What is online therapy and does it really work?
Are you thinking about starting therapy? Here are some facts and stats to help you decide whether online therapy is right for you.
Since COVID-19 forced social distancing, online therapy has exploded — both out of necessity and popularity — and launched innovative new avenues for mental health treatments resulting in both positive and negative outcomes.
The importance of mental health has become a recognized global issue and within a short period of time, new ways to access mental health support have multiplied. However, with so many options to choose from and an inability to regulate the practice of professional online therapy, knowing how to navigate all these options can be really overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together some helpful facts and insightful stats to consider, so you can make the best choice for you.
What is online therapy?
Simply defined, online therapy provides mental health services and support over the internet.
These services can be offered through email, text messaging, video conferencing, online chat, messaging, or internet phone via a desktop computer, laptop or mobile app. Online therapy usually occurs in real-time in a video session, phone conversation or through text messaging. You may have also have heard online therapy being referred to as e-therapy, teletherapy, e-counselling, online counselling, or cyber-counselling.
There should be no difference between a therapist or counsellor you see ‘in-person’ verses online. Becoming an online therapist takes the same education and training as becoming a traditional in-person therapist.
What can online therapy help with?
Online therapy can be effective for the treatment for a variety of issues, situations and conditions using various approaches and techniques. However, not all online therapy platforms will offer the same services or approaches, so if you’re not sure what certain terms or words like CBT, EFT, or PTSD mean, don’t be afraid to ask or find out.
Areas of Practice
Addiction
Anger
Anxiety
Depression
Interpersonal Relationships
Self Image and Eating Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma
Approaches
Anger Management
Conflict Resolution
Couples Counselling
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Gestalt Therapy
Mindfulness and Meditation
Stress Management
What are the pros and cons of online therapy?
Pros
Sustainable and time-saving
There’s no travel time required, which means that a standard 50-minute therapy session doesn’t eat up your whole morning or afternoon or cause you to miss half a day of work. You don’t need to stress about finding, or paying for parking or adding more cars on the road.
Safe and accessible
For those at high risk from COVID-19, those with mobility issues, or anyone who finds it difficult to leave the house to see a therapist, being able to stay safe and comfortable at home is not only helpful but essential for those who are housebound or disabled and their mental health.
Maintains personal privacy
With online therapy, a session can easily fit into a lunch break, offering privacy around what you may feel is a delicate and private situation. You will no longer need to ask your employer for time off and give a reason why you need to be gone from the office for an extended break.
Supports small communities and remote areas
Online access has made it easier for people to get support for their mental health concerns. In smaller communities and remote areas, online therapy offers the type of access to mental health supports and services that they wouldn’t be able to find in their geographic areas with quick access to treatment that would not be readily available otherwise.
Diverse in terms of service and therapists
With online therapy, there are no physical limitations or long distances to drive to access the many options of service or therapist in a big city or in another province. These options would include therapists of different and diverse backgrounds, languages and approaches.
Convenience and Affordability
Online therapy allows you to access support from the comfort of your own home. As long as you have an internet connection, you can have a session at the park, on vacation, or wherever you feel most comfortable. It’s also easier to connect with a therapist online as many provide extended hours, weekends and evening sessions. Overall, online therapy is generally more affordable than therapists who only treat patients in-person as there are fewer overhead costs such as renting an office space or maintaining a physical location.
Cons
Potential technical difficulties
For online therapy to be successful, it requires both the client and the therapist to have access to a strong Wi-Fi connection, along with a working computer.
Online security concerns
Clients may have some reservations about how secure online sessions are and this is something that it is worth verifying, to see what protocols are in place to protect your security and privacy online. Though it is fair to say any reputable and licensed therapist will have a secure connection by using a professional account with higher levels of security built-in.
Lack of physical privacy
Ideally, online therapy sessions should happen in a quiet place with no chance of being disturbed. For parents with young children, or people sharing a smaller space with roommates or a partner, that can be difficult to arrange.
Regulations for online therapy
Online therapy eliminates geographical restraints, so that therapists can treat clients from anywhere in the world. However, each country including Canada (and each of it’s provinces) have different licensing requirements and treatment guidelines. It is important to understand your therapist's qualifications and experience before you begin the treatment process. Online therapists should be licensed to provide in-person treatment as well as online therapy. Any reputable site will explain what type of license the mental health professionals hold.
Some insurance companies may not cover all online therapy costs
Insurance coverage for online therapy depends on where you live and the specifics of your policy. Within Ontario, extended health care plans will not cover a mental health care provider that is not licensed by a professional regulating body. For example, a Psychotherapist offering service in Ontario must be licensed to practice by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Therapy from a practitioner in another province or outside of the country, including app-based services from the United States, are not recognized as licensed to practice within Ontario and therefore, are not covered under health insurance plans.
So, is online therapy really as effective as in-person sessions?
Even before the pandemic, the advancement of e-therapy in Canada was being fueled by a growing need to meet the demand for mental health services. The Canadian Mental Health Association estimates that one in five people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year, and that by age 40, about half of the population will have or have had a mental illness. At the same time, nearly one-half of those who feel they’ve suffered from depression or anxiety have never gone to see a doctor.
Many believe that that the ability to connect with people over the Internet is starting to change perceptions about mental illness. While the pandemic has both magnified and added to this crisis, it has also highlighted how crucial mental health promotion and care are to our overall well-being.
Before COVID-19, many therapists were not sold on the idea of meeting clients online and there was a prevalent feeling that therapists needed to meet face to face with people in order to help them. All of that changed when suddenly, there was no choice but to deliver therapy services online over video sessions or even the phone. Now almost two years later, the verdict is in. Not only has online therapy surprised a lot of therapists in terms of it’s flexibility and efficacy, the research and experts — including the American Psychological Association — have made it clear that online mental health support is here to stay.
Studies have shown that online therapy sessions can be just as effective as when we meet a therapist face to face. While some evidence even suggests that online therapy may be more effective than in-person therapy.*
Back in 2013, a widely-quoted study from the University of Zurich concluded that internet-based interventions for depression were just as effective as regular face-to-face therapy. A 2017 study into online therapy for veterans suffering from PTSD showed that not only was online therapy just as effective but being able to access therapy from home increased the uptake of beneficial therapy sessions. Despite research backing up the benefits of online therapy, most practices did not offer these kinds of sessions until COVID-19 came along and shook things up.
While online therapy presents some challenges, it has received support from many patients who have utilized online mental health treatments. In a review of studies published in the journal World Journal of Psychiatry, patients receiving mental health treatment through video conferencing reported "high levels of satisfaction."
Is online therapy right for you?
The future of online therapy certainly looks both promising and inevitable. With the current uncertainty of the pandemic, and the need for greater flexibility in our ever-changing world, online therapy opens up a whole new world for those seeking to improve and maintain their mental health.
Even though we have outlined the benefits of online therapy as an effective option, it still doesn’t mean that it will be the right choice for everyone. Consider talking to your family doctor about your situation and what they recommend. More serious forms of mental illness may require more than online treatment can provide such as psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia or severe suicidal thoughts.
If you do think online therapy is the right fit for you, consider the following as you research what services are available to you:
Does your health insurance cover the costs of the therapy available on your online platform of choice?
Can you choose your own therapist, or is a therapist selected for you?
How would you like to communicate with your therapist? Via live video sessions or phone calls?
Where will you have your online sessions? Do you have a private, quiet space you can access?
What are your goals for therapy? What issues do you want to resolve and why?
Does your platform of choice provide the type(s) of therapy you are looking for?
We’re here if you need help.
We know it takes a great amount of courage to examine your life and to decide that there are things you would like to change. And, it takes more courage to do something about it. We can help. We offer free consultations for anyone in Ontario considering individual or couples counselling, online at The Dot. We will go through any of your questions and concerns to help you decide whether online counselling is the right choice for you.
SOURCES
Kumar V, Sattar Y, Bseiso A, Khan S, Rutkofsky IH. The effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy in treatment of psychiatric disorders. Cureus. 2017;9(8):e1626. doi:10.7759/cureus.1626
Chakrabarti S. Usefulness of telepsychiatry: A critical evaluation of videoconferencing-based approaches. World J Psychiatry. 2015;5(3):286-304. doi:10.5498/wjp.v5.i3.286
American Psychological Association Online therapy is here to stay
Canadian Healthcare Technology Online therapy taking off, using virtual visits, email and texts
CAMH Mental Health in Canada: Covid-19 and Beyond
Ontario Blue Cross The Many Benefits of Online Therapy
Psychology Today 14 Benefits of Teletherapy for Clients