If you are going to take online therapy, we want you to spare a few minutes reading this article to be better aware of the pros and cons of online treatment, and you could decide more accurately afterward. Just like any other thing, online therapy sessions also have some pros and cons. These pros and cons vary from individual to individual. Not all of these need to comply with you. Mental health should be given the topmost priority, but unfortunately, it is one of the most neglected health problems. It is recommended to pay a visit to any therapist that you feel comfortable with and feel much relaxed and focus on your tasks. Here are some of the pros and cons of online therapy that we wanted to share with you, so let's discuss them without further delay.
Pros Of Online Therapy
1. Saves The Time
When an individual seeks therapy, he does not want to waste his time traveling a long distance to visit the therapist. This often frustrates the consumers, and they often cancel their therapy because of wasting time in traveling. Online therapy has made this thing much more convenient and saved a lot of time for the consumer to get the therapy without wasting extra hours in the traffic or waiting outside the therapist’s office for their turn.
2. Availability Of More Counsellors
The in-person therapies were confined to a limited number of therapists or counselors, which sometimes do not suit all consumers. With the digitalization and shifting of these therapy sessions to online platforms, people can access more counselors worldwide. They can get the therapy from anyone across the globe whom they find trustworthy and feels comfortable with. They can find the most qualified and highly experienced counselors in a remote area through these online platforms.
3. Convenient
Nothing is more relaxing than sitting at your bed and having a detailed session with your therapist. Often we don't find the energy to get out of our homes and visit anyone. Even if it is a necessary therapy appointment, we often reschedule it because we don't feel in a mood to travel and wait for our turn. Simultaneously, online sessions have entirely solved many of us, no need to travel and wait for the therapist outside their office.
4. Provides Anonymity To The Client
Sometimes people do not visit the therapists because they have some security concerns and don't want to reveal their identity. They are just anxious about the in-person therapies. Online therapies have also solved this issue to some extent. Sometimes clients don't have to mention their identity to the therapist as well, and they can freely and comfortably discuss their problem without any fear of revealing their identity.
5. Best For Physically Disabled
Many physically disabled persons want to get mental health. Still, due to their physical disability, they need someone else to take them to the session, which often disturbs them and makes them feel embarrassed and helpless at times. Online sessions are ideal for physically disabled persons who don't have to travel and can now take their sessions from anywhere according to their feasibility. They don't have to be dependent and ask their friends or family to take them to the therapist.
Cons Of Online Therapy
1. Connectivity Issues
Before considering anything else for the online therapy session, internet connectivity plays an essential role in conducting these online sessions. If you don't have a strong internet connection or your laptop or mobile suddenly stops working, then the online therapy would be turned into a disaster. Instead of feeling relaxed at the end of the session, you will be more nervous, anxious, or sometimes even depressed due to failed online therapy. To get the most of your online treatment, make sure you have a strong internet connection, as the therapy sessions have limited time, so you shouldn’t waste it fixing your technical issues.
2. Physical Limitation
One of the set back of these online therapy sessions is the physical limitation. Where the therapist and patient are not under the same roof. Physical intimacy is often essential in providing medical help, especially related to psychiatry. Often the words are not enough for the client to start telling his sufferings; instead, just a soft tap on his back by the therapist or holding the hand provides him much courage to speak up about his issues comfortably. This is one of the things that we miss in the online therapy sessions, and it may lead to the partial success of the therapy session.
3. Security Issues
So far, we have been praising the era of digitalization where everything is just one tap away. But it also has many consequences. If you are not tech-savvy, you should first learn the basics of using these online platforms before jumping into it.
4. Not Ideal In Some Cases
Online therapies are helpful and get successful until you don't have some serious psychiatric illness. Patients who suffer from severe psychiatric diseases need to visit their therapist in person as the online sessions seem ineffective. Many psychiatric issues need a direct in-person interaction of the patient with the therapist to understand the condition better and rule it out effectively.
5. Elimination Of Nonverbal Communication
Sometimes we understand the feelings of the speaker through nonverbal communication. And in the medical healthcare facility, nonverbal communication is given vital importance. But just like the physical limitation, online therapy sessions also lack nonverbal communication. And if the client is seeking online therapy via text messaging or emails, then nonverbal communication has no part in it, so we have seen these sessions do not provide a long-term effect.
Final Words
Just like taking care of physical health, mental health is also essential. Whether you like the in-person therapies or the online sessions, we advise you to take out some time from your busy routine and get the therapy in whatever mode it suits you. Hope you find this article helpful in selecting which form of therapy is best for you