Online Therapy - What You Need To Know
Online therapy has become a growing trend. More and more people are accessing therapists and other trained professionals without traveling to them or arranging for home visits.
Talk therapy has also evolved with the times. The provision of a therapy session online is referred to as tele-medicine or teletherapy, but teletherapy represents only a single type of service provision by professionals to the public. Telepsychology includes teletherapy and other content that’s communicated via email, webinars, video-conferences, cellphone calls, blogs, social media, texts, and websites.
This year Covid-19 put access to online therapy sharply in the spotlight. Although counselling via video-call services existed prior to Coronavirus, the need to be physically apart from others and limit our movement made online therapy a highly necessary service. Lockdown was an emotionally trying time for so many, largely because it entailed staying at home and keeping track of infections and deaths. For others, the strain possible unemployment and food insecurity also weighed heavily.
Now that online therapy has become a new normal, here are a few aspects for you to consider when accessing this service.
The space that you consult from should be distraction free
Therapists treat their offices as sacred spaces. The therapists office is where people come to speak about minor irritations and deeply painful experiences. The healthcare professional will always try to maintain confidentiality except in instances where your safety or the safety of others is concerned. For you to feel comfortable to share its important that you be seated in a quiet and distraction free area. You may need to kindly ask the other people in your home or office to not disturb you. Also have your phone or laptop battery charged enough to last for the whole consultation.
Internet safety
Therapists take aspects such as breaches of client information via malicious computer viruses and malware into consideration. As the client its also important that you try to ensure your phone call or video call with the professional is not intercepted or hacked. For the laptop or PC your using this means having a good antivirus software installed.
Jurisdictional differences
Healthcare professionals in different countries work under the auspices of different governing bodies. In South Africa the Health Professions Council of South Africa or the HPCSA is the authority which oversees the work of psychologists, registered counsellors, psychometrists and psycho-technicians. All practicing professionals register annually with the HPCSA and also adhere to its professional standards. If you’d like to consult with a therapist that lives in another country, take into consideration and ask to see if they’re qualified to work in your area.
Fit for Purpose
While there are benefits to online therapy like convenience and cost-effectiveness, studies have shown that online therapy may not be effective in instances where a person is loosing touch with reality and their thinking and behavior are disorganized. Online therapy also doesn’t appear to be as effective when one is feeling suicidal. On the other hand, illnesses like depression and anxiety disorders respond well to therapy via a virtual medium.
Emergency situations
At the start of therapy, your psychologist will ask you to provide them with a contact number of a nearest family member or friend to call if your safety in under threat. If your consulting with a professional that is not familiar with the area in which you stay also give them the name of the nearest clinic and police station so that they can ensure that your safely admitted to a hospital if this is required.
References
American Psychological Association. (2015, October 7)What you need to know before choosing online therapy. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/online-therapy
Morin, A. (2019, November 14). Does Online Therapy Work? PsychologyToday. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201911/does-online-therapy-work