Is Teletherapy the Right Fit For Me?
There’s been an ongoing debate recently about the effectiveness and the ethical nature of providing therapy to clients through online platforms. You might have heard of some big teletherapy corporations like BetterHelp and TalkSpace, or you might have noticed several private practice therapists offering virtual sessions—including me!
I think we all saw a major shift in the working world with COVID and the mass switch to either part-time or full-time remote work—in fact, almost all my friends work from home at least some days of the week. I began my graduate program in 2020, so the majority of my counseling education was conducted online via Zoom. While this probably had some major pros and cons (e.g. I was able to focus better in a more comfortable space and make coffee on my breaks, but I wasn’t able to make connections with classmates as easily), I felt like I was still able to glean the same level of knowledge I would have if school had been in person.
However, this probably isn’t true for everyone.
So my big question as a relatively new therapist, and one who currently lives abroad but practices therapy for Texas clients, is: Does telehealth for counseling work as well as in-person therapy? I did some research, and according to the American Psychological Association, it does. But every client and every therapeutic relationship is different—so let’s talk about some pros and cons and see if teletherapy would be a good fit for you.
Pros of Teletherapy:
The client has the convenience of time and place; clients and clinicians might be able to have therapy sessions even when they’re visiting relatives, for example, and sessions might be more consistent.
The client might feel more comfortable having sessions from their own home.
Clients might feel more control in a space of their own with the option to exit with the press of a button.
The client is relieved of any cost of transportation or extra time spent traveling to the therapist’s office.
Cons of Teletherapy:
Therapists might miss out on some physical body language from the client (and vice versa), which could create feelings of being less “in sync.”
The client might feel less trusting of a therapist when they cannot shake hands, feel physical energy, and notice more nuances in relational behavior.
Clients might not have the option of the therapeutic space as a removed “safe haven” from their personal world; clients might have to do more work to separate (mentally or physically) their therapeutic spaces from their everyday lives.
The therapist has less control over crisis situations, like calling medical services and keeping a client in their sight if they are an immediate danger to themselves or others.
It’s clear there are advantages and disadvantages to each option here. So ultimately, it’s up to you! What do you think would work best for your therapeutic journey?
