The COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive shift in our daily operations: activities like work, school, and even therapy have moved online.
Though online therapy and counselling have become prevalent and widely-accepted forms of mental health support today, some are still unconvinced of its effectiveness. Read on to learn more about online therapy, how it compares to traditional therapy, and whether it’s effective.
Online therapy vs Traditional therapy
Traditional therapy refers to mental health support via in-person interactions with a licensed therapist. Online therapy allows you to receive support at any location, regardless of what you’re dealing with. Whether you are experiencing anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, or more, online therapy can help.
The session is typically conducted through videoconferencing, phone sessions, online chats, and emailing. Hence, you can speak to your healthcare provider at work, at home, or travelling.
Is online therapy and counselling effective?
One of the biggest concerns about online therapy is that it is impersonal. Many believe in-person sessions to be ideal because they allow therapists to observe your nonverbal behaviour; body language plays a vital role in our communication and is thus crucial for building a relationship between patient and provider.
However, communication has evolved to a point where online relationships are as effective as in-person contact. Any form of real-time communication enables a well-trained online therapist to watch out for verbal cues, hesitations, tone of voice, and eye contact.
Furthermore, you can build close relationships online as well. If you work with one therapist throughout your treatment, you should be able to connect as well as you could in the physical office; otherwise, it might mean that you have yet to find the right therapist, which is not indicative of the effectiveness of online therapy.
Studies have consistently found evidence that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy and has successfully treated major depression and anxiety disorders.
Moreover, for some, online therapy is even more effective than in-person counselling because it allows the sessions to actually occur. It can be challenging for professionals to find the time to travel and sit in for an entire 45-minute to one-hour session. With online therapy, you can receive mental health support anywhere, whether at work or on the go.
Furthermore, taking the session out of the therapist’s office might open up the conversation. When in the comfort of your own space, you may feel more comfortable speaking about your concerns. It will also allow your therapist to observe your home or work environment and pick up valuable cues for your treatment.
Ultimately, change begins and ends with you. The effectiveness of treatment is not dependent on its medium—as long as you are willing to open up and put in the work, online therapy will significantly help.
Conclusion
Online therapy offers numerous benefits, including convenience, affordability, and comfort. Most importantly, it has been proven to be an effective method for accessing mental health support.
If you are seeking private counselling online in Singapore, check out Executive Counselling. We provide individual counselling sessions with executive counsellor Lisa Oake. We also offer career counselling for professionals, infidelity counselling, and marriage counselling in Singapore.
Our professional counsellors are here to support you.
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