How To Chart A Course For A Happier Future - Bobby Blog

Why do people like online therapy?

Many people prefer online therapy for several reasons, but two of the most common are its convenience and cost-effectiveness. You can attend online therapy from any comfortable location, including your home. Many will find it easier to attend online therapy sessions than in-person sessions because the need to travel to an office has been removed. Those who live in rural areas or areas underserved by mental health professionals also commonly cite the convenience of being able to meet with a therapist without traveling a long distance. 

While some people’s health insurance covers a considerable amount of the cost of therapy, many people are left paying out of pocket for mental health services. They sometimes prefer online therapy because it tends to be cheaper than many in-person options. When combined with the cost savings of reduced travel, many people have found online therapy to be a substantially more cost-effective option than in-person alternatives. 

The success of talk therapy typically relies on the strength of the client-therapist relationship. Studies show that online therapists can achieve a strong therapeutic alliance and the “three-legged stool” (where the first leg is evidence-based practice, the second is clinical expertise, and the third is considering individual circumstances). 

Many online therapists implement a client strategy to foster a safe, non-judgmental, trusting environment that helps clients focus on the issues that brought them to therapy.

Does online therapy work as well as in-person? 

The recent rise in the popularity of online therapy spurred several advances in research investigating its effectiveness. As online therapy grew more popular, researchers and practitioners were initially concerned that conducting therapy remotely could interfere with the therapeutic process and substantially reduce the effectiveness of well-established psychotherapeutic techniques. 

Such a concern is often warranted when new technology or forward-thinking techniques threaten to disrupt the fidelity of mental health practices, but research indicates the concern was largely unfounded. In most cases, online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy. Some situations, such as especially severe mental health conditions or substance use, are likely better treated through in-person options, but most people will find that online therapy offers similar benefits to traditional approaches. 

In addition to talk therapy, many people can benefit from self-care and community engagement. Here are a few ideas: 

• Try a new hobby: When you try something new, like taking a magnetic course with map and compass, a pottery class, or a creative writing social group, you might find yourself connecting with new people or enjoying the change in your daily routine. 
• Find your priorities: When time is limited, it may help to decide what things are most essential to your health and well-being. For example, you may decide that exercise, sleep, community groups, and/or sharing meals with loved ones are most important for you. 
• Set boundaries in your life: If you’ve overextended yourself, you might find you get burnt out, overwhelmed, resentful, or unable to achieve task completion. 
• Ask loved ones for advice: Trusted friends and family members can sometimes offer insight and compassion that you might not yet have for yourself. 

Why do people go to counseling and not just blog about their problems?

A person can seek the services of a mental health professional for almost any reason, including treatment of a mental health condition, help solving difficult problems, setting goals for personal growth, or overcoming challenging life circumstances. Couples often seek therapy to increase their relationship satisfaction, and families may seek therapy as a unit to help manage difficult situations or improve cohesion among family members. 

Although many people can benefit from therapy, not everyone is sure when it is time to seek the services of a qualified mental health professional. To help demonstrate when therapy may be helpful, the American Psychological Association provided the following common signs that therapy may benefit you: 

• You frequently feel overwhelming helplessness and sadness. 
• Your problems don’t seem to improve despite your best efforts or help from loved ones. 
• You find it difficult to concentrate at work, school, or during everyday activities. 
• You feel constant worry or continually expect the worst. 
• You exhibit behavior that harms yourself or others, such as excessive drinking or aggression. 

Therapy can help with many other things, too, including helping you develop organization skills if you struggle with executive functioning issues, work on team-leadership skills, find your passion, make course corrections in your life, create deeper connections with friends and family, and learn to discuss and put words to challenging emotions. Many important people and leaders pursue talk therapy and credit it with helping them succeed.

Can therapy help people feel happier after charting a course for counseling? 

Although many people believe that therapy is only for those with diagnosable mental health conditions, a significant number of people seek the services of a mental health professional for help solving problems, overcoming difficult circumstances, or achieving personal growth. If a person feels unhappy, therapy may be able to help, even if their unhappiness doesn’t rise to the level of clinical depression. 

Evidence suggests that many types of therapy can help people increase their happiness. Positive therapy techniques may be especially effective for this, especially during adverse life circumstances. Other types of therapy, like cognitive-behavioral approaches, can help people change negative thought processes that might reduce their happiness. It might also help them change behaviors likely to reduce happiness rather than increase it. Whatever the case, if you’re not feeling as happy as you’d like, there is a good chance that therapy can help you gain a clear picture of your life and chart your own path.  

What’s the difference between online therapists and in-person therapists? 

In the United States, online and in-person therapists have the same education, training, and credentials. Like their in-person peers, online therapists must possess a license to practice within their state that demonstrates they have acquired the necessary training and experience to practice psychotherapy. Therapists are usually psychology students for many years, earning at least a master’s degree and completing hundreds or thousands of hours of supervised practice before seeing patients independently. 

Online and in-person therapists can obtain additional training in a specialty area, and many therapists practice both online and in-person. When practicing remotely, some therapists likely prefer techniques that work especially well online, like cognitive behavioral therapy, but they are qualified to use whatever techniques they believe will benefit their patients the most. Overall, there is very little difference between online and in-person therapists, and it may be worthwhile to consider seeing an online therapist if accessing in-person therapy near you is difficult.

Other reasons people may choose to go in the online direction for therapy include: 

• A sense of concealment: Rather than commuting to the therapist’s office (a destination where you may see people you know), some people prefer to attend sessions from the comfort of home. 
• Time challenges: For people whose job demands long hours, it may be challenging to find time for therapy. Online therapists have undergone the same professional development as their in-person peers, but they often offer sessions on weekends and outside standard business hours.  
• Comfort level: Some people find it easier to have difficult conversations about mental health when they’re not face-to-face with their therapist. In-app messaging or video calls may help them open up.
• Budget: Online therapy typically costs about as much as insurance co-payment for in-person therapy. For people without health insurance or access to in-network providers, online therapy can be significantly more affordable. 
• Tools and notes: Online therapy platforms may offer additional resources, online tools, or course workbooks that can help you develop a clear picture of yourself. 

If you’re interested in working with a therapist, consider reading about their background and ensuring they’re licensed.