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Mental health care could greatly benefit from virtual therapy sessions

Mental health is of utmost importance to function normally. Many people suffer from depression in various degrees, which has become as common as the common cold, due to our lifestyles. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered to be the most effective therapy for depression and other mental ailments.

Now, there is no need for someone to actually visit a therapist as studies have shown that online therapy is just as effective as visiting a therapist. It costs much less than traditional therapy. The reach of virtual therapy is huge as it can reach where people donโ€™t have access to therapists.

What is virtual therapy?

online-therapy

Virtual therapy is mental health counseling over the internet. It is also known as e-therapy, internet therapy, web therapy or distance therapy. It opens up a new vista of treatment of mental health problems. Online therapy networks and therapists use apps, video chatting, text messaging, voice and audio messaging to serve people suffering from mental health problems.

Web-based or internet therapy entails following a structured online program based on standard psychological practices. This therapy can be done on your own or with the help of a therapist over the internet.

Why people prefer online therapy?

mental-trauma

Itโ€™s never easy to admit that one is suffering from some kind of mental trauma or disorder because there is still a lot of stigma associated to any kind of mental health related problems. Many people prefer online therapy because of the anonymity it offers, especially those who have a problem opening up face to face, also because they donโ€™t have to wait in a therapistโ€™s office exposing their condition.

Others like the convenience of not having to commute and waiting for an appointment. Itโ€™s very convenient for teenagers, disabled people and others who may have difficulty driving down to a therapistโ€™s office. It works for those people who do not want their family members or acquaintances to know that they are facing some mental problem. People can take their time to respond to the questionnaires and therapists can also take their time to formulate proper responses.

Anxietyand stress can be treated effectively through the net as people suffering from these disorders can go online anytime, anywhere and seek help, instead of waiting for weekly sessions. People suffering from depression can treat depression themselves with the help of online therapy. People who are in abusive relationships can have the advantage of counseling without their partner knowing and can be potentially helped out of the relationship. Those people in areas where there is lack of psychologists or mental health care providers are benefited by virtual therapy.ย 

How Online Therapy works

anxiety-disorders

Online therapy is extremely useful for untreated depression or anxiety disorders and other mental ailments that needs care which can otherwise hamper a personโ€™s life to great extent. This therapy can be accessed from a personโ€™s phone too, which means it is available 24×7, unlike a therapistโ€™s office. There are many web resources which can put a person in touch with his / her preferred mode of therapy.

There are services which provide someone to just talk to and listen to, or help select a therapist, find similar community groups, gather information about apps and even help to be counseled totally anonymously. The networks / therapists / apps,provide a growth plan which should be followed in order to be cured.

Video or text therapy

text-therapy

People can choose video therapy or text therapy. Video therapy is more expensive but therapists do not charge session wise, but online therapy networks charge a weekly, monthly or yearly fee. Texting is preferred by millions of people as it does not need any scheduling of appointments, finding a private place to talk and cost is a non-issue. Texting has the advantage of the therapist reading previous messages to know the progress of the patient. Some people express themselves better by writing than talking and are more coherent about their problem.

Virtual therapy sessions have a huge potential to help people requiring mental health care. People can now be treated right in their homes, or anywhere they choose, whenever are facing a crisis. With almost everyone having access to the internet in some way or the other, virtual therapy seems to be the next big thing in mental health care.

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