Online counseling, also known as teletherapy, is your best bet during this Coronavirus pandemic as we all face “social distancing” and self-quarantine measures. Though this isn’t the preferred method of counseling for some, we’re all trying to do our best to remain healthy. Teletherapy is a good alternative to in-person counseling. Here’s a brief look at the drawbacks and the advantages.
Drawbacks
- Your counselor doesn’t get the opportunity to read your body language. This is sometimes helpful for the counselor when dealing with clients who don’t speak much.
- Your counselor can’t completely ensure your privacy. Anyone can walk in on your end of the conference call without your counselor knowing it. It’s up to you to find a private place to speak.
- Not everyone has a laptop, computer, or Internet capability, which limits the counselor’s ability to reach all populations.
- For those who tend to isolate, having one-on-one time with a counselor helps a person feel better.
Advantages
- When faced with a pandemic like the Coronavirus, clients can remain in therapy without fear of exposing themselves or their counselor to the virus.
- It’s flexible! Clients who keep long work hours or who travel find that having teletherapy as an option keeps them in counseling even if it means squeezing it in during lunch hour.
- Online counseling allows for more odd-timed hours like early morning, nights and weekends.
- You avoid traffic and save money on gas.
- When you or your kids feel under the weather or there is a snow day, teletherapy allows you to maintain contact without having to miss therapy for a long gap of time.
- Access to remote clients: when you live in a remote area with not many counseling options, teletherapy opens the world of therapy up for you. You can choose a clinician you truly connect with.
- Teletherapy is easier for disabled clients who can avoid the hassle of in-person therapy.
- Studies have found that college students like this form of therapy and are more willing to seek therapeutic methods like teletherapy.
So, as you can see there are many pros and cons. Mending Hearts Counseling offers teletherapy. As anxieties increase and the uncertainties of the effects of the Coronavirus fears mount, teletherapy is an excellent option. If you’ve never been to therapy you should consider it since it’s a very easy way to enter into the world of therapy. If you live in northern Colorado (Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Loveland) and want to schedule a session, call Mending Hearts Counseling at 970-545-1111.
