Online counseling. Online therapy. Telehealth. Teletherapy. Telecounseling. Technology-assisted therapy.
All of these are synonyms for the same thing: Talking to a shrink on the internet.
I’ll be honest, I was hesitant about online counseling myself, at first. No office? Not being able to sit in the same room, face to face? Wouldn’t that be weird?
Well, yes and no. Online counseling is different in some ways. For one thing, you can only see the person you’re talking to from the torso up. For another, you have to make sure you can find somewhere where you’ll be uninterrupted for 50 minutes. In some households, that’s not easy! And we all know technology can be fickle.
With all of that being said, the service being provided during online counseling is no different than the service you’d receive in an office. Either way, you’re developing a relationship with a professional who cares about you, who is there to help.
Believe it or not, there are so many positives to online therapy, I decided to become an online therapist myself! Being an online therapist allows me to see people all over the state of Illinois, without a long drive. This saves me and my clients money on gas, tolls, and parking.
Online therapy allows me to reach clients who don’t have access to in-person mental health services. That includes people who don’t have reliable transportation, people in rural areas, and people with chronic pain and illnesses. It also includes people who travel often for work, and who are in long-distance relationships and seeking couples’ counseling.
Going to an office where you’ve never been before and facing people in the waiting room can be hard. Online counseling completely eliminates the possibility of bumping into Dan from high school, thumbing through an old copy of Psychology Today. What a relief! It’s just you and me.
Counseling should be as convenient and stress-free as possible. That’s why online counseling makes sense for me and for my private practice clients.
If you’re interested in learning more or have questions, visit my online therapy FAQ’s page.
If you’d like to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation with me, visit my client portal.
Talk to you soon,
Rebecca