During the pandemic, states urged medical facilities, restaurants, and schools to close down to limit contact
people had with each other to help stop the virus from spreading. Mental health offices were no exception.
All of a sudden, professionals and clients had to adapt to a new counseling setting. Instead of going into
the office, clients connected with therapists via zoom. Some liked it, and some didn't. We were all going
through a lot at that time, and many asked if "real therapy" could happen via video.
Online therapy isn't a mediocre or second-best way to engage in counseling. There are actually many benefits:
This means that you can expect to reach your goals in the same way as if you were in the office.
Since your therapist doesn't have to pay for a physical office space, their overhead costs are significantly lower, meaning you pay less for therapy.
If you don't think you have time to add another activity to your calendar, telehealth helps you save time so you're investing just the session time instead of all the logistics of getting somewhere before you can jump in. Instead of spending sometimes an extra hour commuting to and from the therapy office, you can connect right when the session would start and continue going about your day when it ends. Sometimes people miss sessions because they got stuck in traffic, or at a train crossing (I'm looking at you, Saginaw, Texas!). This is not a concern for those who don't have to commute to session.
Technology has made the world smaller. If you want a female identifying therapist who works with trauma, is LGBT affirming, understands religious trauma, and who also works with couples, you can find one (hey, that sounds like me!), and distance isn't a factor. Not all therapists can have a grasp on every presenting concern, so having the ability to meet with someone in real time, miles away, gives you a larger pool of therapists to choose from.