Is Online Therapy Here to Stay?

During the pandemic, many businesses shifted into virtual spaces, including counseling. Although online counseling was already happening before the pandemic, online counseling services grew rapidly during that time, and now it is here to stay.

Pros of Online Counseling

Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of online counseling vs. in-person counseling. One major advantage is that it can save you commute time to and from an office and having to deal with traffic, which often means you can save hours from your day. Also if you live in a more rural area, it can sometimes be hard to find a therapist or counselor, so online counseling can expand your choices in finding someone that can be a good fit for you, or even give you more affordable options.

Online counseling platforms can also be a good starting point if you experience high anxiety and worry about being able to actually get to an actual in-person office.  Sometimes, the comfort of having virtual sessions from your own space can be part of what helps us decide to reach out for support.

Cons of Online Counseling

As for some drawbacks, sometimes it’s simply a personal preference. Perhaps you’ve tried online therapy and feel that there is something missing and would prefer in person. Fortunately, there are also many therapists that do both. Other times it may not be appropriate for a person’s specific condition if there are more complex or serious mental health problems, or if the person is not able to find a private space, or has limited online access, this can certainly be a barrier.

Effectiveness of Online Counseling

Overall though, the research has found that online counseling can be just as effective as in-person counseling in many instances, so if you’ve been hesitant to try it in the past, perhaps give it a try before coming to a conclusion.  Feel free to reach out to me here. I offer online therapy throughout the state of Texas.  I’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have.