Online Therapy vs Traditional Therapy
The therapy landscape has changed drastically over the past three years. While at the beginning of 2020, online therapy was an emerging tool for addressing mental health needs, three years later, after the introduction of a worldwide pandemic, online therapy exploded in accessibility. In fact, 38% of Americans report that they have used telehealth services to meet with a medical or mental health professional in the past three years (1).
So is online therapy the right choice for you? Today we will discuss both the pros and cons of online therapy versus traditional therapy to help inform your thoughts and process.
What is online therapy?
Online therapy or telehealth therapy is a means of participating in mental health therapy services through online platforms. In most traditional settings, online therapy includes a video and audio component, similar to Zoom, or FaceTime, with additional safety features to meet guidelines for HIPAA compliance.
What are the benefits of online therapy?
Convenience and accessibility as there is no need for commute or transportation
Additional flexibility in scheduling as no time is needed for travel, and some clients are able to utilize breaks in the day to access therapy services
Additional accessibility to mental health services for those in rural or remote areas. It’s reported that up to 37% of the population lives in a rural area that is identified to have a mental health professional shortage (2). Telehealth is a great way for individuals to be able to access quality care outside of their geographical region.
Increase levels of privacy and anonymity. By being able to access therapy services with a therapist, that may not be directly located in your city or area, the risk factors related to seeing your therapist in public, your therapist, knowing similar people, and general overlap of life is much more minimal.
So what are the limitations of online therapy?
As with any form of online communication, technology related challenges are sometimes associated with online therapy frustrations.
Lack of in person interactions may exacerbate some people’s therapy challenges. A loneliness epidemic has been identified in America as 36% of all Americans report “serious loneliness“ (3). For many, choosing to go to therapy in person may be an opportunity for face-to-face interactions that might otherwise not be available to them.
Not suitable for some client needs. Not every issue is safely able to be addressed through online therapy. For example, clients who experience, frequent crises, clients to exhibit particularly severe symptoms, and some self-harm-related concerns may not be appropriate for online therapy, depending upon the training of the therapist and the comfortability of the service provider.
What is traditional therapy?
For this conversation, traditional therapy would include therapy services that are rendered through a traditional in-person, face-to-face therapy office.
What are the benefits of traditional therapy?
And traditional therapy. There is a face-to-face personal connection with the therapist that may aid in building rapport, and overall feelings of knowing your provider.
In traditional therapy therapists and clients are able to view and respond to nonverbal cues, including body language.
The therapy environment may be used as a therapeutic intervention and traditional therapy where the therapist may be able to implement, tangible tools, exercises, and resources in the office.
Limitations of traditional therapy
As previously mentioned, geography is a major limitation for many individuals who live in rural communities and have difficulty accessing mental health care
The additional time to travel to a traditional therapy office and busy schedules may limit accessibility for some
Some clients report feeling levels of discomfort or stigma around the idea of sitting in a waiting room, or physically being present in a therapy office
Regardless of what form of therapy works best for you, these are a few suggestions to consider as you work towards accessing therapy in the way that meets your needs best. In fact, many of our clients choose to utilize both in-person and online therapy services, depending upon their needs in a given week,
If you were interested in trying online therapy services, or are looking for a more traditional therapy setting, our Arlington, Texas based therapy group is ready to assist. Our team is trained in serving clients both online and in person for a variety of issues, including anxiety, trauma, depression, and more. We would love to connect with you.
