How To Make Online Therapy Work?
Making the decision to begin psychotherapy or counselling can feel like a huge investment of your mental energy, time and money. If it’s your first time, it may feel intimidating if you are not sure what to talk about and how to make sure that therapy works for you.
Online counselling with greater affordability, convenience, ease of access, privacy and comfort lowers common barriers to getting mental health care. Seeing a professional psychologist or counsellor can be effective in treating your mental health concerns and improve your mental well-being.
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To set yourself up for a successful experience in online counselling it’s important to first begin with the right expectations. Here are 4 things to know:
Improvement Takes Time
Have patience with yourself and your progress in psychotherapy.
A common misconception is that a psychologist will tell you exactly what to do and you will feel better instantly and walk away with an immediate solution to your problem.
When we visit a doctor for treatment for physical ailments, we may receive medicine or instructions to take care of our bodies and our symptoms are typically expected to be alleviated in a predictable period of time.
In talk therapy, treatment and recovery doesn’t work in a pre-set period of time. The length of therapy largely depends on the size and type of issues you’re facing, your participation and engagement, as well as your goals in therapy - it varies person to person.
Setting the right expectation is key to success in online counselling. It’s important to recognize that improvement in your mental health will take place over time. Research shows that up to 67% of clients who remain in therapy for at least three months report improvement in their problems.
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You Have to Do the Work
A lot of us might enter talk therapy with the picture of us lying down on a chaise longue, gazing up at a tall ceiling as we talk about our day, while our therapist sits a few feet from us in an upright chair, meticulously taking notes on a lined paper pad. You might see that type of furniture, but therapy isn’t just about talking in a comfortable chair - expect to do a lot of hard work inside.
Your therapist is there to make use of their professional training and expertise to guide you in the process of uncovering meaning in your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
For example, you may share that you tend to turn to substances to cope with stress and you want to change that.
Your therapist can help you identify triggers and point out negative habits. But, it requires you to be willing to do the inner work, open up to your therapist candidly about your problems and be ready for self-reflection.
Inner-work is scary and requires a lot of effort. For some, the process may open up deep, buried wounds that can evoke feelings that might make you feel raw, uncomfortable and vulnerable. Though it may feel counterintuitive to move towards the pain, this is important in order to free up space within ourselves and heal.
Know that your therapist is there for you and that they will guide you to a better mental place as you do the hard work within.
Remember to keep an open mind in therapy. When learning new, healthy coping skills, the change can feel uncomfortable and we may have resistance to it. It’s important to communicate with your therapist about how you’re feeling throughout to ensure success in achieving mental wellbeing.
In therapy, the relationship between therapist and client is extremely important. If you feel safe and comfortable with your therapist, therapy can often be as successful as you make it to be. Your willingness to participate and cooperate in talk therapy will make a huge difference in whether it works for you.
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Setting Goals with Your Therapist
Typically, in your first few sessions, your therapist will spend time learning about you and problems in your life. Your therapist will let you do most of the talking and prefer to listen so that they are able to better understand your situation, your goals, and work with you to come up with an idea of what a recommended therapy approach and treatment may be.
It is not meant to be a one-sided instruction and you are encouraged to communicate with your therapists what you are looking to achieve in therapy and how long you are interested in attending online therapy.
To make sure that therapy is working and worth your investment of time, money and mental energy, be sure to set goals and communicate with your therapist throughout therapy.
A good therapist will be keeping an eye on your improvement throughout therapy.
You can also make sure that your needs are being met and you can track your progress over time. It can be helpful to re-align with your therapist if your expectations change after a few sessions.
Choosing the Right Therapist
Finding the right therapist can impact the success of therapy. After all, a therapist and client relationship is based on the human connection - the fit and chemistry.
When choosing a therapist, it’s helpful to review their credentials. If a biography or professional profile is available, do take time to review and consider whether you would feel comfortable talking to this person. It will typically be a mix of professional qualifications, and a gut feeling.
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After the initial sessions, consider the fit between you and your therapist. You may find your therapist easy to talk to due to various factors - maybe it’s the shared cultural background, maybe it’s the treatment approach that you agree with, maybe it’s their sense of humor.
However, if after some time, you don’t think your therapist is a good fit, it is advised that you first consider sharing your concerns with your therapist, so that there is an opportunity for your concerns to be addressed quickly and to strengthen the relationship. If you still feel that your therapist isn’t the right fit, know that it’s okay to request for a change to a new therapist. The most important thing is for you to feel secure in therapy.
Common Care provides a full-service online counselling platform with the largest selection of qualified online psychologists, counsellors and coaches. After completing an initial intake assessment, we recommend suitable therapists based on your needs, preferences and goals in therapy. Begin online counselling anytime, anywhere at affordable prices.