Benefits Of Online Counseling And Therapy For Mental Health Care
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There comes a time in nearly everyone’s life when they just need someone to talk to, and with the convenience of online counseling services, getting the mental health support and guidance you need has never been easier. Sometimes, this can be a trusted friend, family, or even co-worker, but in some situations, only a qualified professional, like a therapist, will do.
When seeking mental health treatment, you might consider the potential benefits of virtual therapy—be it with an online psychiatrist or an online therapist. Online therapy offers mental health services without the physical barriers of a traditional therapy setting. A licensed therapist can typically offer equally effective online therapy sessions, which may eliminate the need to seek traditional in-person therapy. From eating disorders to depression and anxiety, virtual therapy provides help for mental health concerns without the need to wait in a therapist's waiting room.
Online therapy is an effective way to talk through your problems with a counselor and get valuable guidance and feedback from someone ready to listen without judgment. Therapy options such as online CBT can give people the tools they need to understand and manage their mental health. If you're considering this, it would be good to know the benefits of online therapy to determine if it could be a productive step for you.
The benefits of online therapy
Studies show that therapy can be effective and has many potential benefits. These benefits of therapy include helping you identify triggers that cause you distress, understand yourself better, and achieve your goals.
While in-person counseling or traditional therapy can be a good treatment option for many people, online therapy may also be worth considering. Some of the benefits of online therapy include the following:
Online therapy offers increased availability and accessibility
One of the biggest virtual therapy benefits is that you can get an appointment with qualified mental health professionals from the comfort of your own home or anywhere with an internet connection. Also, while you may not find free online therapy with a licensed professional, online therapy is accessible and tends to be more affordable than face-to-face or traditional therapy. This may be because the therapist often doesn’t have to rent an office, and there are no costs related to commuting to a therapy practice.
Starting therapy can be challenging, especially for patients with physical limitations or those living in rural areas. Whether the closest therapist is hours away or all of the counselors in your area have long waiting lists, it can be challenging to get an appointment. With a large pool of counselors available online, you don’t have to worry as much about waiting lists or limited appointment times to get mental health care.
Online counseling lets you speak with a therapist from the comfort of your home
Virtual therapists follow the same rules as office-based therapists, but the feeling of being behind a screen and not in the same room can allow people to open up more quickly about sensitive topics, making therapy feel more comfortable and accessible.
Virtual therapy offers convenient mental health care
Virtual therapy makes connecting with mental health professionals easier for people who need help but may not seek it out if there are too many obstacles in the way. People with mental health disorders such as social anxiety disorder, depression, mood disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder might have difficulty motivating themselves to find a therapist, schedule an appointment, and then travel to the therapist's office for the first meeting and every subsequent meeting after that, making mental health care more convenient as well as accessible and flexible.
Who can benefit from online mental health care?
Virtual therapy can treat many common mental health disorders. Online therapy is an effective and appropriate treatment for many common mental health problems like depression and anxiety. However, it may not be the most effective choice for more complicated psychiatric illnesses with complex symptoms or for people having suicidal thoughts. These situations typically require face-to-face treatment and real-world interactions with a therapist and even a doctor who can prescribe medication or recommend hospitalization. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. You can reach out anytime, day or night
In addition to having more options for counselors and appointment times, online counseling platforms allow you to choose how you interact with your therapist, either through live counseling or asynchronous counseling. Live counseling is when you meet with a therapist via video call or video-based teleconferencing, or over the telephone. You and your therapist are both present, responding to each other in the moment, getting you close and personalized treatment from the comfort of your home. Asynchronous online counseling is when you exchange messages with your therapist. You send a message, and your therapist responds when they log back into the platform. Depending on their availability, your therapist might respond to messages daily or multiple times a day.
Potential downsides to online therapy
While online therapy is an effective and viable option with many potential benefits, there are certain drawbacks to consider, and some people may still be skeptical about online therapy. While many people find online therapy effective, there are just a few reasons online sessions may not be right for you:
Your insurance company might not cover it. Paying for online therapy out-of-pocket can add up quickly, so you might want to ask about your specific insurance coverage for therapy and then ask if your online therapist accepts your plan.
Out-of-state therapists
Some states don’t allow for out-of-state providers. In many states, your online therapist must be licensed in your home state for them to deliver e-healthtreatment.
Unreliable technology
Unreliable technology could be an issue. Because online therapy relies on internet access and the reliability of multiple devices, many things might not always work as they should. If your internet goes down or your laptop runs out of battery, your therapy session will be interrupted.
Online mental health professionals cannot always respond quickly in crisis situations. If you are in immediate danger or having suicidal thoughts, you can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24/7 support. You can also contact local emergency services, but the 988 lifeline may be able to assist you more quickly.
Complex treatment limits
While online therapy may be able to treat mild to moderate depression, in-person therapy may be better for treating severe and complex psychiatric illnesses that may require medication or hospitalization. In these cases, a psychiatrist can evaluate a person’s physical health and medical history before deciding on the best treatment plan.
Benefits of online counseling for mental health
If online therapy sounds like it could be a viable option for your mental well being, BetterHelp could provide an effective online therapy platform to get started. BetterHelp is an online counseling platform that lets you connect with a therapist according to your availability. Even those with busy schedules can find care through e-counseling. You can choose to talk over a phone call, video chat, or in-app messaging feature. You won’t have to worry about driving long distances and can find mental health care from the comforts of home. Through BetterHelp, you have the opportunity to meet with many licensed mental health professionals so that you can find the right online therapist for your needs.
Are online therapy platforms effective?
Online counseling service studies that ask the question "Are online therapy sites effective?" have shown that online therapy is effective, too. In fact, one review of 17 studies found that virtual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) might be more effective at treating depression than in-person therapy. CBT is a therapeutic approach that attempts to change an individual’s negative thought patterns and replace them with more positive ways of thinking. It can treat anxiety disorders, depression, addictions, and more.
Takeaway
Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?
Research shows that online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy. Both delivery methods have been proven effective in treating various mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders and mood disorders. In one systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers studied the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with depression. According to their research, online CBT can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescent clients. Techniques used in online CBT can include cognitive restructuring, progressive muscle relaxation, and addressing cognitive distortions.
Does online counseling work?
Yes. Online therapy can be an effective treatment for various mental health issues. Research on internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy suggests that online CBT can help improve the quality of life in adults with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Online therapy and other research-backed digital interventions can be particularly beneficial for clients with physical limitations or patients from rural areas who might not have access to in-person counseling services.
What are the benefits of online therapy?
Online therapy has many potential benefits, including increased access, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. Its main benefits include the following:
Web-based therapy can be more accessible than in-person therapy, especially for patients without access to face-to-face therapy and other mental health services. Through online therapy, anyone with a stable internet connection can have easier access to professional support for their mental health concerns.
Many patients may feel more comfortable attending therapy at home than at a therapist’s office. For instance, an individual who experiences severe anxiety in public places may hesitate to seek in-person therapy and may benefit from receiving treatment in the comfort of their own home.
Online therapy lets you receive mental health treatment from mental health professionals while in your own home. You only need internet access and a quiet space to video call your therapist. Patients who might be uncomfortable with video conferencing can talk to mental health professionals through phone calls or in-app messaging.
Online therapy platforms can provide easier access to different therapy options. They can help patients connect with mental health professionals who specialize in various areas.
What are the challenges of online therapy?
Online therapy and face-to-face therapy can both be effective in treating symptoms of mental illness and other mental health issues. However, both delivery methods have pros and cons for clients and therapists. Potential drawbacks of online therapy include the following:
Internet-based therapy may reduce perceived empathy and understanding, key components of effective therapy sessions. Face-to-face sessions can make building a strong client-therapist relationship easier, especially when working with new patients.
Online treatment might not be recommended for patients with severe symptoms of mental illness, as an online therapist does not prescribe medication to patients. Clients with more severe forms of mental illness may require medication and may see better outcomes from in-person intervention or face-to-face treatment.
Online therapy sessions can make identifying facial expressions and body language cues more challenging. Facial expressions and body language can be important indicators of a patient’s mental and emotional state.
Online therapy sessions might not be covered by health insurance, as not many therapists in practice accept insurance. Even health insurance plans that cover mental health services may require clients to seek in-person therapy instead of online treatment. Contact your insurance company to discuss your coverage before you start seeing an online therapist.
All therapists are bound by legal and ethical codes in their practice. However, online therapy can make it difficult to ensure that a provider adheres to those legal and ethical codes.
Technology can sometimes be unreliable. Online therapy can help people gain access to mental health treatment, but it also has potential drawbacks related to technology, such as software glitches, poor connectivity, and possible security concerns.
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