Online Therapy and House Calls: Is it for me?

The new modality known as Online Counseling has both advantages and disadvantages. While online therapy can entail chat rooms, emails, the use of web cams and such, we endorse and believe that  most online counseling is best done over the phone.  In any case, if the concept of a 'virtual office' appeals to you, please read on:

POSSIBLE ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE THERAPY ARE:

  • You can engage in therapy via internet or phone even if you are homebound or live in a remote area.
  • You can send emails at anytime of the day or night.
  • You will have an automatic written record of the therapy if you use the internet.
  • You can read the therapist's responses as often as is helpful to you.
  • You can take as much time as needed to compose your emails.
  • You can choose a single consultation via the phone or ongoing therapy.
  • You do not have to travel to a therapist's office or mental health clinic.
  • It's possible to engage in therapy from home, work, or even while traveling whether by phone or internet.
  • Online therapy is generally more affordable than face-to-face therapy (you can save on gas too!).
  • Online therapy can be less intimidating with no stigma attached.

POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE THERAPY ARE:

  • The lack of body language and verbal (spoken) cues;
  • The possibility of misunderstandings due to phone communications;
  • Problems associated with technology failures (i.e., power outages, crashes);
  • Potential difficulties in verifying the identity of either party;
  • Problems in helping a suicidal or homicidal client;
  • The requirement of being comfortable with computers and keyboards;
  • The fact that insurance companies generally will not pay for Online therapy.

YOU SHOULD NOT CONSIDER ONLINE THERAPY IF:

  • You have serious thoughts of hurting yourself or others
  • You have a chronic mental illness requiring intense treatment;
  • You prefer face-to-face therapy and it is available to you;
  • You are uncomfortable with computers and keyboards.
  • You are uncomfortable talking on the phone

ALTERNATIVES TO ONLINE THERAPY:

  • Face-to-face therapy or counseling from a mental health professional;
  • Finding a support group in the community;
  • Using family or friends as supports;
  • Reading self-help books

The women who are engaging in online TELEPHONE counseling with me at this time do so for a variety of reasons.  As noted above, I hold phone sessions with some women who live in small communities and may not want neighbors seeing them go into a counseling office.  There are women who are ill, aged, or agoraphobic and cannot leave their homes.  Time is a big issue for many of my clients; how nice to eliminate the one hour round-trip to a therapist's office. And lastly, as noted above there's the high cost of gasoline.

The disadvantage of online therapy also noted above is that the therapist can not really evaluate the total you.  Body language, facial expressions are significant factors in assessing the client's unspoken feelings and thoughts.  (In actuality, this disadvantage does seem to be an advantage to some of my clients.) 

As far as house calls go, if you can afford to pay for the therapist's travel time, I say go for it. As a therapist I get to see you in your ‘natural habitat'.  What better, faster way to get to know a woman than to see her in her domain?  The one possible disadvantage might be that when we meet in your home it is imperative that we have quiet and privacy; not always available to some.