Perhaps you have thought about starting online therapy but have been unsure if it will be as effective as in-person sessions. Research actually indicates that cognitive-behavioral treatment is equally effective online at treating depression and anxiety symptoms as in-person therapy.[1] Studies have found therapeutic rapport similarly solid with online therapy in individual treatment.[2] In a qualitative study, couples therapy clients reported feeling more comfortable than in-person therapy.[3] Overall, research demonstrates that clients’ psychological well-being improves from home through virtual treatment.[4]
Online therapy has gained popularity since advances in technology platforms such as Zoom. Online therapy is synonymous with virtual therapy and telehealth, which includes video platforms for services. During the start of the pandemic, a time marked by uncertainty and unprecedented changes, many people needed to give virtual therapy a chance. Virtual therapy is here to stay because it is a highly beneficial form of treatment.
I have supported people from across California. Often, my clients who tried virtual sessions preferred it and found it extremely helpful in the long term. Clients and I share an equally solid connection when meeting virtually. Sometimes we have found it even more effective in quickly getting to know each other and starting the therapeutic work. It has reduced many barriers (and excuses!) to not begin or do therapy consistently. It is now my preferred way to conduct therapy sessions!
Virtual therapy is here to stay because it is a highly beneficial form of treatment. Here are a few significant benefits:
Find the Ideal Therapist For You
You can search online to find your ideal therapist anywhere in your state who has the vibes that resonate with you and the niche expertise that will best support your needs. Studies show that therapeutic fit is the number one most important factor in therapeutic effectiveness!
Consider how limiting it can be to settle for a therapist only within a few-mile radius of your office or home that may not be the ideal fit. With teletherapy, you can seek a therapist located across your city or state that would otherwise take 30 minutes to eight hours to seek out in person. You are empowered to choose the best therapist for you and your needs!
The traditional way of finding a therapist by calling your insurance or searching for a therapist exclusively within your zip code, or looking at a stale directory has, in some ways, become a drag. The traditional method can often lead to hesitation and procrastination in starting the search for a therapist.
Thanks to social media, blogs, and professional websites, you can read a therapist’s professional social media pages and written blogs to connect with a therapist who excites you to reach out to and start therapy. It can make therapy more approachable. You can view their posts and feel that genuine connection before that first meeting. By getting to know your therapist’s style first, you may be more likely to continue with the therapist when you meet for a first meeting because of the initial good vibes.
Convenience
It is easier to fit a session in before, during, or after your workday.
If you have a private office, you can have therapy during a lunch break or do therapy after work and avoid rush hour traffic, rather than being stuck in more traffic going to another office.
If you work in a home office, therapy can be a great start or end to your day without leaving home and traveling to a therapy office. You can wake up and show up to therapy in your pajama bottoms with your favorite coffee mug for an early morning session!
Pets are great emotional support during therapy, but often not welcome in the therapy office. At home, your dog can curl up next to you in your chair, and then the two of you can enjoy a walk after your session.
If you are a parent with young children, another parent or caregiver can watch your kids during your afternoon therapy session. After the session, you can jump back into parenting duties or make dinner at home without worrying about the extra commute time to and from a therapy office.
Alternatively, after your workday, you can have a two-hour mental, emotional, and physical wellness time by attending therapy and then hopping on your Peloton for a workout class or on your yoga mat for some vinyasa and meditation. The time you would be spending commuting in traffic could instead be spent practicing the self-care that your therapist is encouraging. Making time for mindfulness and exercise may be part of a holistic plan to reduce your symptoms of anxiety and depression. Rather than thinking, “I don’t have time to exercise,” you can alternatively think, “I could be sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and now I have more time to take care of my body and mind!”
Consistency
With teletherapy, you can still meet with your therapist when you go to your family home or on a business trip in a different part of your state.
You can continue to meet with your therapist if you have long-term physical mobility or physical health limitations. With injuries, such as a sprained ankle, you can continue with therapy rather than canceling or stressing about how to get to the office. After surgery or while facing a medical condition, you could benefit from the emotional support that therapy would provide. Teletherapy enables you to maintain the line of emotional support from the comfort of your home. Even if you have a cold or virus, you can continue to meet with your therapist from your home rather than reschedule.
If you are doing couples therapy, you or your partner could be on a business trip in the same state, and you can continue to have treatment. Teletherapy makes it easy to meet for couples therapy if you are taking a break from living together or do not currently live together but still reside in the same state.
You may ultimately have better and faster positive therapeutic outcomes because you can maintain consistent therapy sessions!
Comfort
You can practice tools and skills in session from your home and then integrate them into the rest of your home life. If your home has been a place of stress, you can start to rewire your brain to associate your home space as a safe place for self-reflection and positive change. Each session, you can start to associate your home as a positive space to grow, learn, and improve your inner and outer life by directly integrating tools at home.
I hope this post has helped you better understand virtual therapy, and whether it’s the best option for you. If you are ready to start online therapy and you live in California, please reach out today!
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