7 answers to your questions about online psychology

If you have come this far to read this article, perhaps it is because you have unresolved questions or concerns about how we psychologists who practice online psychotherapy work. Perhaps you have considered before reading this article... how do they work? Is it reliable? What cost does it have? It is effective?

From now on I will try to clarify and answer these questions about the services that psychologists do online.

• Related article: "Types of psychological therapies"

Frequently asked questions about online psychotherapy

Maybe you are thinking that you need to go to psychotherapy, and you think you could do it online, from the tranquility, privacy and comfort of your home, without having to travel and without having to face a waiting room.

But since it is something new and unknown to you, it can generate many uncertainties, for this reason you You will ask some questions to be sure enough before deciding to start a process online psychotherapeutic. Perhaps some of the questions that arise are the following.

1. How are the online psychology sessions?

These sessions usually work through videoconference, from the platforms that facilitate the video call. The psychotherapy session can be carried out without image, only with sound, by audio-conference or by telephone; also without image or sound, only written in real time, by chat or even by email deferred.

In any case, I only recommend doing online psychotherapy solely by videoconference, I consider that it is the most effective way since it is the one with which the best results are achieved.

2. How do I pay the price of online psychotherapy sessions?

Surely you have made a purchase online, because in the same way that you pay for purchases online, you can also make payments to your online psychologist. Currently there are many electronic payment gateways, or sending and transferring money (such as PayPal), and payments can be made through them.

Other alternative means of payment can be bank transfers, account deposits or also money transfers through Western Union.

3. Are the psychotherapy sessions completely online or does it ever have to be in person?

Psychological therapy can be completely online, since both diagnosis and treatment can be carried out by video call and payments as we have just said through Internet payment gateways, or by transfer or deposit in account.

You should know that psychology, unlike other health disciplines such as medicine, physical contact with the patient is not essential to make a diagnosis, nor to carry out the psychotherapeutic intervention; therefore it is only necessary to do it through videoconference.

4. Is doing therapy with an online psychologist reliable?

I could tell you that you can also trust a psychologist who works in person. After all, the only thing that changes is the way you communicate with the psychologist.

As a psychologist who works online, I can accredit my university degrees, both as a Bachelor of Psychology and as a Specialist in Clinical Psychology.

Of course you can find a fake or impostor, but that can also happen to you in person and in that case you will have to report it to the authorities for professional intrusion. But what you will usually find is that we are the same psychologists who have face-to-face consultations who now also carry out online psychotherapy.

Anyway, today you can check the fingerprint, prestige of the therapist and opinions of other patients from a psychologist before deciding to start a psychotherapeutic process.

5. How much does an online psychotherapy session cost?

I am one of those who consider that both the price of the online psychology sessions and the face-to-face ones should be the same, because the psychologist contributes the same work.

You will have seen that there are more or less cheap rates. That will depend on the training, experience, and prestige of the psychology professional, and the same is true of sessions that are done in person.

What is more economical is in relation to the time and the relevant transfer to get to a consultation with the psychologist in person.

6. What do you think about free online psychology?

There are many people who come to certain web pages that offer free online psychologist. Unfortunately, these supposed psychology services are not reliable and do not deserve your trust in any case, they are a fraud. Going to the psychologist's office is not free, just like the plumber or the lawyer is not free.

The psychologist is a professional who charges for his work, like any other trade. We cannot provide free serviceWell, like everyone else, we have to earn a living with our work.

Perhaps there are psychologists who work and their services are free or subsidized since they are part of of a program financed by a Public Administration, by a Charitable Foundation or by a NGO. In these cases I do not have the drawbacks mentioned at the beginning.

7. Will online psychotherapy be effective for me?

I would tell you that at the same level as the psychotherapy that we do in person is effective. The techniques and therapies that support the science that we use in face-to-face psychotherapy sessions to treating and helping people with psychological problems are the same as the ones we use on-line. The only difference is the way to get them to the patient.

I wish I had answered your questions about online psychotherapy. It is a viable option, not the only one, that you should not discard without knowing its benefits and effectiveness.