Interview with Beatriz Gil: online therapy in times of COVID-19

Collective challenges often require large-scale changes in habits, and this applies to the crisis unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic.

An example of this is that more and more psychology professionals adapt their way of working to include therapy. online by video call between her services, and more and more patients seek this form of psychological support through distance.

in this interview We talked about it with an expert on the subject: Beatriz Gil Bóveda, a psychologist specializing in online therapy.

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

Interview with Beatriz Gil Bóveda: online therapy as an ally in times of pandemic

Beatriz Gil Vault She is a psychologist specialized in clinical and work psychology, and founder of Psique Cambio, an online psychotherapy center. On this occasion, she talks to us about the implications of online therapy in these months of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Have you noticed a change in the profile of the patients who attend your online therapy sessions since the coronavirus crisis spread?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been contacted by patients with anxiety, stress and coexistence problems due to confinement. People who have lost their loved ones, and others who fear getting infected and infecting their families.

What are the advantages of this modality of therapy that you notice patients appreciate most?

The main advantages of online therapy are, first of all, saving time. By eliminating travel, we save time and all you need is a computer or mobile device (smartphone or tablet) with an Internet connection. Say goodbye to traffic, traffic jams, searching for parking, etc.

In addition, there is greater time flexibility. Derived from the previous point, we will be able to better fit therapy into our agenda. Wherever we have an Internet connection we can carry out the session.

On the other hand, with online therapy a safe and trustworthy environment is established. There is no place like home. Online therapy allows you to carry out the sessions from your own home, so that you feel comfortable and safe.

In addition, there is the possibility of sending digital resources. We can send in real time during the therapy itself, or tasks for the patient to carry out between therapy and therapy (videos, articles, books, recordings, links, records, self-instructions...).

There is also greater anonymity. Although fortunately the social stigma of going to therapy is diminishing, online therapy makes it easier for patients to maintain their anonymity.

On the other hand, geographical barriers are eliminated. Today the online therapy service can be carried out anywhere in the world. It is also very useful for people with reduced mobility.

Another advantage is that face-to-face sessions can be combined with online sessions. This facilitates adherence to treatment, since with the frenetic rhythms that we have today and with the appearance of COVID-19, it is highly recommended to carry out online follow-up sessions.

Finally, this modality of therapy offers the same effectiveness as face-to-face therapy. The same psychotherapy techniques are used as in face-to-face sessions, so the effectiveness is the same (except in certain treatments that require face-to-face).

From what you have been seeing, is it easy for a person with little experience with computers to learn to attend online therapy?

Yes, it is very intuitive, also for people of any age. The 60 days of confinement have accelerated the digitization of the world by six years. To do online therapy you only have to answer a video call, the most important thing is to have a good Internet connection.

Do you think that online therapy continues to be a relatively unknown option among the general population, which does not even consider having psychological help through the Internet?

I believe that, thanks to advances in digitization and social networks, more and more people are joining online therapy. In the same way that we do physical exercise guided by YouTube videos, now more than ever it is very important to take care of our mental health. We must visualize online or face-to-face therapy as the gym for the mind, only then will we be able to normalize it and improve our state of well-being.

• Easily contact the psychologist Beatriz Gil Bóveda through your professional profile.