Online therapy in vogue: how you can learn to deal well with challenges, stress and illnesses flexibly & location-independent.
In recent years, online therapy has developed from a niche solution to an integral part of psychological care. Online clinical-psychological counselling and treatment in particular has gained in importance – primarily due to its location independence, time flexibility and low-threshold nature.
What is clinical-psychological online counselling & treatment?
Clinical-psychological online counselling & treatment includes professional psychological support via digital means of communication such as video or audio calls, text chat or emails.
Typical topics for psychological online therapy are depressive moods, anxiety and panic attacks, acute stress, sleep disorders, overthinking, decision-making problems, recurring conflicts, acute stress, mental and physical illnesses, the search for purpose in life and support for relatives of mentally or physically ill people.
Online therapy in vogue: online psychological counselling & treatment opens up the possibility of dealing better with challenges, stress and illnesses and gradually expanding your personal scope for thought and action. This allows clients to gain a better understanding of themselves and significantly improve their quality of life.
Methods that can be used in online therapy include resource activation, symptom and stress management, self-esteem enhancement, boundary strategies, emotion regulation, cognitive restructuring, reflective questioning techniques, breathing and relaxation exercises, imagination techniques and trainings to strengthen your neuroresilience.
Benefits of Online Therapy
1. Independence of location and quick availability
Online therapy makes it possible to communicate with each other in peace – at home, when travelling and even if therapist and client live in different countries. If possible, the collaboration can begin more quickly than in a conventional setting, as the therapist is not tied to the availability of a practice room.
2. Time flexibility
Individual needs and schedules can be optimally catered for. Depending on the agreement, online psychology can be used at different times of the day, including evenings and weekends.
3. Low-threshold
All you need for online psychology is a stable internet connection and your smartphone, tablet or laptop with a camera and microphone. This makes online therapy particularly helpful for people who find it difficult to attend counselling and therapy in person due to location, time or other personal reasons.
4. Comfort
Without having to worry about transport costs and long journeys, you can enjoy online therapy at a comfortable location of your choice. Whether you want to relax on your couch with a cup of coffee, sit at your desk in front of your laptop or go for a nice walk during the sessions – it’s entirely up to you.
5. Forms of communication
In online settings, you can choose between different communication formats. Depending on whether you prefer a virtual face-to-face meeting or anonymity, you can choose between video calls, audio calls, text chat or emails. You can even consider using voice and video messages to communicate with your therapist.
6. Anonymity
In online settings, it often feels more anonymous than talking to a therapist face-to-face in a practice room. In many cases, a so-called ‘disinhibition effect’ occurs, whereby great trust can develop between client and therapist despite the physical distance.
Target Group of Online Therapy
The target group for online therapy includes all people with mental health problems who are looking for support but who, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to attend therapy in person. People who often prefer therapy in an online setting are, for example, teenagers and young adults who have grown up in the digital age, people who have problems leaving their homes due to depression and anxiety, people with physical limitations, people who live in areas with little infrastructure, people with babies and small children, people with very demanding jobs and travellers and expats who want to speak to a therapist in their native language despite the distance from their home country. These are some of the key reasons why online therapy is in vogue.
Limitations of Online Therapy
1. Technical requirements
A stable internet connection and a suitable end device are prerequisites for successful online therapy. As a client, you should therefore be prepared to familiarise yourself with the technical conditions.
2. Not suitable for all disorders
Online therapy is not suitable for acute mental crises, severe mental illness or acute suicide risk. In such cases (e.g. acute addiction, acute psychotic illness), direct treatment with a professional on site or in a clinic is necessary.
3. Self-discipline and personal responsibility
The effectiveness of online therapy depends heavily on the client’s self-motivation and discipline. Without the physical presence of a therapist, it can be more difficult to engage in the process and work on it continuously.
Effectiveness of Online Therapy
Numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of online therapy and show that it is comparable to on-site therapy. Its effectiveness has been proven in particular for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, but also for PTSD, eating disorders, sleep disorders, chronic pain, obsessive-compulsive disorders and substance abuse.
Special studies showed that online therapy resulted in a greater reduction in symptoms and a lower relapse rate for moderately severe depression than on-site therapy. In the treatment of anxiety, for example, participants stated that they experienced fewer unpleasant states of agitation when writing in a text-chat than when speaking to a therapist in person, while the long-term effectiveness was comparable in both settings.
The most effective factors of online therapy are the client’s personal willingness to work on changes and the therapeutic relationship. In this regard, the survey of study participants revealed that the perceived competence of the therapist, regular feedback and adequate support were more important to them than the personal presence of the therapist. The perception of the relationship was described as ‘personal’ by an average of 96% of the study participants.
Conclusion
Online therapy in vogue! Online therapy is a valuable and equal complement to traditional on-site psychological care. It offers increased accessibility, flexibility and can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy. For many people, online therapy is therefore an effective and practical solution for accessing psychological support. However, there are limitations, particularly in cases of severe mental illness or acute crisis, where face-to-face therapeutic contact is essential.
Are you not quite sure yet whether online therapy is the right choice for you? Would you like to try how such a setting feels for you without any obligation? Let’s talk about it in a free initial session!
List of Sources
- www.the-online-psychologist.com
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- Klein, J. P. et al. (2016). Internetbasierte Interventionen in der Behandlung psychischer Störungen. Überblick, Qualitätskriterien, Perspektiven. Nervenarzt, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. DOI: 10.1007/s00115-016-0217-7.
- Knatz, B. & Dodier, B. (2003): Hilfe aus dem Netz – Theorie und Praxis der Beratung per E-Mail. Pfeiffer bei Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2003.
- Sucala, M. et al. (2012). The therapeutic relationship in e-therapy for mental health: a systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. August 2, 2012. DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2084.
- Wagner, B. et al. (2013). Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective Disorders. July 23, 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032.
- Winkler, H. & Gattermeyer, S. (2021). Psychotherapie via Internet – Chancen und Risiken in der digitalen Welt? Einstellungen von Psychotherapeut*innen und Öffentlichkeit zur Anwendung von internetbasierten Interventionen in der Psychotherapie in Österreich. SFU Forschungsbulletin 9/2 (2021), S. 9–38.