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Online Counseling for Health & Wellness

Anxiety

Virtual Counseling:
Most people think that counseling is only for people suffering from depression, anxiety, or maybe PTSD. The truth is that therapists can help with all kinds of problems, many of which overlap with the physical health and wellness areas. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be useful for anyone looking to make a change, whether that be embarking on a weight loss plan, trying to stop a bad habit, or quitting smoking. Statistics prove that behavioral changes like smoking are much more likely to “stick” when professional talk therapy is involved.

Virtual Counseling can also be useful for people dealing with a variety of health challenges, including injuries, cancer, heart disease, or even an illness or injury of a loved one. In all of these cases, professional support can help with fears or anxiety around a diagnosis, coping with medically-caused life changes, and even managing physical symptoms like pain. In fact, for people recovering from surgery or with limited mobility, online counseling is one way to improve treatment outcomes across the board, especially when it comes to pain management. The opiate epidemic has made many doctors and patients alike wary of prescribing opiates for conditions like chronic pain; cognitive-behavioral therapy and other kinds of mindfulness work have been proven in studies to help improve pain and quality of life while avoiding the pitfalls of narcotic pain medicine. Furthermore, for those dealing with medical challenges, E-therapy presents a unique advantage. Since a patient doesn’t even need to leave their bed to speak with a trained therapist, the benefits associated with a professional counselor are now accessible to virtually everyone regardless of physical mobility.

Virtual Counseling is also applicable in other areas of “wellness.” Depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions can have very real physical effects on the body, including a weakened immune system, insomnia, and blood pressure or heart issues. Getting help for these conditions translates into a healthier physical body, too. For people attempting to manage psychiatric symptoms in multiple ways, like diet and exercise, E-therapy might also be more convenient to fit into a schedule that is already getting full due to going to the gym and/or cooking healthy food from scratch. In turn, having ease of access to quality professional support via E-therapy can also help make other wellness goals more likely to last in the long term.

 

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Is Online Counseling Right For You? Practical Considerations

Anxiety

One reason that remote counseling has become so popular is that it simply makes access to therapy dramatically easier and more convenient. Studies have shown that therapeutic outcomes and patient satisfaction are nearly identical between video chatting and face-to-face counseling sessions, meaning that E-therapy is a great choice for nearly everyone. That being said, geographic considerations are the most cut-and-dry reason why someone might seek out E-therapy for the first time. Simply put, many parts of America may simply not have easy access to quality practitioners. For people in rural parts of the country or anyone lacking a vehicle or easy access to public transportation, being able to engage in talk therapy from home means that getting help has become much easier. In the past, long transport times and/or limited providers put many people “off” from trying to seek professional treatment, but this doesn’t have to be the case anymore. On a related note, people who desire a specific kind of counselor (eg. LGBTQ, African-American, other languages) have a much higher likelihood of finding exactly the right kind of therapist if they include online providers in their search. The same is true for clients who may have physical limitations that make getting to physical appointments difficult.

Remote counseling may also be the right fit if you’re struggling with a busy schedule, have a family, or simply need to save time for other reasons. For parents of young children, getting therapy at home means that childcare doesn’t need to be a worry—something that can be a critical difference between whether or not therapy is realistic. E-therapy also eliminates the time and expense of commuting to appointments, while often allowing more scheduling flexibility than traditional practices, both of which can be great for busy students or professionals. Savings on childcare and commuting, along with the generally more affordable nature of E-therapy, can also mean that accessing therapy is finally a realistic option if Online counseling is considered.

E-therapy is also a great choice for Remote counseling anyone else who is already comfortable with using video chat as a form of communication. Besides the practical considerations of distance and types of providers available, online therapy is also simply more convenient, and the idea of accessing therapeutic support online today is simply not as strange as it once may have been. For people with lots of experience communicating via the internet and smartphones, this form of communication is perfectly natural. In addition, many online therapy practices also offer extended access to the therapist via text message, a benefit that also may be appealing to people who are already using text messaging extensively in their lives.

 

If you have been experiencing Depression please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

How To Get Online CBT?

Anxiety

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most well-studied and evidence-based types of talk therapy available, which is why it’s also in high demand. One reason CBT is so effective is that it provides actionable tools to identify, challenge, and change a variety of unhelpful thinking patterns to manage symptoms of a psychiatric condition, adjust to a big change, improve interpersonal skills, etc. Overall, access to online CBT should be easier than trying to find a nearby office provider who both specializes in this area and has an opening in their schedule. You can easily find cognitive behavioral therapy online sessions.

When searching for a reputable online counselor, be sure to look for therapists with up-to-date licensure that list CBT as a subset of their training or skills. Making certain that the therapist is licensed ensures that you’ll get the best-quality treatment by a professional with academic and practical training on how best to use CBT for a variety of situations. Also double-check that the e-therapist’s practice has a registered physical address to ensure the business is being run legitimately. Finally, don’t be afraid to call with any questions. Many practices will even let you have a brief phone introduction with the therapist to ensure that you’re a good fit for one another. The online CBT therapy is very promising. the heart of this therapeutic

The online counselor’s website should have all the information needed for what technical requirements there will be for sessions. These days, many practices have “gateways” straight from the website or use a 3rd party app within the browser to communicate securely with an easy-to-use interface. Although the concept of e-therapy can be intimidating for some users, you don’t have to be a computer genius to participate. Generally, you just need a decent broadband internet connection and a computer or smartphone that is less than 5 years old.

For potential clients wondering about differences in quality, there are now multiple studies supporting the use of CBT in virtual environments. That is to say, a good e-therapist will be just as effective at using CBT to help a client as a brick-and-mortar peer; the difference is simply in delivery. Starting CBT with a specific goal will go a long way towards getting the most effective and timely treatment possible. Additionally, CBT treatment with an online therapist may include worksheets, journaling assignments, or other “off-clock” work to help the client learn to identify the thinking errors and associated solutions that are at the heart of this therapeutic form. Consult with experts to learn more about online cognitive behavioral therapy.

For anyone looking into starting a course of CBT, consider e-therapy as one of the easiest ways to benefit from this proven type of treatment. The CBT therapy online session can bring normalcy in the life of a patient. Looking online instead of just locally will greatly broaden the number and quality of therapists available. E-therapy also allows for a greater selection of secondary criteria to best suit your needs, whether that be having a therapist who is female, someone who specializes in co-occurring substance abuse disorders, or countless other factors. Ultimately, using the possibilities of e-therapy to connect with an experienced, well-trained, and compatible CBT therapist is worth any initial adjustment that might need to be made if it’s your first time using online therapy.

 

If you have been experiencing Depression please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

How Can You Know if your Online Therapist is Reputable?

Anxiety

If you’ve decided that online therapy is right for you, the next step is researching a provider. Just like with brick-and-mortar therapists, it’s important to take steps to make sure that the online counselor you’ll be seeing is a qualified professional by looking only for licensed providers. It’s important to understand the various kinds of training and certifications available to therapists, because there are many different kinds. Common licenses include LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), LPA (Licensed Psychological Associate), MSW (Master’s in Social Work), LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), alongside doctorate-level degrees like PhDs, PsychDs, or MD/DOs.

While there are a variety of training methods and professional license types, all of them require the therapist to adhere to certain professional standards; the difference is simply which kind of training has been involved. Why is licensure so important? While there are undoubtedly plenty of great people doing counseling work without a license, making sure that you hold to this standard has several benefits, the first being that you’re sure to get someone who has undertaken formal training and passed exams. Another benefit is that insurance is more likely to cover licensed counsellors instead of, say, energy healers or religious leaders.

When trying to decide which type of professional therapist is the best fit, it’s important to note that different types of licensing may have different hourly rates, too. As a general rule of thumb, those holding doctorate-level degrees tend to charge more than those that hold a graduate degree, like an MSW. Whichever type of therapist you ultimately decide to go on may also depend on your particular needs, such as whether or not you might need medication prescribed.

If researching by type of therapist is too overwhelming, simply begin your search by looking up licensed therapists that specialize in the particular area you need help with. Next, it’s time to evaluate the websites of e-therapists to help decide whether a practice is legitimate or not. Remember that the first or second search result may not be the best, as these are often rankings that sites pay for, much like an old-fashioned ad. In regards to the practice itself, there should be an associated confirmed address if you search it by name. Why should this matter in the case of online therapy? Even if the therapist(s) run the practice entirely virtually, having a registered address helps verify that the business is being run legitimately. On the website itself, there should be clear, professionally-shot photos of the therapists along with brief biographies summarizing where they’ve been educated, what certifications they currently hold, and any areas of specialty. If you need an extra layer of reassurance, you can search the status of any therapist’s licensure in the state they are registered to practice in. If this information is unclear at any time, simply move onto the next e-therapist.

Most reputable online therapists use integrated software right from the site to conduct counseling appointments via secure video chat. Other online therapists may use an external app, but it’s important to do a quick check to make sure the app is legitimate (eg, available in Apple and Android stores) before downloading anything. While some therapists do use Skype or other popular chat tools, it’s recommended that this is only done with therapists that the patient has already worked with in-person, because not having dedicated communication software or a gateway on the website may indicate less-than-top quality or a therapist that isn’t actually experienced doing remote counseling sessions. The last step in verification is to call the practice to enquire about payment options, setting up an introductory appointment, and discuss exactly what technology will be used to access the therapist and how it works. Most reputable therapists are more than happy to discuss all of these things over the phone, including holding a brief discussion or interview to gauge initial compatibility.

 

If you have been experiencing Depression please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Online Psychotherapy: A Modern Approach to Mental Health

online therapy - therapy over the internet

Whether a client is new to online therapy or just therapy in particular, it’s natural to wonder how the process works over the Internet. Just like with any other clinical practice, therapists who work over the Internet are fully licensed and trained to respect client confidentiality at all times. Any reputable online therapist will also take extra steps to ensure the client’s information is protected since the sessions are happening over the Internet. This will ideally include using a specialized app or otherwise secure communication gateway to protect sensitive information from being exposed to third parties.

As for the psychotherapy itself, the only difference is the method of delivery. The e-therapist is required by law to have the same type of licensure as a “traditional” face-to-face therapist. Just like with office therapy, over-the-internet sessions will be tailored by the clinician to best fit the particular needs of the client. This can include the type of psychotherapy involved, such as Cognitive-Behavioral, Dialectical-Behavioral, psychodynamic methodologies, etc.

In some cases, the therapist may decide to incorporate various styles of teaching methods to help clients build the knowledge necessary to use new tools or coping skills. Regardless of how it is delivered and what type of psychotherapy is used in particular, the basic therapeutic process and goals are the same: to help clients identify unhealthy patterns of thinking and communication, cope with painful events, and discover new, constructive ways to deal with life’s challenges.

One advantage psychotherapy over the Internet has is greater flexibility regarding convenience, scheduling, and overall time required per session. While the time with the therapist will be the same as during a traditional office visit, e-therapy has the added advantage of saving clients the physical commute to the therapist’s practice. This can also make couples counseling easier in particular, since there is less coordination required for both parties. In the case of families, this can also help parents avoid having to find childcare during sessions, since they are happening from the comfort of home—something that can be helpful financially, too.

Eliminating these kinds of barriers can also eliminate some of the excuses people may use to not seek help. At the end of the day, the convenience offered by therapy over the Internet can be a game-changer, especially for potential clients who are undecided about psychotherapy as a whole. If online therapy over the Internet is faster, simpler to use, and cost-effective, then why not give it a try?

 

If you would like to try psychotherapy over the internet please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.