How does online therapy help us?

The fact that online therapy is rapidly gaining popularity is no coincidence. Although technically the only difference between this format of psychological intervention and the usual format (in person) is the communication channel that patient and professional use, this small change produces a "domino effect" that translates into multiple advantages.

However... How exactly does online therapy help us? We will see it throughout this article.

• Related article: "The 8 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

How does online psychotherapy help us?

The appearance of a form of therapy that can be carried out through video calls has opened the door to a new way of understanding psychological and psychiatric assistance services. Today most people living in Western countries have access to technology necessary to take advantage of these services, so it is normal for online therapy to be extend.

Next we will see the aspects of online therapy that are most useful on a day-to-day basis, from the point of view of patients who opt for this type of service when it comes to having the support of psychologists.

1. Helps to make better use of time

One of the aspects of online therapy that helps people most obviously is the fact that it makes travel unnecessary.

Simply being at the agreed time in a place with an Internet connection that offers calm and privacy is enough. So, patients save time and in many cases also money.

2. Helps fit sessions into schedule

As a consequence of what was said in the previous section, by having more time, patients have more time in their day to day, and that makes it easier to make therapy sessions "fit" into the schedule.

It is one of the advantages of online psychotherapy that is appreciated above all by the busiest people: it is possible to stop working in the office, go to a reserved room and do the session, and then continue working, for example.

3. Reach more people

Many people cannot go to the psychologist's office for health reasons: leg injuries, old age, etc.

In these cases, online therapy not only facilitates the process of having professional help every day in which have scheduled sessions with the psychologist without having to ask someone to accompany them and without suffering discomfort when move; Also, first of all, allows them to consider receiving therapy.

• You may be interested in: "Mental health: definition and characteristics according to psychology"

4. Provides discretion

It is very important to be clear that in any type of psychotherapy, whether face-to-face or in person, the Patient information is treated confidentially, as required by the code of ethics of the psychologists. However, in addition to having this certainty, there are people who are looking for extra discretion.

In this sense, online therapy is very useful, since it allows you to "go to the psychologist" without leaving home and, therefore, without entering the psychology or health center where the therapist is physically present. Of course, as the fact of going to mental health professionals has become normalized, this advantage is losing importance.

5. Promotes continuity of therapy even when traveling

In therapeutic processes, perseverance and commitment are very important, because no change occurs overnight. That is why it is essential not to interrupt the treatment while it lasts; there is a high risk of returning to the starting square.

Online therapy helps not to interrupt treatment, since not even traveling to another city is an excuse for not attending sessions.

Are you looking for quality online therapy services?

All the advantages we have seen can make a difference in the field of mental health: if you has experienced therapists in the use of this technology, it is very easy to take advantage of its potential.

In the event that you consider having this type of professional support, we invite you to contact our team of professionals. In APPOINTMENT CLINICS We have experts in a wide variety of psychological and psychiatric problems: we specialize in the treatment of addictions, problems regulating emotions, mood disturbances and other forms of discomfort common among the population. To see our contact information, go to this page.

Bibliographic references:

• Change, d. (2008). The Effectiveness of Telemental Health Applications. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 53:pp. 769 – 778.
• González-Peña, P., Torres, R., Del Barrio, V., and Olmedo, M. (2017). Use of technology in psychological practice in Spain. Infocop.
• Gratzer, D. and Khalid-Khan, F. (2016). Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of psychiatric illness. CMAJ, 188(4)pp. 263 – 272.
• Schuster, R. et. to the. (2018). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online and Blended Therapy: Survey Study Amongst Licensed Psychotherapists in Austria. J Med Internet Res. 20(12): e11007.