The world is still facing the COVID-19 pandemic which keeps many healthcare providers from seeing in-person their patients. But this is not the only reason why patients schedule online therapy sessions. It has been effective for a considerable number of situations or conditions, which include grief, eating problems, and depression, among others.
Online therapy comes in many names, such as distance counselling, video therapy, telemental health, and online psychotherapy. Whatever it is called, online therapy is undeniably the mode of health care service at the present and the future when it comes to mental wellness and treatment.
Since online therapy means convenience, patients have fewer excuses from seeking professional help. They don’t have to go anywhere and can remain in a familiar environment where they feel utmost comfort. Aside from being convenient, it is also valued confidentiality and fits the lifestyle that is moulded by modernity. Also, online therapy is a healthcare service that allows a patient to access expertise that may otherwise be unavailable in their location.
Here are six reasons why online therapy might just work for you:
- Online therapy is convenient
Convenience has been one of the main reasons why people choose to undergo online therapy. This means that a patient can be in the comfort of their own home or space without consuming time in the traffic, transportation troubles, or mobility difficulties.
Online therapy is more convenient since you no longer need to miss your work or your responsibilities in your family just so you can have an in-person session. If you are at work and do not have extra time to visit a clinic, you can choose to schedule a session from your office instead, even during breaks or your lunch hour. It also allows you to keep in touch with the most appropriate therapist for your situation without being overwhelmed at the odds of scheduling and attending an in-office session.
- Online therapy upholds privacy
With online therapy, you will no longer be worried that someone might see you visiting a therapist’s office since you can meet your doctor online from the comfort and privacy of your own home or space. Online treatment upholds your privacy and anonymity since your identity is divulged to your therapist. Aside from being alone in the room during the online video therapy, your doctor is mostly using a headset or earphones so no other people will overhear you on their end. Besides, video, text messages, and emails are highly secured.
- Online therapy offers choices
The patient’s options for having a therapist may be limited by certain factors like location, changeable schedules, physical conditions, or high anxiety, among others. Some patients may have specific expertise that they are looking for in a therapist such as someone with special training in Art Therapy which could be helpful in their particular problem. It could also be possible that you cannot find a local therapist if you reside in a rural community or when you are an expatriate living abroad.
With online therapy, patients are given choices since they are allowed to get exceptional therapy with a therapist who carries high credentials and valuable experience in the field which the patients might look for.
- Online therapy is reliable
With online therapy, there is a lesser chance for you to miss out on a scheduled virtual session even if there is an outpour of rain, or snow, or ice. Being late for a session may also become unlikely even with roadworks, cancelled transit, or other transportation problems. There is no need to struggle through busy or rain-soaked streets, spray or high winds, and hazardous fog.
- Online therapy is more flexible
Mostly, online therapists do not follow a strict schedule. Many of them can have a more flexible one. They, at times, can accommodate adjustments and other necessary changes for your needs regarding your session times and days. You may greatly appreciate the flexibility of getting in touch with your therapist from wherever you are especially if a week or month is substantially different from the next, or when you are working in multiple locations on varying days. Flexibility will ensure that you will still be able to attend your weekly session despite unforeseeable circumstances.
- Online therapy is more comfortable
If you are the kind of person that is more likely to get anxious or stressed about new people and environments, then online therapy is a perfect option for you. This is aside from the reason that it gives you the convenience of gaining access to counselling anytime and anywhere. As long as you have a good internet connection and you maintain the needed privacy, you can be in any space that you feel most comfortable in during your online therapy sessions. You can even have a cup of tea or coffee beside you during the session or you can be next to a window where you can look out at a familiar view that makes your mind at rest.
Other people may, after a therapy session, feel a somewhat intensified emotional delicateness or sensitivity. But with online therapy, they will not feel obligated to go out in a public place just to get a ride home right after a remarkably impassioned session. And for many people, talking virtually is easier than talking in person especially when the conversation entails disclosure of private or highly personal matters.
The six reasons enumerated above are just some of the reasons why online therapy can work for you. It is worth considering especially if you feel like undergoing anxiety, significant stress, depression, panic attacks, agoraphobia or the fear of going out in public spaces, addiction and substance use disorders, smoking cessation issues, eating disorders, familial or marital problems, and grief or loss. Or you can reach out to an online walk-in clinic in Calgary today for a consultation and appropriate professional intervention.
Make the smart move and start making positive changes in your life. Always remember that you do not have to be alone in dealing with whatever condition that you have. Professional help is always an option.
