Why You Should Consider Telehealth Therapy
If you’re thinking about counseling, have you considered telehealth therapy? That’s just one of the many names for mental health therapy done remotely. If you’re still used to in-person counseling, this idea may seem different or even uncomfortable at first.
You may worry that your remote therapy visit won’t seem as personable as an in-person one. Or, you could be concerned that the visit may not be as effective as traditional ones. These initial concerns are understandable as you consider this type of therapy for the first time.
Sometimes, the best thing to think about is what you stand to gain through teletherapy counseling. Here are some of the reasons online therapy sessions are becoming more popular these days.
Increased Confidentiality
Doing online therapy sessions from your home or an alternate location can give you unrivaled confidentiality. No walking into a counseling office where you could be seen by someone who knows you is required, after all.
In his “Psychology Today” article entitled 10 Advantages of Teletherapy, Clifford N. Lazarus Ph.D. shares the following:
“Some people are worried about being seen by someone they know in a therapist’s waiting room. This topic deserves a post unto itself, but suffice it to say this concern is completely eliminated by teletherapy.”
You can log in to your online therapy visit, and no one outside your home needs to know. At the same time, you’ll want to make arrangements at home ahead of time if you worry someone there may overhear sensitive information.
It’s Still Personable
Many people are surprised by how personable online counseling can be once they’ve tried it for a while. Especially if you aren’t used to online meetings for work or social connection, telehealth mental health counseling will take a little getting used to.
However, once you begin to feel more at ease with making eye contact and conversing with your therapist remotely, you’ll know you’ve found an invaluable resource. Just like you can have a meaningful voice call with someone, that experience can be all the more meaningful with video counseling. You’ll discover that it can still be very personable.
Excellent for Mental or Physical Illnesses
It can be good to challenge your comfort zone through in-person counseling when trying to manage your mental illness concerns. At the same time, it can also sometimes be a relief not having the need because of online counseling. There will be plenty of other moments to work through your anxiety or depression in public, after all.
Especially if you’re dealing with significant mental health concerns, it can be reassuring knowing you can do therapy right where you’re at. That way, you’ll be able to get treatment without so much anxiety, for instance. The same goes for if you’re going through some physical challenges or limitations that would make an in-person therapy visit difficult.
No Gasoline Required
There are numerous benefits to not running your vehicle and burning gasoline to and from a face-to-face therapy session. It’s definitely more eco-friendly, and you avoid the potential of sitting in traffic. You also don’t need to fill your gas tank so soon as gas prices surge around the nation. These added conveniences are often a nice perk for individuals going the teletherapy route.
Virtual Visits Can Save You Time
Remote therapy appointments can be easier to fit into your schedule, saving you precious time. This could be all the truer if you work from home. You don’t have to disrupt your day so much by getting ready for an appointment and traveling to and from a location. Whenever you can save a little time in your already busy schedule, that’s always a valuable thing.
Virtual Visits Can Work Great for Parents of Young Children
Are you a parent of young children? If so, you already know that finding childcare help during a therapy appointment can sometimes be challenging. Virtual counseling can help to eliminate some of these concerns since your child can be home with you and occupied while you do your remote session.
This may allow you the flexibility to get the professional support you need while being there for your child. At the same time, all children’s needs are different. You, as the parent, will know better than anyone if this would be a good option for you. It’s also possible the only way you’ll know is to give it a try and see how it goes.
More Freedom from Unexpected Disruptions
As we saw from the pandemic, unforeseen disruptions can make therapy challenging to carry out. However, with teletherapy, there’s no concern of spreading COVID (or any other illness, for that matter).
Before the COVID crisis unfolded, we never could’ve imagined the potential disruptions waiting to happen. Those experiences taught us that similar or different circumstances could potentially interfere with in-person therapy in the same way. Having teletherapy as a viable treatment option makes us better prepared for the unexpected.
More Therapy Options (Even If They Aren’t Close By)
Suppose you move to a different location in your state and are no longer within driving distance of your favorite therapist. In that case, teletherapy can sometimes provide a way for you to do therapy even if, geographically, in-person visits wouldn’t be possible.
This is especially vital if you clicked unusually well with a particular therapist. Moving to a new location can be daunting enough. In some cases, however, you may not need to give up seeing your favorite therapist because of the teletherapy advantage.
Increased Comfort During Therapy
The reality is that most of us are most comfortable in our homes. This is a tremendous advantage of online therapy sessions. Feeling more comfortable with your surroundings during treatment will generally lead to better outcomes.
You’re better able to focus on the treatment process than if you feel uncomfortable. You can make a relaxed therapy setting for yourself and reap the rewards of such a set-up.
Could Telehealth Therapy Be an Excellent Option for You?
More people than ever before are learning that teletherapy is a great way to do counseling. Although the pandemic initially brought remote therapy to the forefront, its recognized value is keeping it there as an in-demand treatment option.
Regardless of the counseling type you seek, including couples teletherapy and teletherapy marriage counseling, we can assist you. If you’d like to find out more about remote counseling, please get in touch with the SoCal Counseling Center. You’re also welcome to schedule an appointment with us.
