Interview with Pilar Conde, director of Origen-alive

New technologies have caused changes in multiple areas of our lives, and of course in the way we relate to others. Nowadays, we can buy online, study a career online and even go to psychological therapy without having to attend a clinic in person.

In this sense, online therapy brings many benefits and it is just as useful as traditional therapy. There are many people who have improved their well-being and quality of life with this type of psychotherapy.

• Related article: "The 9 benefits of online psychological therapy"

Interview with Pilar Conde, director of Origen-alive

Knowing the above, we wanted to speak with Pilar Conde, health psychologist and technical director of the psychotherapy center, to tell us how online therapy works and explain what its advantages.

Juan Armando Corbin: Good morning, Pilar. Tell us what Origin is. Why was he born?

Pilar Conde: Origin, was born with the aim of allowing access to psychological treatments, coaching and pharmacological processes, at any time of the day and from anywhere. The contracted treatment can be either face-to-face or online.

What exactly is online therapy? What advantages does it have compared to conventional therapy?

The online treatment procedure is the same as the face-to-face one. The treatments are divided into an evaluation phase, a hypothesis or psychoeducational phase, an intervention phase and a follow-up phase.

The difference is that the material between sessions will be given in digital format and through the mail electronic, and the interaction between people and professionals will be through a device electronic. In our case it is not necessary to have a program installed, since we send the link to the mail, and accessing it opens the connection.

As for the advantages, it is not necessary to miss therapeutic sessions due to work or commuting, nor is it necessary to waste time going and returning to the consultation, which facilitates reconciliation with personal life and labor. In addition, the sessions can be carried out from any place where the patient is comfortable, such as their living room or on their terrace. and it is possible to have psychotherapy sessions with Clínicas Origen professionals even if the patient is not in the same city.

How does online therapy work? What steps should a patient interested in this type of therapy follow?

It is very simple, the interested person has to enter www.origen-alive.com and choose the treatment that considers that it adjusts to their needs, among the existing treatments, which adjust to different profiles. At origin-alive we have online and face-to-face therapies at the clinic, both will be performed by specialists at Clínicas Origen.

The online treatment purchase or reservation process is very simple, with a user and following the purchase steps in a few clicks, the interested party will have the key to be happier.

Once contracted or having made the reservation, an adviser from our clinics contacts the interested party to inform you about our clinics, make an appointment with the psychologist and assess your needs and suitability for treatment. After said assessment, which is totally free, the chosen treatment will be validated or modified so that it is truly effective.

In online therapy, is the trust between therapist and patient less due to physical distance? And adherence to treatment?

Nowadays the technologies and the way of relating to people have changed. Online therapy has many benefits, as I have mentioned, and technology allows us to evolve and adapt to a greater number of needs and personal circumstances. If used in a creative and professional way, it will benefit and enhance the therapeutic processes and the trusting relationship between the patient and the therapist.

Adherence to treatment can even be facilitated, since it is easier to access from anywhere than the trips that face-to-face sessions require.

Do you think that online therapy is equally beneficial for any person or any type of problem?

Online therapy is no different from any therapy, what changes is the access route. If people are willing and motivated, it should not be a problem. There are certain symptoms that could be thought of as an inconvenience from the outset, for example in people with agoraphobia, who tend not to leave the house.

At first it could be seen as a difficulty, but if we are creative we will see how it can be used to your advantage. For example, it may be that this type of access allows access to some people who, due to For various reasons, they are not willing at first to attend in person and you can help them in that process. In other situations, online sessions can be held in the street, accompanying them in the exhibition process.

What psychological problems do you deal with most frequently from Origen-alive?

We treat many problems, although the anxiety disorders and mood disorders more often. we also work coaching processes.

What skills do you think the psychologist should promote in online therapy sessions?

In any type of therapy, the psychologist must have developed empathy, active listening, unconditional acceptance, training, experience. In online therapy, the ability to handle the necessary applications would be added, such as email and a program to carry out online sessions.

What makes Origen-alive different from other online therapy clinics?

Origin-alive is a clinic specialized in online treatment, and we have a specific program for the sessions that does not require the installation of any program on the computer. Our methodology facilitates the understanding of everything that the patient works on in the session, and the psychologist sends the material weekly to your email.

One of our objectives is to break the barriers about existing prejudices when going to a psychologist. For us going to the psychologist is synonymous with intelligence, being aware that in order to improve and grow Psychologically, emotionally and socially, training is needed from a professional, in this case from a psycologist.

Origen-alive patients belong to a network of clinics and their psychologists are part of a team of professionals, who receive continuous training. We also ensure that all our professionals have the health accreditation to practice, as well as the mandatory requirements for the practice of therapy.

The fact of belonging to a network of clinics such as Origin, makes our patients benefit from the discounts and promotions of our clinics. From Origin we care about the well-being of our patients, and for this reason we make sure that the treatments they receive are of the highest quality.