Is Virtual Therapy Effective?
You often hear people question if telehealth or virtual therapy is as good as the “real thing?” And while it can be tempting to call couch therapy the “real thing,” I’d like to offer a different perspective.
The idea of therapy was developed long before there was the internet, or reliable phones as a matter of fact. Originally the medium of therapy was in person and that was the best medium available to people. At that time. But today, we have a few more options and we need those options more than ever. A recent article shared that in past week, 10% of people have been told not to work, 10% have been self-quarauntining themselves, and 22% say that their mental health have got worse in the past week. These percentages are not small, and they are expected to rise higher in the upcoming weeks.
Why is this important? Because virtual therapy can be a major support for those working on their mental health, those who are quarantined and self-isolating, and those who are suffering from effects of the COVID-19 virus.
Yes, there are real differences in the mediums of in person and over the phone/virtual therapy, but both mediums have been found to be comparable in effectiveness. So the core of what therapy is, what therapy does, how your therapist moves the treatment along should not change.
Instead of getting stuck comparing the mediums, let’s talk about some things that make a good virtual and in person session. In no particular order…
You can tell your therapist if you feel awkward or anxious
A lot of people (myself included) can feel awkward or anxious when they are sitting on the couch in front of a therapist. And some people feel additional feelings of awkwardness on the phone or when using an online video chat. Sharing this with your therapist will give them a chance to respond in a supportive and reassuring way, and understand how they can make it easier on you. Remember, you are not there to make it less awkward for them. You are the client and they are working to make things as comfortable for you as they can.
Your therapist is the one that moves the sessions along
You are not the one leading the call, the online chat or the session in person. Your therapist is the one that is holding the space for the conversation and skillfully leading it along towards the treatment goals.
You feel that your therapist fundamentally understands you
Your therapist has taken the time to get to know your beliefs and values and when you speak, you feel heard not just listened to. Regardless of the medium, your therapist makes it known that they understand you.
Your therapist doesn’t treat you like their buddy
One of my poor experiences in therapy was one in which my therapist started treating me like a buddy or a friend. The dynamics became such that there were too much of “her as a regular person” with her personal opinions than “her as a therapist” who reflects and offers only the most applicable examples from their personal experience. Of course you want your therapist to be authentic and bring their full selves to the job, but you don’t want their opinion and personal experience to take up the space they are supposed to be holding and offering for you. No matter the medium, you should feel that the sessions are about empowering, supporting and helping you in a skillful way.
Let’s do our part and stay home. And while we stay home, we can still continue to practice and support our mental health.
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