As technology continues to play more significant roles in our day-to-day lives, many practices have added teletherapy to their list of services. Remote therapy sessions provide a multitude of benefits for both client and therapist and facilitate sessions in ways that traditional therapy cannot. Many clients find that teletherapy provides an easy way to get comfortable with the process before committing to a long-term care plan.
What is teletherapy?
Accessing the help you need from your home is becoming more and more relevant every day. Teletherapy sessions are delivered in two main forms—synchronous and asynchronous.
Asynchronous teletherapy includes live interactions between you and your therapist via phone or video chat. Synchronous teletherapy involves direct messaging, emailing and other methods of sending information forward and awaiting a response. Either way, these remote sessions allow for customizable experiences that suit your specific wants and needs, so you can get the most out of your appointment from the convenience of your home.
What remote therapy can do for you
Teletherapy can serve as both a short- and long-term solution for anyone seeking help. Connecting with your therapist from your own home—or wherever you’re most comfortable—makes the process feel less technical, so you can feel at ease throughout your session.
In some cases, it’s a great first step toward seeking in-person help. A study by Journal of American College Health indicated that college students with eating disorders were more likely to seek a higher level of assistance after working with an online coach through asynchronous messaging. For some of my own patients with social anxiety issues or other mental health disorders, a one-on-one video chat can seem a lot less daunting.
Teletherapy reduces exposure to contaminants in public spaces, something especially important for immuno-compromised people, or for anybody during a global pandemic. The need for remote services has never been greater with the looming threat of COVID-19 hanging over our heads. However, even when the pandemic passes, you can find many advantages from going to your therapy sessions without actually going anywhere.
1. Convenience
Many research studies and reviews have demonstrated that teletherapy is a viable replacement for traditional therapy that is both cost-effective and convenient for individuals and couples. Teletherapy is similar to conventional in-person sessions, but it eases many of those aforementioned barriers such as scheduling, commuting, and physically going into an office.
Scheduling your appointment has never been easier, too, since you don’t have to allot time for commuting to and from your therapist’s office. This is especially true for couples seeking relationship advice. Trying to schedule a session for two busy people can feel frustrating and nearly impossible, and it can prevent needed therapy from ever happening).
Teletherapy opens the door to many people living in remote areas, as well. A recent American Journal of Preventative Medicine study showed that 65 percent of rural areas in the United States lack access to psychiatrists and psychologists. Teletherapy provides a flexible solution to every person who wants to connect with a professional therapist no matter where they live.
Finally, remote sessions give anyone with mobility issues and physical disabilities a more seamless route to their health professionals. Teletherapy completely eliminates the process of traveling to a location and instead allows you to make a safe space wherever you are and whatever your physical needs.
2. Comfort
Speaking with a therapist can make one feel quite vulnerable, and that can be daunting. As an individual seeking help, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of sitting in an unfamiliar place with someone you don’t really know. Your home, on the other hand, is familiar. You don’t have to feel awkward about excusing yourself for a glass of water or a biological break in the middle of the appointment.
For couples, teletherapy allows the opportunity to find a space both of you feel comfortable in. It also lets you keep your sessions more private, since you don’t have to explain where you’re going to family, friends, or perhaps even babysitters. This can ease any added discomfort that might be standing in the way of you seeking help, and it breaks a little more of the stigma surrounding traditional couples therapy.
Because the benefits are there. Couples therapy helps foster open communication and provides a space for partners to share their frustrations. Practicing open and honest communication during your sessions allows for a learning opportunity to implement the action into your day-to-day lives. Recent studies indicate Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is the most effective approach for couples. The key to growing through this process is to examine your relationship in terms of attachment and bonding. Focusing on these patterns helps develop trust, and it can feel a lot easier to be open with your partner and to your therapist from inside your own home instead of a strange and new environment.
3. Physical and mental wellbeing
Working with your therapist remotely opens up a multitude of possibilities that help maintain your emotional and physical health. Sometimes, the thought of going to your therapist can be anxiety-inducing. In extreme cases, it may even make you avoid going at all. Remote sessions allow you to give yourself the chance to receive the help you want even if your brain is telling you otherwise.
For individuals seeking assistance, teletherapy can ease feelings of isolation and loneliness because you know you have an outlet wherever you may be. Having unlimited access to a person you trust can elicit additional comfort, even if you’re not going to reach out to them right then and there.
Today, the need for teletherapy is more relevant than ever. While we specifically focus on your mental health, your physical safety is just as important. Teletherapy provides an easy avenue for you to talk to a professional without the added risk of venturing into public spaces during these uncertain times. Beyond COVID-19, remote therapy can still provide extra safety precautions by eliminating your need to commute to and from a physical location.
Start building a better you today
Teletherapy is a great solution for the unique needs of both individuals and couples. I’m happy to provide teletherapy to help my clients—new and existing—to work toward better mental health, better relationships, and better overall wellbeing. My practice specializes in both individual and relationship therapy and is dedicated to helping clients both near and far through these trying times and beyond.
Because I believe that, wherever you are in the world, you deserve to have access to the help you’re seeking.