6 Benefits Of Online Therapy
If you’re like me, you’ve had some questions about online counseling. On the surface, it sounds nice. You login to a counseling session from anywhere, meet with your therapist and then log off to return to your day. But what about tech issues? And is it really all that effective?
I’ve asked the same questions about online therapy
Before the pandemic, I would’ve considered myself a “doubting Thomas” when it came to online therapy. For years, I’ve spoken to colleagues about online counseling services. Some of the mental health professionals I most respect used it. And when my own national organization re-vamped their code of ethics to include guidelines about online services a couple years ago? I read those very carefully and attended a couple of trainings to make sure I fully understood. I read research that clearly demonstrated that online counseling is as effective as in person counseling.
But I still didn’t make the jump into offering online therapy. I just wasn’t so sure about it. I was afraid I’d lose my connection with my clients or make less progress. So…I kept researching but didn’t try it myself.
Then….Covid-19 forced my counseling practice online
In March 2020 I moved my entire counseling practice online over the course of a single weekend. It was becoming clear that was the responsible thing to do. The fear that Covid could spread in our office was very real. In fact, colleagues in other parts of the country told me horror stories of having to supply health departments with lists of their clients for contact tracing. Even our liability insurance was encouraging us to use online services whenever possible.
As a therapist, I came to love online therapy
To my surprise, I actually love offering online therapy. Don’t get me wrong, there are things I miss about in person counseling sessions. I miss getting to use my fancy light bar and “buzzies” for EMDR sessions. I miss seeing my colleagues and casually chatting between sessions. But more than anything, I miss grabbing a cup of hot tea with my clients right before sessions started. You see, I’d arranged my office to feel like a casual living room. And it felt like our space was part of the healing experience.
Benefits of Online Therapy
But there have been so many surprise benefits to online therapy. And now, more than 6 months later, I wanted to share some of my reflections. The short version is that some of the benefits our practice has seen of online therapy include:
The therapist can learn about a client through their personal space
Online therapy sessions take less time
The therapist can use “screen share”
In-context practice
Some people open up more online
Online therapy works
Online Therapy Benefit #1: The Therapist Can Learn About a Client Through Seeing Their Personal Space
As a therapist, I love that online counseling sessions give me a different view of a client as I see their personal space. Through online therapy sessions, I’ve gotten a unique look at my client’s lives. This has helped me feel like I know some of my clients even a little deeper than before. I’m able to see their space and belongings. Posters on the wall have sparked amazing conversations. I’ve received tours of new homes when clients have moved.
And my personal favorite? I’ve had the opportunity to meet my clients pets. Dogs have hung out on laps during sessions, cats have walked across the screen and small animals have made cameo appearances. I know that pets are like family and can play a huge role in a client’s mental health. So, I find these moments to be really powerful. Not to mention, most of the pets are cute and it’s fun to watch.
Online Therapy Benefit #2: Online Therapy Sessions Take Less Time
I always knew online counseling took less time for clients, because you don’t have to account for travel to and from a
counseling office. But I didn’t realize how BIG of a benefit this was. Now, when I do have the rare in person visit I feel like it takes so much extra time for both of us to get to where we are meeting. It feels like more of a production. Online sessions, on the other hand, only require the time we are actually meeting. So, a client might work right up until the moment they login.
Now, we do still try to schedule counseling appointments strategically. I’ve had clients squeeze in an online trauma therapy session on a lunch break. However, this can make it difficult to fully open up. For example, the client may worry about looking like they’ve been crying when they go to a meeting right after a session. Therefore, it’s still important to think about the best time for a counseling session. You just don’t have to worry about drive time or traffic.
This also means that I can sometimes see clients when they are out of town. I saw sometimes, because a therapist can only see clients physically located in the state they are licensed. So, if my client goes on vacation out of state I can’t see them. But if they live in Kansas City and spend a week at the Lake of the Ozarks? We can still have our regularly scheduled session if they’d like. Or if a teenager is moving between two parents in different parts of the state? There isn’t an interruption to their therapy.
Online Therapy Benefit #3: I can use the Screen Share Feature
When I’m completing an intake assessment virtually, I’ve developed a new habit of sharing my screen. Why? Because the client can see exactly what I’m typing about them. So, if I misunderstood something they can correct me. And there’s less wondering what I’m saying.
But I use screen share other times too. In fact, the more online counseling sessions I offer the more frequently I find myself using this feature. For example, if we’re talking about a great meditation website I’ll just pull up the website. So, it’s really easy to share resources.
During in office visits, I never planned to use my computer in session. So, when I did want to share a resource I had to walk across the room, grab the computer, login, pull it up and then turn my computer when we both saw it. Sometimes it didn’t even feel worth doing all of that. But sharing resources on the computer is easy now, so I’m quick to pull something up and share.
Online Therapy Benefit #4: In-Context Practice
It’s easy to sit in a counseling office and practice using a skill. It’s another thing to go use it in your actual life. Online therapy sessions let us practice the skills in the exact place the client will use them.
Because I often work with anxiety, let’s use that as an example. Grounding is a common coping skill I teach for clients to use when they feel anxious. In my office, I’ll teach this skill by giving clients specific items (candy, rocks, lotion, stress balls, etc) and having them practice with those items. Then, we’ll talk about what they could use at home. However, with an online counseling session we use the actual tools they have at home. So, I walk a client through identifying in their own space what they can use. Then, we practice using those items. And I watch the client place the items somewhere convenient that they can access the next time they feel anxious.
Also, the most effective treatment for anxiety is typically some form of exposure. So, in my office we might talk about what makes a client anxious and which situations they can face that week. But I’m often able to provide clients support as they actually do those exposure activities when we’re online. For example, a client who is anxious about opening an e-mail might do so right there in the middle of our therapy session. If they start to feel overwhelmed, I can coach them through the moment. It’s a level of support that I wasn’t always able to provide in my counseling office.
Online Therapy Benefit #5: Some people can open up more online
I’ve found that for some of my client’s it’s actually easier to talk about really personal things from the comfort of their own home. This seems especially true for teenagers who are digital natives. But I’ve also found it true with many of my adult clients. I encourage clients to choose a space in their home or office that feels really safe, secure and private to login for counseling sessions. As hard as I always work to make our office space inviting, there are times where you just feel more comfortable being vulnerable at home.
Online Therapy Benefit #6: Online Therapy Works
This is the most important of all the benefits. In theory, I knew this well before the pandemic began, because I’d read the research. But it’s something else to see in person. Nearly every time I speak to the other therapists at Aspire we’re remarking on how our clients are getting better. Many of the clients we saw a couple months ago are now “graduating” from counseling services or reducing how often we meet. Online therapy isn’t only effective in theory, our online therapists at Aspire are seeing it’s effectiveness every day. And there’s nothing we love more than seeing people find healing.
How to Begin Online Therapy in Missouri
If you live anywhere in the state of Missouri and are interested in starting online counseling, our online therapists can help. We offer everything from trauma therapy, to anxiety treatment, depression counseling, grief counseling, & more. And our therapists treat teenagers, college students and adults all the way through retirement. Our therapists each have their own specialty, training and personality. So, it’s important to us that we get you matched with the right therapist. Therefore, the first step is to reach out online or by calling 573-328-2288.
And if you’re still skeptical about online therapy?
First, all of our therapists offer a free consultation. So, whether you are in the Kansas City metro area, Rolla, the suburbs of St. Louis or even right here in Mid-Missouri we can offer you a virtual meeting with an online therapist to see if it’s a good fit. However, if online therapy isn’t a good fit, our therapists are able to offer some in-person counseling sessions in our Columbia counseling office.
You don’t have to keep suffering. It is possible to find healing. The first step is to reach out today and schedule an consultation with an online therapist.
What else have our therapists said about online therapy?
How to Choose an Online Therapist