Everything You Need to Know About Online Mental Health Support

Recently, and especially during the Covid pandemic, virtual therapy has emerged as one of the most effective approaches needed for delivering mental health support to patients staying at home. Virtual therapy is a lot more accessible than going to an actual office for therapy and is generally cheaper as well; whether it’s for anxiety, depression. Partners’ issues or just to have someone to talk to.

With the increasing popularity of turning to applications for getting a better emotional state, it is only logical to discuss how online therapy exists, what advantages it has, what types of therapy exist, and how to choose a therapist. In this comprehensive guide, you will find every single detail concerning online therapy that you may need in coming to the right decision on the therapy needed.

 

What is Virtual Therapy?

Virtual therapy or telepsychology is the delivery of counseling or psychotherapy through internet or by electronic communication. It incorporates the use of video, voice or texting with a licensed therapist, Psychologist or counsellor without the requirement of an in- person meeting.

The use of virtual therapy has followed the general expansion and adaption of utilizing telehealth services as a means of availing patient care services. Virtual therapy is an effective form of treatment that can occur on the Web, it is affordable, convenient, and most importantly it is highly confidential and can be easily accessed by those individuals who may have numerous reasons ranging from logistical issues to geographical restrictions or personal issues as to why they cannot attend conventional in person therapy sessions.

But before doing that, it is important to ask how does virtual therapy work or what actually happens in Virtual therapy.

Teletherapy is also similar to face-to-face therapy but involves use of remote communication means. Here’s how the process generally works:

 

Finding a Virtual Therapist:

First of all, to start the process you would have to choose a therapist, who is a professional with a license, that provides online therapy. There are many other similar sites including: Better Help, talk space, Amwell, and Regain which primarily aim to help individuals to get in touch with therapists who provide online counseling. You can search based on certain disorders; availability of individual and group therapies, or therapist type.

Selecting the Communication Method:

Online therapy can be provided in one the following modes:

  • Video Calls: Similar to live phone calls, video therapy makes use of applications including Zoom, Skype or other telemedicine applications to help you interact with your therapist face to face. This method is very close to face-to-face sessions allowing to build personal relationships.
  • Phone Calls: Some people do not like talking on camera and for such, phone therapy is another common option. It’s also used for those patients who require something less invasive or who would prefer to have a more flexible case.
  • Text Messaging: There are some facilities where the communication with the therapist is not necessary at the strictly defined time; where you can send messages and receive messages in turn. Such an approach is valuable for people who have no time to spent in a class or who find it more comfortable to write than to speak.

Scheduling Sessions:

After selecting a therapist, you’ll create your appointment times. Many practices can be fairly accommodating with scheduling, and you may be able to easily find an appointment on evenings or on the weekends to meet your needs.

Attending Your Session:
During the session, you log in to the platform and meet your therapist to discussing your anxiety and thoughts at the agreed time. Ensure you are okay on your gadget, that your internet connection is strong and that your camera and microphone for video-based classes are in good condition.
After the Session:

This can include exercises, or certain coping strategies and activities that your therapist wants the patient to begin in between sessions. This might be writing daily in a diary or practicing mindfulness or even making sure to achieve certain objectives. There are also features that enable you to have additional communication with your therapist between your sessions ‘via text’.

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 Benefits of Virtual Therapy
Using virtual therapy increases its popularity and effectiveness as a solution for many people who need a mental health professional. Here are some of the top benefits:
1.Accessibility and Convenience

A major strength of virtual therapy is the fact that the present COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated consumers have access. Since it only requires internet connection you get your therapy from any place which is of great help to people in rural areas or areas where there are few practicing therapists, those with certain physical disabilities and problems, or even those who are very busy people with little time for scheduled appointments. For this reason, virtual therapy enables one to access the sessions without needing to leave the comfort of your home, this is especially essential for those who are home bound or would want to avoid social contact.

 

2.Affordability
Online therapy is cheaper than face to face therapy. A number of them provide the concept of paid subscription services or the scope of charges that tend to be considerably cheaper compared to conventional therapy. Since therapists practicing online sessions can conduct their practice from home, it means that they may spend less in terms of expenses which in turn may be passed to the client thus enabling the client to make a number of affordable payments to be made.

3.Privacy and Comfort

In some cases, discus­sion of matters involving close to heart in an environment that is new to most people-the office-setting may prove embarrassing. Having a conversation with a professional in the comfort of one’s own home may lead to a higher level of comfort. The fact that people could be virtually unknown to one another also afford them opportunity to seek therapy without the stigmatization that could result from getting therapy from a known therapist.

4.No Commute or Travel Time
Also, it should be noted that there is no time spent on the road for virtual therapy. You don’t have to go out or bother with traffic or public transportation. This not only saves you time but also makes therapy accessible for people with little time or transportation problems.
  1. Wide Range of Therapists

One of the benefits of virtual therapy is that the platforms present a large pool of therapists with different areas of expertise that will handle your case. It is easy to sort the therapists and therefore locate someone to attend to your needs depending on the type of depression, anxiety, trauma, or relationship issues you have.

  1. Flexible Scheduling

Another advantage of online therapy is that there is no restriction to working hours and as such clients could schedule appointments that suit them better than the normal working day appointments. The dynamic work schedules or care giving responsibilities impacted client’s access to conventional therapy can be addressed through the virtual approach.

 

What is the nature of Virtual Therapy?

Although there are many forms of therapy, in which therapy is performed in an online setting the approach and the methods used are different. Here are the most common types of therapy available through virtual platforms:

  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) CBT is the most common and efficient methods of the treatment for anxiety, depression and many other mental disorders. It aims at recognition and modification of cognitive distortions which determine feelings and actions. Virtual CBT is accessible for almost anyone and can be very powerful in helping one conquer specific mental illnesses.
  2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) DBT is a type of therapy meant for people with Borderline Personality Disorder, however it can also be used with people suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and those who have difficulties with managing emotions. That is a kind of CBT with mindfulness methods; it is also provided online.
  3. Psychoanalytic Therapy This type of therapy aims at identifying how those past experiences, such as childhood traumas or dysfunctional family relationships, current beliefs and feelings affect behavior. Psychodynamic therapy is a kind of therapy can lets people to talk through their recent and earlier relationships, continuing unresolved conflicts, and internal conflicts to understand the person’s emotional and psychological functioning.
  4. Mindfulness Based Therapy Mindfulness based therapy embraces the use of Mindfulness in the management of stress, anxiety as well as depression. The focus that becomes employed by mindfulness yields the individuals in the ability to focus on the present moment feelings without passing judgment. Web-based platforms provide clients with mindfulness-based treatments to enable clients manage their negative feelings.
  5. Some of the services that are now offered online include couples therapy and relationship counseling This service offers couples the opportunity to seek professional help from a therapist in issues to do with their relationship. It is also useful for such couples that may not be in a position to attend physical sessions of marriage therapy.
  6. Family Therapy Family therapy is a form of treatment, where the patients are families, whose relationships need to be worked through in therapy. They encompass a technique called virtual family treatment, which let the members of the family attend the sessions virtually at the same time, which is helpful where the family is resides in different regions or where all the members of the family are engaged in different chores.

Top Tips for Choosing the Right Virtual Therapist

It is crucial to select the most appropriate virtual therapist in order to get the most positive results. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a therapist for your virtual therapy sessions:

  1. Credentials and Licensing

Make certain that the therapist is competent, i.e., he or she is a licensed professional in your state or country (for example, licensed psychologist, social worker, a marriage and family therapist). Regarding the qualifications, it is possible to visit the licensing boards and check it.

  1. Specialization and Experience

It is also recommended to find a therapist that can be of the kind of therapy that is sought (CBT, DBT or trauma therapy). You also should pay attention to the fact if the specialist has much work experience in treating certain conditions, for example, anxiety, depression, or trauma.

  1. Compatibility and Comfort

One of the most important things is that you should feel quite comfortable to talk to your therapist. When choosing your psychologist, pay attention to your first meeting, and see how comfortable you feel with that person. It may also be important for you to know if therapist’s personality and the approach suits your needs.

  1. Platform Features

If you are enrolled in an online therapy platform you should look at available features. The ideal platform is that it should have secure, encrypted calls and ability to schedule and reschedule meetings with ease as well as clarity on the fee and insurance.

Expectations During Virtual Counselling

Virtual therapy can be completely different depending on what platform you are using, what therapist you are speaking with, and the kind of therapy you are doing. However, most virtual therapy sessions will involve:

  1. Initial Consultation: The initial encounter commonly consists of both the therapist asking about the patient’s psychiatric history, current problems and what he or she expects from the psychotherapy. Some of them may also inform you of their therapy style and how they will assist you.
  2. Therapeutic Techniques: Depending on the type of therapy you are receiving and your needs when subsequent sessions are being done your therapist will utilize the following methods. For instance, if you’re receiving cognitive behavioral therapy, they will assist in demonstrating and disputing negative cognitive procedures.
  3. Goal Setting: Your therapist will work with you to create both short-term and long-term goals for therapy while ensuring that both of you are thinking about the goals in the same way. Achievements towards these goals will be a topic of daily, weekly, or as per some schedule session.
  4. Support Between Sessions: Some sites provide the opportunity to send text messages to your therapist, as well as traditional methods of contact between sessions. This can be helpful in particular for monitoring or for getting some extra guidance in practice.

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Conclusion: Virtual Therapy: Should You Try It Out?

Virtual therapy is a way to have empathetic, efficient, and efficient assistance in case if a person needs it. Many of the limitations such as time, distance, and physical access to capable healthcare institutions are done away with It. Thanks to the fact that there are many types of therapy and various platforms for their provision, virtual therapy is diverse, and clients can choose the most suitable option for them.

Virtual therapy is a great chance to talk to a licensed professional if you suffer from stress, anxiety, depression, or just need someone to hear you out. Maybe you are tired of living a life of endless stress, and when it is finally time for you to start taking care of your mental health, then online therapy is right on point just for you.

 

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