In times of social distancing it's time for virtual connections
As countries impose social distancing due to Covid-19, the time to re-connect our screen devices without being told it is detrimental to our mental and physical well-being has finally come.
I have always been an advocate of face-to-face therapeutic interaction as the human contact, body language and non-verbal communication have always been crucial in developing the vital rapport between therapist and client. It is ironic how we in the past rushed to write articles about how detached we are from social connection because of the time spent on screens and social media. Today, most of us a grateful for the existence of those and my children have never found it so easy to spend time on their phones and laptops without me trying to restrict them. Like most parents, I was not impressed by the amount of time they were spending ‘chatting’ to their friends on a rainy day.
Well, the ‘rainy day’ has come for all of us now. In these critical times, the online therapy Room is becoming the only place we can support and help our clients. Although some of us feel uncomfortable talking through a screen, in the present pandemic situation that is simply the better, if not the only way. And I am so grateful for the opportunity that technology has given me, and all my colleagues, to be able to continue the work we do in times when our clients need us even more.
According to the records, the 1960s was the first time the telephone was been used to provide mental health help to clients. In 1972 scientists from Stanford University in America conducted a computer-simulated psychotherapy session considered to be the beginning of online therapy. The Internet claims that online therapy started in 1986 with the creation of ‘Dear Uncle Ezra’ – a Cornell university Q&A mental health platform. That was almost 35 years ago and since then the amount of people benefiting of online mental health services is estimated to be in the millions.
In such a short time Online Therapy has become the norm and it brings these benefits:
- Flexibility and time-saving – online sessions can be conducted at the convenience of both – therapist and client with zero time for travel and the stress of having to ‘fit it’ in your day.
- World-wide access – to different types of therapies and a bigger range of choice, information and availability.
- Finding the best therapist for you – now is not limited to where you live and how far you can travel.
- Affordability – some therapists consider reduced fees for one-to-one Online Sessions or offer Online Group Sessions or Online Support Groups that can further reduce the cost of therapy.
- Adding Value – it allows more and more people to have access to therapy because of the above.
- Regulates Higher Standard of therapy – because of the exposure the Internet provides, it is easier for the client to ‘check out’ therapists or organisations, confirm their credentials and make a better-informed decision.
As every ‘new kid on the block’ online therapy begs the question of effectiveness. The therapist’s competence, expertise and ethical bounding are an absolute necessity, however, that unique bond created between the therapist and the client is the fine ingredient that will ensure the successful outcome of therapy. The main concern is whether the ‘screen barrier’ hinders the so much needed rapport.
With the rise of technology, mankind has been adapting quickly and efficiently with the Millennials generation been literary born into it. My children learn better from a screen than a book and navigate their lives within two worlds: virtual and real. Our social structure and inter-personal communication have evolved and will keep evolving and so are the ways we provide therapy to our clients. Hence, it does not come as a surprise that some studies conducted between 2005 – 2018 have concluded that online therapy is not inferior to in-person therapy, in particular, the Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy and Integrative Therapy. Of course, we are at the beginning and more research is needed.
The Online Therapy domain is in development and will be improved, no doubt, but that should not put you off and also applies to other forms of therapy. Looking to the future, there is already Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) where the client, wearing a headset, is ‘immersed’ in a virtual world that provides a therapeutic environment for the relief of pain, PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, etc. Approve of it or not, indisputably, Online therapy is claiming its’ place as an effective, increasingly popular, and easily available option.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_counseling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_counseling
Hunter, G. Hoffmann. Virtual-reality Therapy. Scientific American Vol. 291, No. 2 (AUGUST 2004), pp. 58-65 https://www.jstor.org/stable/26060647?seq=1
Wagner Birgit, Andrea B. Horn, Maercker Andreas. Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioural intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130730091255.htm
Important:
TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.
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