Teletherapy

There are many doubts about teletherapy.

Your preference is a one-on-one interaction with the therapist in the same room. You want to come into an office and share your problems, worries, and concerns.

Additionally, you want this discussion to be confidential because it is personal, and you feel this is more intimate.

You are correct! In-person therapy provides intimacy on several levels. The therapist can see body language when discussing specific topics, understand what is in the room and if items are soothing or hindering, and pick up on nuances lost through electronic means.

These reasons may make you skeptical about teletherapy as an alternative to in-person therapy. You don’t think you will receive the same quality of therapy from the therapist or can open up as easily.

My clients agree that teletherapy offers many conveniences.

In 2020, telehealth exploded as an alternative method for mental health professionals. Both successful outcomes and emerging research confirm teletherapy’s effectiveness.

I want to share my clients’ experiences with teletherapy. I question most of them about this method for ongoing feedback, and I receive therapeutic alliance scores on focus, respect, and treatment planning.

Clients report they are grateful for the convenience of teletherapy because they do not need to miss or skip sessions due to work schedules or traffic. They feel more in control over the process. They have fewer out-of-pocket expenses by missing work time and driving to a physical location and are appreciative of the ease of the process, and sometimes feel a bit protected by the screen.

All my clients, who complete therapy, improve to the degree and expectation set; however, the pace at which they recover is different for everyone.