How to get rid of prejudices towards online therapy

Luckily, going to therapy is becoming something as daily as going to the physiotherapist or private classes, it is becoming more self-care. There is more awareness about mental health and psychological suffering is no longer endured without remedy. But what about online therapy?

Despite the fact that, as a result of the 2020 pandemic, the online will become popular in many areas of life, having an online session with a psychologist still has to break down some barriers. Issues such as human presence and closeness, the price or the security of your space are cause for concern, a concern that ends up becoming prejudices that make it difficult to decide to take the step and start treatment.

If you think you should ask for professional help, it is possible that you consider whether to do it in person or online and that the latter will cause you some rejection. Well, you should know something: the first step to free yourself from fears is to know them thoroughly and, precisely, that is what you are going to be able to do in these lines. Let's go with it.

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Prejudices surrounding online therapy

It is true that, despite the immense digitization of our era, standing in front of a face on the screen and telling it that we are suffering is still something that seems artificial. However, time is scarce and money too and doing it from home seems comfortable. What prevents you, then, launch? We are going to see some of the prejudices that surround this type of therapy.

1. Anyone can take a webcam and call themselves a psychologist

It is true that scammers do exist and that they emerge like mushrooms in times of need. However, A psychology professional who works online can always provide their degree, your collegiate number and your experience.

2. Online therapy is not a safe environment

Baring the mind and coming into contact with unpleasant emotions in front of a monitor is something many people resist, and it makes sense. A priori, it is impersonal, since the information is bounded by the limits and quality of the camera. What prevents someone out of angle from listening in or being recorded without consent? These fears are normal and understandable.

But a good professional who works online is subject to the same ethical codes than those who practice the face-to-face modality. To respect the confidentiality of the patient, secure platforms are used, which encrypt the data and allow the content of the sessions not to be revealed to third parties under any circumstances.

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3. The relationship with the psychologist is not as close

The therapeutic alliance is built through trust and connection through dialogue. A good professional should be able to connect with what you feel and guide you properly and safely on your path to recovery and personal growth. This ability is real both online and in person, as it depends on the skills of the psychologist and the willingness of the patient.

Just like a long-distance friendship can be real, the connection between patient and therapist is capable of yielding the same good results as face-to-face sessions. It is just a matter of becoming aware of the environment in which you work and taking advantage of all the tools that the digital way offers.

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4. The online psychologist can advise you, but not give a complete therapy

The person who attends you online has the same training as any psychologist who does face-to-face therapy. It is true that the tools used can vary, that the duration of the treatment could change, etc.; that is to say, that it operates in another way, but the effectiveness is the same. Think, for example, of a phobia of cockroaches. To gradually expose yourself to that fear, a first step might be to observe them on a screen or through virtual reality.

In addition, what you get in a therapy are not advice, but guidelines to walk the path to your recovery. These are studied steps, based on research and experience, that guide you to where you want to go so that you are able to walk the path.

• Related article: "What to expect and what not to expect from psychological therapy"

5. Online therapy is not valid for couples or families

This is another of the prejudices that surround online therapy. However, tailoring a session for multiple people to attend is not difficultIt's just a matter of using the right tools and platforms. The session time may also need to be adjusted as the number of participants is larger.

On the confidentiality side, family and couple adjustments are the same as in face-to-face therapy. Remember that a psychologist is obliged to keep his patient's secrets, whether in a group or individually.

6. Going to the psychologist is useless

Online therapy carries the same stigmas as face-to-face therapy, with the addition that, as it is through a screen, you are accused of being the same as a webinar or even a news article. Blog. However, nothing further: a blog entry, an explanatory video or any informative content will never delve into the patient's personal problem.

Online treatments are specific for each person and deepen their emotions and their problems to levels that are impossible to capture in informative content. The effectiveness of the treatment will depend on the quality of the therapist-patient alliance, the psychologist's skill and the individual's disposition, as well as the difficulty of the case. But, no matter how good the psychologist is, if the patient does not want to or does not do what he has to do, he will not progress. It is then that the psychologist is blamed, deciding that it is useless.

Advantages of going to online therapy

Now that you know what prejudices fall on this modality of therapy, it is possible that you ask yourself: if it can be as good as an on-site treatment, what difference is there between going to a or to another? The truth is that some people could benefit more from the distance modality than others. It may be your case, so pay attention to the following sections.

1. Saving time and money

As time progresses, the phrase "time is money" is making more and more sense. Jobs with schedules that are impossible to reconcile, domestic chores, travel times in large cities that do not go below 45 minutes... In the end, lhe pursuit of time has become as important as monetary income.

That is why online therapy is an advantage in both cases. You save time, since you only need to connect to your device instead of moving, with the monetary savings that this entails. In addition, many professionals offer more affordable prices, since they do not have to cover expenses such as renting a physical space.

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2. It has no geographical or time limits

Combining the face-to-face modality with the online one supposes a considerable advantage in times where schedules are changing, pandemics have become something palpable and people want to commit to their treatment. For example, if you need to do a follow-up session but you have to travel for work, you won't have to cancel it if you can do it online.

3. It is an advantage for people who want to avoid direct contact with others

For some people, sitting in front of someone who has to weigh the information they are told, in someone else's office and after having gone through a waiting room is too stressful. Many potential patients are reluctant to seek professional help for this reason.

However (and especially in the first sessions), make contact in a familiar environment and according to the emotional needs of the patient, such as your own home, is more comfortable. Online therapy is becoming a preferred option for these profiles. Trust and security are two keywords to describe online therapy.

4. Online therapy benefits from many digital resources

Well chosen and used, tools such as recordings, presentations, digital agendas or follow-up applications can become a perfect complement in therapy. It's just a matter of adapting to them.

5. It is as safe and effective as traditional therapy

Although it was already explained above, it is necessary to insist: online therapy is effective and does not pose any risk to patient safety, nor to their data. When looking for an online psychologist, it requires the same thing that you would ask of its face-to-face equivalent., that is to say:

• Your collegiate number.
• A secure platform that encrypts the data and has tools to prevent the content of the session from reaching third parties.
• A psychologist capable of creating a climate of trust with you.
• Have specialized training in the problem you want to treat.
• That a document of compliance with the Data Protection law be signed.

As you can see, online therapy is neither better nor worse than face-to-face therapy, but, like any treatment, it must be adjusted to what works best for you. The online medium does not make therapy different but rather adds value to it. When it comes to improving your mental and emotional health, there are no limits, just different paths. It is your decision to choose which one will take you to your goal.