Let’s face it, life can get very hectic and overwhelming. It can feel draining making time and space to meet up with friends for drinks, prioritizing dates with your partner, and taking care of yourself like making it to the gym and appointments on time.
What sounds better to you—stressing yourself by rushing to your 6 o’clock therapy session during rush hour traffic OR coming home after a long day of work, changing into your favorite robe or PJ’s and sitting in your favorite chair to decompress the stresses of the week with a listening ear that understands? Yeah, I think we both can agree on the answer.
Being that online therapy is fairly new, there’s a lot of misconceptions and false beliefs about it. I’m here to help break down some of those myths and hopefully help bring some comfort if you’re interested in trying it.
IT’S NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS IN-PERSON THERAPY
This might be one of the biggest concerns that comes up when discussing online therapy. Although It might not seem so, research has actually found that tele-health counseling can be just as effective (and often is as effective) as traditional in-office counseling. A lot of what makes therapy truly effective is whether you’re connecting or have found the right fit with your therapist. Therefore, meeting with a therapist via the Internet does not make therapy sessions any less effective.
I WON’T BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE THERAPIST
I’ve learned that deeply connecting with someone, feeling heard and seen by another person, truly feeling understood, and having a secure and safe space to share in vulnerability is not something that is confined to an office space. As humans, we are hardwired for connection with others. Therefore, when we are genuinely opening ourselves up for that, we’ll create that connection and the same is true for virtual therapy.
If you find yourself apprehensive about trying this type of therapy, open yourself up to try it for a month and see how it feels. You might find that you really love it and it’s convenience or that it’s not working. Whether that be because the therapist isn’t a good fit or just doing it through this medium didn’t work for you, it’s always ok to stop.
IT’S NOT SECURE AND THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE WILL BE AN ISSUE
Mental health professionals are bound by ethical codes of conduct specific to their licensing and states where they practice. Confidentiality and privacy are both an obligation and of top priority to therapists and counselors. Your therapist is responsible for determining how they will maintain their clients’ privacy during online sessions.
Specifically for my sessions, I ensure that I am alone in my private home office and I use HIPPA compliant technology that provides security and safety for my clients. Also, although technology can sometimes be a hassle, I’ve found that as long as there is internet access on my client’s end, technology should not be an issue.
Online counseling provides the wonderful benefit of being able to meet with your therapist in a time and place that works for you, but it is important to think about who may be around while you are talking to the therapist. Thinking through this ahead of time will help you have a private and confidential therapy session.
MY INSURANCE WON’T COVER ONLINE THERAPY
In today’s age of technology and given online therapy’s popularity, more and more insurance plans are covering telehealth services, therapy included. Almost all 50 states require Medicaid programs to cover telehealth services, and over 30 states have requirements for private insurance plans to cover these services as well.
However, every plan is different, so it’s best to call your insurance company directly and verify your specific benefits for tele/online mental health counseling.
I hope this helps clear up some of those misconceptions and brings some clarity for those who are wondering about trying. If you’ve thought about or were considering online therapy but have had those myths stop you from moving forward, feel free to contact me or schedule a free 15 consultation.