Going into a therapist’s office is the best way to achieve the life you want, right? Wrong! The truth is online therapy there is a lot of research on telemental health. See much of the compiled information on the telemental health institute website as in person therapy and sometimes produces even better results. Change is a difficult concept and the transition to believing that online therapy is ethical, appropriate and effective will take time for the world to adjust to.
Unfortunately, when we live life believing seeing a therapist in their office is the only way to obtain good counseling services, we limit ourselves to who is around, not who is best suited to help us. We may see several therapists, never finding the right fit. We may stay in therapy for years as the counselor – as good as they are – isn’t suited for our specific needs.
The downsides to settling for a therapist nearby are potentially going to therapy for years and not seeing the results we’re looking for, feeling hopeless, feeling discouraged, and giving up upon therapy as a useful tool. All the while, our lives continue to unravel around us; our relationships suffer, our careers suffer, our lives suffer.
Not only does living life believing the only way to get successful therapy is in person affect us through feeling discouraged and hopeless, we start to explain to people all the reasons therapy is pointless. We discourage others to go as “it isn’t helpful” and we don’t see another way out as therapy was the way out.
Perhaps you noticed that were you feeling stressed at work. You fought through it alone as long as you could, but it started seeping into your home life. You tried to enjoy being with family, but you just couldn’t stop thinking about everything you left undone today. You decided to go into the office early and stay late to get more done, but all this did was create more conflict at home and a lot was still left undone. Frustrated and fed up, you decided to see a counselor. You looked online and called four of them. You chose the first one who called you back. You went in and saw this therapist for awhile, but never really started feeling better. You looked the therapist up online and saw they work with people going through just about every issue known to man.
Eventually you wind up more frustrated and discouraged. One day you just stop going to therapy because “it wasn’t working.” The truth is, many therapists are very good at their jobs and can help just about everyone. The truth is you may get what you need with a therapist in person near you. I love doing in person therapy. The other side of the truth is your options for therapists are wider than you think because of online therapy. The truth is you do not have to settle for a therapist just because they are nearby. It is ok, and even a good idea, to widen your search to online therapy.
It’s true that many people will settle for a therapist nearby to them because the option for online therapy is either unknown or too weird at this time, thus those people may not get the best treatment for them. However, if we understand online therapy a little better by the reasons that will be outlined below, we can open our minds to it and thus get the help we are so desperately looking for. When we decide to see a counselor via teletherapy, it is entirely possibly to regain the life we desire in the shortest time possible. Keep reading for the top reasons online therapy will improve your life so you can make the right choice for you and feel better quickly.
Long-lasting sleeplessness, frustration, stress, and feeling out of control
The biggest downside of not finding the right therapist is the lengthy therapeutic process. Therapy can take years to regain control of your emotions and thoughts, but it can take even more time than is necessary if you don’t have the right therapist for you.
At the very least you do not find yourself feeling any better. You struggle with the same issues and concerns without feeling any relief. It starts to feel like an endless pit which is hopeless to get out of.
Living this way is extremely painful. The ongoing sleeplessness and frustration causes a ripple effect throughout our lives impacting not only us but our loved ones, friends, and career. It is a lonely existence as we may not think we have anyone who understands (or we just don’t want to bother anyone with our troubles). Even the therapist, who seems to be great at their job, isn’t able to get us better.
Imagine your life with restful sleep, enjoyment out of activities and family, and control of your emotions and thoughts
Although you struggle with feeling in control of yourself, you have the potential to get this imagined life. This life where you get good sleep, enjoy activities, friends and family, and are in control of your mind. You have the ability to live the life you have been missing out on.
When we chose to do online therapy, there is a possibility for faster results than in person therapy. You have a wider choice of therapists which means you can find the therapist who really understands you and gets you this life quickly and expertly. You have the opportunity to choose whether you want to see someone in person or online. It opens more doors for you.
Top reasons tele-therapy is a great choice to help you feel happier, fulfilled in your career, and enjoy time with your family.
You may be feeling frustrated and fed up with counseling in general. Or you may not have started looking for a therapist yet and are confused by all the people out there – who is best for you? The reality is there are more therapists at your disposal than you realize.
The key to achieving the goals you are looking for is to find the right therapist. Maybe the right therapist is in person in your community. But maybe the right therapist is in a different state than you are located. (An important thing to keep in mind is the therapist you see online must be licensed in the state in YOUR state).
Making the decision to see a therapist online is not as difficult as you may think. There are several credentialing agencies and it is a good choice to choose a therapist who has been credentialed to do online therapy. Many therapist directories including psychology today will show you therapists who say they do online therapy. There are therapist directories specifically for therapists who practice online such as https://www.onlinecounselling.com/
Take a look at these top reasons online therapy is a great choice
Logistical benefits of online therapy
Online therapy is still somewhat new to us. Although it has been around for a long time, it is just gaining momentum. Because it is unknown, people don’t know all of the logistical benefits and therefore would sometimes rather see a therapist in person as they know those benefits.
It makes sense that you would want to know what the benefits are. We tend to do something new either because we are forced to, or the benefits to that new thing are pleasant enough that they outweigh not doing the new thing.
Some of the biggest logistical benefits to teletherapy are:
– Transportation issues (you don’t have to worry about finding transportation if you are a one car family, don’t have a car, public transportation is unavailable, you don’t have the cash for transportation at the moment, etc)
– Childcare/eldercare issues (you don’t have to worry about finding someone to care for your children or parent who can’t or shouldn’t be left alone)
– Weather issues (snow piling up outside? You don’t have to miss your appointment)
– Convenience (you do not have to leave your house)
– The issue you are wanting the therapist to help with (maybe driving causes you so much anxiety, so you can’t even drive to the therapist’s office to get help. Counseling is still available to you)
– Illness (do you have a cold and just don’t want to risk getting others sick, but still want your appointment? Or maybe your therapist has a cold and doesn’t want to risk getting their clients sick, but you or the therapist are still well-enough to do counseling online)
– Confidentiality (You don’t have to be seen going in or out of a therapist’s office – especially some professions, such as law enforcement and military don’t want others to see them going into a therapist’s office)
– The right therapist (the therapist who specializes in what you need may actually be located in a different state; that no longer has to be a barrier to treatment)
These are only some of the logistical benefits you get from seeing a therapist online versus in person. The benefits go far beyond these logistical ones to emotional and life benefits as well. Together with my clients I help them identify whether or not online counseling is right for them and help them overcome their anxieties and fears about it so they can reach their goals in as little time as possible. Online counseling is not right for everyone. There are several reasons telemental health counseling may not be right for you specifically. My clients and I determine together whether to proceed online or in person. This blog is about the benefits of online therapy, but it does not mean that 100% of therapy should always be done online for everyone.
When you start online therapy with Meg Young, LCSW, LLC, you can fully understand the benefits of online therapy. You will start to see why it could become your desired way of having therapy sessions and may never return to in person sessions again.
Legality of teletherapy
As outlined above, one of the reasons you may struggle with finding a therapist online is because you don’t know enough about it. Teletherapy has been around for years, but is starting to gain strength for a variety of reasons. There are definitely considerations to seeing a therapist online and just like seeing any doctor at all, it is important to know the risks and benefits of what you are getting into.
It makes sense that you aren’t sure whether online counseling is legal. There has not been a lot of information about it until more recently. When something is new to us, it feels wrong and we are unsure about it. Think about when cell phones became a more common thing. I remember my first cell phone had 200 minutes per month. I basically got “for emergencies.” I had a phone; why do I need a phone that goes with me as a “second” phone? Now we can’t imagine life without cell phones!
Until we get used to the “new” thing, it feels wrong. Online mental health counseling is in fact legal in every state. Insurance companies are even starting to pay for it. The benefits to online counseling make it legal and ethical in every state. The one thing to look for in your online counselor is to make sure they are using a HIPAA compliant web platform for your sessions. It is a good idea to find a therapist who is also trained in online therapy.
Meg Young, LCSW, LLC was trained through the Telemental Health Institute and is credentialed as a Distance Counselor through the Center for Credentialing and Education. Meg uses a HIPAA compliant platform to see her clients and has seen some huge breakthroughs with her clients online.
Often clients feel more comfortable at home, and they are able to open up more because of this. Some clients who have never cried during in person sessions, cry during online sessions because they feel more secure at home than in an office setting. Furthermore, it can feel less intimidating online, so clients are more able to let their guard down and really get the help they need.
You have been fighting with the sleep problems, irritability, frustration, and feeling that you are suffering with this alone for long enough. You may have even seen a therapist to help you with this. Yet you are still struggling with feeling out of control of yourself, your emotions, and even your life. When you see a therapist online, you open up your options to seeing a therapist who specializes in what you are going through, even if they are in a different state than you. It offers you the opportunity to get your life back in a whole new way.
Finding the right therapist does not always happen immediately and you may need to see more than one before you find the right therapist. However, because your options are wider with online therapy, and there is so much information found on the internet, your search for the right therapist may not be as difficult as you think.
You absolutely can find the right therapist and get the support and encouragement you need to get yourself, your career, your family, and your life back to the way it was or even better than what it was.
Meg Young, LCSW, LLC can help you in either your therapeutic journey or helping you find a therapist who would be right for you. I know many great therapists across the country and even if I am not the right therapist for you or am not licensed in your state, I can probably find someone who is licensed in your state who would be a good fit for you.
Call me today to schedule your initial session.
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