I’ve completed all my schooling online; I use twitter daily (along with mindlessly scrolling through Facebook on the regular). I can use an android with ease and have a technology-filled home that I can control at the palm of my hand. Safe to say, I am well attuned to the technological world we live in.
Therapy, however, was the one area of my life I never felt would be taken over by technology. As an intimate, personal, vulnerable experience, therapy is always something I’ve envisioned in my head as a one-on-one physical, in person experience. Am I alone in this?
COVID in 2020 came along and changed that REAL quick. Literally overnight, I went from being in office 20 hours a week, meeting my clients in person in a quiet space with comfy chairs where I could see their facial expression clearly, audibly hear the tone of their voice or see their body language to trying to navigate how to continue this intimate, integral process with them, through a computer screen!
The first week, for me, was rocky, though my clients were more than accepting and understanding of the unique struggles associated with transitioning from in-person to virtual sessions. I learned quickly to provide a heads up of what will happen if our session drops, or that I might ask them to repeat themselves when audio becomes inaudible. On my end, I had to get used to staring at one screen for 50 minutes at a time on repeat. These struggles are to be expected, and for the most part, I have yet to have any serious frustrations that lessened the quality of the therapeutic process.
What I wasn’t expecting, however, were the many benefits I found as a result of Virtual Therapy! One of the biggest realizations of these benefits came when a client of mine said to me, “Wow, I actually enjoyed doing this online more than I did in person!” I had been so caught up in the transition to virtual sessions that I hadn’t realized that this experience might be better for some clients. What I soon came to realize was that many shared in this as well. There’s so many positive aspects to virtual therapy that are often overlooked.
Take convenience for example. There’s no need to designate transportation time, sit in traffic or rush out the door to make it to therapy in time. My clients can go about their day as normal, needing to allot only a 50-minute portion of their day to designate to a quiet space where they can meet me online. Many of my clients will meet me on a virtual platform from their car, or even in their backyard. I meet them where they’re at – literally, virtually.
As much as in person therapy can feel intimate and personal, there’s still an aspect of divulging your personal life in front of someone that can feel uncomfortable- especially in an environment you’re not used to, or familiar with. What I’ve found, however, is that when clients can attend therapy from their own space, where they’re comfortable and familiar, their therapeutic process can become more comfortable as well. For some clients, I noticed this change right away. For some, their guards were let down immediately and I could tell just from their relaxed demeanor and the tone of your voice. For others, they were able to go deeper than ever before- they were more vulnerable and open. Being in the comfort of their own space removed one more barrier that may have been stopping them from being this vulnerable before.
Though not the case for all therapists, for some, like myself, being exclusively online meant less overhead (no office space, no Kleenex purchases) and consequently, less fees! For my clients, I hope that a slightly reduced rate allows them more, or more affordable access to the therapeutic services they deserve.
Pre-COVID, I wouldn’t have rated online therapy as top quality as the in-person therapeutic process I have been trained to believe to be ultimate and superior. However, having gone through it myself, I now view virtual therapy as an integral part of my practice as a registered psychotherapist (qualifying). Whether fully online or partially, virtual practice has proven to be effective, accessible and comfortable and a fantastic means through which to reach individuals I would have never had the chance to reach before.
For those therapists and clients out there who are hesitant to give virtually therapy a shot, my recommendation – Give it a go!