Pros & Cons of Online Therapy
Considering online therapy? This article outlines potential pros and cons of telehealth.
First, I’d like to provide you with some background information on telehealth. Telehealth gained traction in 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth became a necessity to provide health services, including but not limited to: doctor visits, counseling sessions, physical therapy appointments, and so on. More agencies and professionals began to use online platforms to connect with their patients or clients and each other. Even though COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for telehealth services so that groups and individuals can access different types of care from the safety and comfort of their own home out of necessity, telehealth is not new. Telepsychiatry was being utilized in the late 1990’s to see patients and prescribe medications. Research studies have been conducted time and time again showing the efficacy of telehealth and it has expanded into what we see today. For more information and a timeline, you can visit this site.
I’d also like to address language and add in some definitions for clarification purposes. Telehealth which is sometimes referred to as telemedicine, allows doctors, counselors, or other trained professional to provide services online - with a computer, smartphone or tablet. However, some professionals will utilize phone calls without the video feature. Other words that are synonymous include: Telemental Health Services, Online Therapy, Online Counseling, Telebehavioral Health, E-Health, and Tele-Monitoring.
Many research studies indicate that telehealth therapy with video is as effective as face-to-face therapy. Considerations for this type of therapy include: stable internet connection or service, distraction-free place to complete therapy sessions, and privacy in your environment all make for the best conditions to complete telehealth therapeutic services. You can read more on research findings here.
Life On Purpose Counseling and Coaching Services, utilizes telehealth with online with video and sound as primary mode of conducting sessions. Phone calls are used as a back-up in case internet interruptions occur.
Let’s jump in to the pros & cons of online therapy!
Pros of Telehealth
Cuts down on time commitment (because there’s no commute to and from an office). You log in and instantly connect with your provider of care.
Privacy - With telehealth, you will not be sitting with others in a waiting room of people that you may or may not know.
Safety - Telehealth allows individuals, groups, couples or families to participate in treatment from the comfort of their own home. If you feel ill, it allows you to still engage in therapy (assuming you feel well enough to do so) without the risk of exposing others to possible illness or infection.
Access - Telehealth gives individuals access to professionals across their state or multiple states. Helping professionals, such as counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists all have specific rules about licensure requirements that vary state to state. Telehealth gives Life On Purpose Counseling & Coaching Services, LLC and other helping professionals the ability to provide care state-wide. This can benefit (but is not limited to) underserved or rural communities and individuals with transportation limitations
Cons of Telehealth
Potential for session interruptions. Technology is a wonderful gift and as we know, it can stop working at unexpected and inconvenient times. Interruptions can be frustrating and can result in lost time during a session. Back up plans should always be discussed in case connectivity issues arise.
Distractions at home. You may have a hard time focusing on your session if you have not eliminated potential distractions in advance. Potential distractions might include: other people in the home, feeling the need to multitask (household tasks calling your name), unexpected visitors.
Confidentiality - When you are seeing a counselor face to face, you are automatically away from your home environment where friends or family members may be residing as well. Additionally, therapists have a private space to see you and may even have noise machines if other clinicians are working in the same office. If you use telehealth, it will be your responsibility to find a location that ensures confidentiality and you will need to select this location in advance and let anyone in the home know not to interrupt you for your session time. Headphones and noise machines may be helpful to use at home for telehealth.
Hopefully this article helps highlight that both face to face counseling sessions and telehealth sessions have value, advantages, and disadvantages. We all have individual, unique needs and preferences.
If you still have questions and are considering therapy, reach out to a therapist near you. Psychology Today, Therapy Den, and Therapy Tribe are all places where you can read therapist bios, specialties, and more.