What is Online Therapy and is it Right for you?
With the advancement of technology and the limitations of in-person meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more goods and services are being offered online. Our digital universe is ever expanding, as are the limits of our ability to interact with each other in it. While online therapy may not be right for everyone, many, if not all, of the benefits of therapy can be achieved via online therapy sessions.
Known as teletherapy, e-therapy, e-counselling, online counselling, video therapy, telemental health, telepsychology services and many other terms, a consensus on what to call this medium for therapy has yet to be reached, which tells us something of the newness of it. The core components of traditional therapy are nonetheless present. All the main types of therapy from cognitive and behavioural therapy to couples counselling and trauma recovery centre on the relationship and dialogue between the psychologist and client as well as within the client themselves. All of these seem achievable entirely online in some situations - with no disruption in duration or effect of treatment. But because of the aforementioned newness, long-term research into this is still in its infancy. We are exploring in a strange yet familiar land filled with possibility.
Some of the benefits of online therapy in contrast to traditional forms of therapy include:
*Clients with mobility issues, regardless of cause.
This can result in a lot of rescheduling and cancellation when the various issues affecting mobility come in to play. This is less likely to occur when given the option of an online therapy session just a few clicks away.
*Clients with busy schedules and little time
While self-care is important to prioritize, for some it can be especially difficult to arrange around a hectic schedule. With online therapy there is no commuting time involved. This also opens up to, for example, being able to schedule an appointment right after work and do video therapy without leaving the office or to have breakfast with the family and pop into another room for your self-care time.
*Can allow for greater comfort
For some people, online communication from a safe space can be the most beneficial way for them to engage in therapy, especially in the beginning stages of forming a therapist-client relationship. When feeling comfortable and safe it is much easier to work with difficult issues.
There are some potential disadvantages for though, depending on the problematics and what people are seeking to achieve. These can include those who benefit from the social “training” of leaving their safe space and venturing to an external area or those who feel they can’t connect on as deep of a level via a digital medium. There may also be some age-related factors in play here, as younger people who have grown up with online technology generally may feel more comfortable using it compared to older folks who may have technophobia or various difficulties and discomfort in using digital mediums for therapy.
Although the research on online psychology is in its infancy, and most of the studies so far have been small, there is early indication that, for many various psychological symptoms and illnesses, online psychological therapy is just as – if not more so – effective as traditional therapy. One study on cognitive behavioural therapy for depression found no variance in treatment effects short-term between those who partook in online therapy vs in-person therapy - and in fact found that online therapy had greater long-term effect at three months post-treatment. (Wagner, Horn and Maercker 2014) Another study involving cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder came to a similar conclusion when comparing group therapy to online therapy, concluding that it is “equally effective as the more widely used group administered CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) in reducing panic-and agoraphobic symptoms”. (Bergström, Andersson Ljótsson 2010) A third study, this time a meta-analysis of multiple other studies, echoes the other two: “The findings presented in this meta-analytic review provide much support for the application of psychotherapeutic interventions through the Internet, using various approaches, methods, and online modalities, to treat various problems differentially but effectively; online therapy is especially effective for treating anxiety and stress—effects that last after therapy ends—and, on the average, is as effective as face-to-face intervention.” (Hen, Boniel-Nissim, Shapira and Barak 2008) Other studies thus far support these conclusions.
Ultimately only you can know if online therapy is right for you. One way of finding out is by trying it.
Inga Gentile believes strongly that recovery and good mental health can be achieved through any medium as long as communication between psychologist and client can be established and used to explore the complex landscape of each individual and address their unique needs. She also believes accessibility to therapy is key. This is why she offers traditional, in-person appointments as well as video sessions – both of which can be scheduled via her handy online booking system. She also offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to appointments during normal working hours and days.
References:
Bergström, J., Andersson, G., Ljótsson, B. et al. 2010. Internet-versus group-administered cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder in a psychiatric setting: a randomised trial. BMC Psychiatry 10, 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-10-54
Hen, Liat, Boniel-Nissim, Meyran, Shapira, Na'ama, and Azy Barak. 2008. A Comprehensive Review and a Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Internet-Based Psychotherapeutic Interventions. 26(2), 109–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228830802094429
Wagner, Brigit, Horn, Andrea B. and Andreas Maercker. 2014. Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial,Journal of Affective Disorders. Volumes 152–154, Pages 113-121, ISSN 0165-0327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032713005120)