Online Therapy
Online Therapy
Online Therapy
Online therapy, sometimes called e-therapy or distance therapy, is simply the delivery of mental health counselling via the internet. Recent studies have shown that online therapy for some conditions can be just as effective as in-person treatment for some conditions. As such, it’s now considered a viable alternative and/or supplement to in-office visits.
For example, research shows that cognitive behavioural therapy, a type of talk therapy, is as effective over the telephone or over video chat as it is during face-to-face sessions. A 2014 study also found that teens who were counselled over the phone for obsessive-compulsive disorder found just as much success in treatment as their peers who met therapists face-to-face. And more recently, researchers in the United States found that military veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder responded just as well to therapy over videoconference, as to treatment received in office.
There are a number of good reasons why people might prefer to do therapy remotely, including:
- Difficulty scheduling in-office visits
- An inconvenient commute to the therapist’s office
- Serious mobility issues
- Access to specific treatments (such as for somatization) which may be less available in remote areas
- Continuing therapy if you’re travelling (or if the therapist is out of town)
- Some people may feel more comfortable and open while at home
- Some clients want to avoid triggers encountered when travelling to the office.
- Clients worried about the stigma of in-office therapy
That said, at Your Therapy it’s been our experience that online sessions don’t work for everyone. In addition, in order to participate in online therapy, you must have a space that is totally private, and where you can speak freely. You may also prefer to increase your privacy by using headphones. Also, for clients struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, it’s extremely important that we set up a safety plan for online sessions.
One concern about therapy sessions over the internet is confidentiality and security. Your Therapy uses the Jane platform, which is HIPAA and PIPEDA compliant. However, there are some simple, effective measures you can take to enhance security and privacy:
- Use a personal computer if possible
- Don’t leave your computer out and open to others
- If using a work or library computer, log out of your account immediately after the session
- Protect your password, and consider making a new password only for therapy, rather than reusing an old one