You might be thinking. Counseling online really?
Yes really. Online counseling is very similar to in-person counseling except no commute, no traffic, no parking, all done from the comfort of your home if you would like.
It does sound a little different, but trust me it’s just like talking to one of your friends on facetime. Don’t be scared of “online”. I am the same therapist behind this computer as I would be in person. Of course, I have the same training. And, I am saying the same things, listening just as good as in person.
I think some people worry about the connection and not having a physical presence in the room. And for some people online therapy is just not a good fit and I am happy to discuss this more during your consultation. But for most it works out just fine.
Some of the benefits of online therapy in my opinion are:
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- No commute! I know how much you hate traffic.
- No stuffy clothes. Are you in your comfiest pajamas. No problem!
- Time saver. Are you a working professional? It is super hard for you to get away and you just end up missing your appointments. You can pop on during lunch and log in to your session. Easy peasy.
- Being in your familiar place. Sometimes being in a comfortable safe place, such as your house/room, helps people feel a bit more relaxed and helps them open up a bit easier than coming to a therapists office. Plus you want to snuggle with your favorite blanket or drink your favorite tea or even better have your sweet pup close by. Go right ahead.
- Getting real life practice in the moment. A calming presence can be incredibly helpful when someone is very upset. In online therapy, the actual physical presence is missing therefore you have to learn to calm down on your own. Don’t worry I will be with you, coaching you through it, but not physically there to lend you my calm. This is pretty cool practice because I am not going to be around every time you have anxiety or feel overwhelmed. The more you practice the better you will get at learning how to calm your body and feel confident to do it on your own when I am not there because you have already been doing it!
Please include attribution to https://www.karirusnakcounseling.com/ with this graphic.
If you are interested there is tons of research that has shown online counseling is just as effective as in person counseling.
Here are just a few.
https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.201100206
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmj.2013.0075
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20183695
Have more questions? Let’s see if I answered them here.