. However, companies could incorporate digital signature software that can put their customers’ fear at ease regarding their personal data being hacked.

Convenience of online therapy for patients

The biggest draw of online therapy options is the ability to schedule appointments and attend them from the comforts of one’s home. During a pandemic or just due to life’s many demands, experiencing therapy from home can be very convenient, flexible, and reassuring. A lack of commute also saves time and money.

A plethora of studies have vouched for the benefits of online therapy and some argue that online therapy is a better option than in-person counseling. These studies are not exhaustive and more research will need to be completed before anything definitive can be said. However, there are people who prefer the conveniences of online therapy, including therapists.

Some online therapy can be considerably cheaper than in-person therapy, making it more accessible to more people.

Convenience of online therapy for therapists

Therapists can also benefit from attending to their patients’ needs virtually. For starters, they may achieve a better work-life balance. Instead of having to come into the office during a set time, they can control how many meetings they have and schedule them at times that work best for them.

Since they do not have to commute to the office, they can easily set up their home office and start their day immediately.

By working from home, therapists can provide a more flexible schedule for themselves and their patients. If an individual can only schedule a session during the late evening, then a therapist can easily accommodate those hours via online since they do not have to be at a specific place before the session.

Challenges to the online model

Since anyone can start an online organization, there is a chance of people opening up their own mental health therapy websites without following HIPAA guidelines and other ethical practices involved in mental health counseling. Some companies may have issues with upholding consumer privacy, informed consent, and therapy termination if they do not have the necessary people running the operation.

Other issues could relate to communication barriers. For instance, some apps may not have clear guidelines on what kind of therapy service they conduct. Additionally, a therapist may have a difficult time understanding their patient’s current mood if the session is only carried out via text.

While these issues can be remediated through teleconferencing and employing the right people, these are challenges that will take some time to overcome.

Give online therapy a try

Online therapy is a wonderful way to experience therapy while not committing to seeing a therapist in person. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic passes by, online therapy will still be a viable option for many people.

Qualified therapists are ready and eager to find a time that works well for both people and engage in therapy online. If you give it a try, you may find the convenience, lower cost, and comfort of online therapy to be a great experience.