What is Online Therapy?
Online therapy or online counselling lets you converse with a qualified psychologist, counsellor and coach from your personal device. All you need is a good internet connection and a private and quiet space at the time of your session.
Common Care's online counselling platform matches you with a mental health professionals qualified to treat a range of mental health conditions based on your mental health needs, goals and preferences in an online therapist.
All therapists undergo a rigorous vetting process for credentialing and online therapy training to ensure that you’re in good care during therapy.
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Benefits of Online Therapy
Online therapy makes mental healthcare more accessible.
For many of us, being able to speak to a psychologist or coach online offers benefits of greater convenience, ease of access and increased comfort.
Convenience
Online therapy can offer greater convenience, particularly for those that have a long commute or have long or odd working hours will find that online therapy is more flexible for scheduling. Those that feel uncomfortable attending traditional face-to-face therapy may find being able to attend therapy in the comfort of their own home more comfortable and less intimidating.
Ease of Access
A benefit of online therapy over traditional face-to-face therapy is being able to attend therapy anytime and anywhere. Online therapy sessions are conducted over video and phone conferencing, meaning that all you need for the session is a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or home computer and a stable internet connection.
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Comfort
The key difference between traditional face-to-face therapy and online therapy is the ability to converse with a therapist in the comfort of your own home. Our physical environment influences how we feel in therapy. A comfortable, familiar setting can help us feel safe, secure and for some, can help us open up about our emotions and our problems more freely.
When dealing with mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, it may come with debilitating symptoms that can sometimes make it difficult to leave home and see a therapist in an office setting.
Affordable Counselling
Often, traditional face-to-face therapy can be costly, due to the overhead expenses required for the practitioner in running a private practice. Through offering an online counselling practice, the overall cost of psychotherapy can be reduced.
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Online therapy, like traditional face-to-face therapy, can be effective in the treatment of a number of mental health issues. In a review of studies published in the journal World Journal of Psychiatry, patients receiving mental health treatment through video conferencing reported "high levels of satisfaction."
When selecting an online counsellor, make sure to consider confidentiality, legal policies as well as their qualifications.
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Common Care works with professional, qualified mental health professionals. All psychologists, counsellors and coaches undergo an interview and application process and are vetted for their credentials, educational background, qualification and memberships in professional associations. It’s important to ensure that our mental health professionals are well qualified and adhere to the code of ethics for professional conduct in counselling and psychotherapy.
Common Care provides a full-service online therapy platform with the largest selection of qualified 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.
Sources:
Chakrabarti S. Usefulness of telepsychiatry: A critical evaluation of videoconferencing-based approaches. World J Psychiatry. 2015;5(3):286-304. doi:10.5498/wjp.v5.i3.286