Virtual therapy is becoming more popular. Many people are now seeking the help of a psychologist via eTherapy. It seems that as people become more comfortable with technology they are looking for new ways for it to enhance their lives. The use of video platforms for clinical reasons not just to chat with friends who live out of town has become common place.
Reasons to try eTherapy:
- Convenience is one of the biggest advantages to using eTherapy. It is a great way to make sure you don’t need to take breaks in your sessions if you travel a lot. It is also good for those who find it hard to take time off from work. It eliminates the need to commute back and forth for a traditional face to face session. You can simply have your session from your office or the comfort of your own home.
- Most issues can be effectively dealt with using eTherapy. It would be especially appropriate certain issues like social anxiety which could make it difficult to get to an appointment in the office.
- eTherapy can make services available to those who might not normally be able to access assistance. For people in rural areas they may not have any psychologists in their area. Even if they do exist they may not specialize in the condition the person needs help with.
- For individuals with disabilities, small children or other commitments that make it difficult to attend a session in the office the ease of doing it at home makes therapy possible. For some of these folks they might not be able to get the help they need otherwise.
- Many of the concerns about using the internet for personal matters can be dealt with rather easily. Taking precautions like you would when doing online banking is a good start e.g. use a firewall, don’t use unsecure WiFi networks, make sure your device is password protected, don’t let other share access to your device and only do it in a place where you have privacy and won’t be interrupted.
- eTherapy has been shown to be as effective as face to face therapy sessions.
eTherapy may not be for every person or every situation but it can be a great option for many people. As people continue to become more comfortable with technology I would expect the popularity to grow.
You can learn more about eTherapy by visiting the eTherapy page of my site.
I was recently interviewed for an article in the Daily Telegraph on eTherapy if you would like to read that article use this link. eTherapy | Daily Telegraph
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