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Online Therapy – A Good Way to Get Mental Health Support

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Online therapy has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, especially during the pandemic. When people were forced to isolate and quarantine, eTherapy proved to be a great resource to help those struggling with mental health issues. However, there is still much skepticism surrounding online therapy. Many people don’t think it is as good as traditional face-to-face sessions.

Fortunately, research and studies tell us otherwise. Many reputable institutions and publications now consider eTherapy a solid alternative to traditional face-to-face counseling. A recent article in Forbes Magazine even recommended eTherapyPro as some of the best online therapy services of 2022.

Free Therapy

Online therapy offers many benefits but one of the most important advantages is free therapy sessions. Most platforms offer some form of free therapy to help patients try their services before they commit to a full plan. eTherapy offers a free three-day trial before you need to pay.

Free therapy gives you the option to try a few sessions online and see if the therapist or the mode of communication suits you. You can give online therapy a fair shot to see what works and what doesn’t before making a decision.

Traditional therapy options don’t offer this. You need to pay for every session from the get-go. Moreover, you are forced to settle for a local therapist because of a lack of options. Online therapy platforms have several therapists on board and many of them specialize in specific fields. For example, if you’re struggling with learning disabilities and live in a small town, you may have better luck finding a specialist online.

Is eTherapy Popular?

Yes! Online or teletherapy has experienced a big boost in the past few years. The American Psychiatric Association says that six in 10 individuals would consider using telehealth services in America. This shows the general acceptance of this form of therapy has risen considerably in recent years.

Online therapy has also become more popular because it is accessible, offers options, and is affordable. eTherapyPro starts at just $55 for four weeks, which is cheaper than traditional therapy. Online therapy is affordable because counselors generally lower overhead costs. They don’t need to maintain a dedicated office or pay for staff. They can just communicate with patients from the comfort of their homes as well.

Is Online Therapy Effective?

Yes, research suggests that online therapy is just as effective as a traditional therapy in most cases. It is sometimes more effective than face-to-face counseling. People struggling with anxiety have a better time with eTherapy. Children and teenagers also adapt to this medium easily because they are accustomed to communicating online.

While eTherapy may not work for everyone, it works well for a large majority of people who try it. That is one of the reasons why major publications like Forbes, mental health magazines, and even professional therapists have started to recommend this mode of communication.

Professionals that were initially skeptical about the effectiveness of telehealth services are now on-board and consider online counseling a viable alternative.

You may still need traditional counseling and visits to a psychiatrist if you need medication or more intensive therapy. You will also need to contact emergency services in your area for urgent mental health issues.

Why Choose eTherapyPro?

eTherapyPro is a great option because we are one of the most affordable online therapy sites available today. We connect you to experienced and compassionate therapists and offer multiple modes of communication. We also offer three days of free therapy so you can test the platform. You only pay if you are comfortable with our service!

If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our team will be happy to answer your questions.

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 Take Full Advantage of Your Free Counseling Session

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Many online therapy platforms offer free counseling for the first few days. This is a great opportunity for people to explore the platform and see if their therapist can help them. Most people waste these initial free sessions and end up with a disappointing experience. We recommend taking full advantage of these sessions to determine whether online therapy is a good choice for you. Here are some tips that can help you make the right decisions:

Take These Sessions Seriously

It is common for people to take their first few sessions lightly. Some don’t trust therapy while others don’t believe online therapy is effective. Regardless of the reasons, they don’t invest their full attention in these sessions, which can make them less effective. Therapy is a two-way process and requires both the therapist and the patient to communicate well. If you don’t take these sessions seriously, you won’t be able to communicate your concerns well.

Therapists will also sense that you don’t seem to trust them or respect their qualifications. That may lead to discord or cause the therapist to become disengaged from the sessions. You only have a few free sessions so it is good to avoid wasting them. Be serious about counseling from the get-go to get the best results.

Be Honest

A therapist can only help you if you give them the right information. Don’t hide the symptoms you experience or the suspected causes of your mental distress. If the therapist has incomplete information, they won’t be able to help you at all. In fact, they may offer advice or solutions that may do more harm than good.

Be honest with your free therapist from the very first session. When they ask you probing questions, always reply straightforwardly. If you’re not comfortable answering the questions, just say that you’re not comfortable. The therapist will revisit the topic later when you’re in a more accepting state of mind. Honesty is the best way to establish a good rapport with your therapist.

Be Comfortable

When we’re uncomfortable, we tend to make mistakes or retreat into ourselves, which isn’t helpful when you’re attending a free counseling session. While it is common to be somewhat anxious during your first therapy session, you can take a few steps to make your environment comfortable. Light your favorite scented candle, play soothing music, make sure your space is free of clutter, and choose a quiet and comfortable space.

Taking these steps will help you feel relaxed and comfortable during the session, which will help ensure it is more successful. If you’re not comfortable or secure at home, attend therapy at your friend’s house or visit your favorite park. The flexibility of online counseling ensures that you can choose your own environment.

Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask your therapist some questions. Most therapists will ask a few guiding questions to help initiate the conversation and get you comfortable. They will also ask questions to get more information about your current mental health. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t ask a few questions of your own. Ask them how the therapy will proceed and what kind of information your therapist means. Ask them about your symptoms and mental health struggles. Sometimes the answers your therapist provides can be very validating.

Asking questions can also help you become more comfortable and confident, which will have a positive impact on your free counseling sessions. Once you have a free flow of communication with your therapist, it is easier to work on your mental health.

Follow the Advice

Therapy sessions may only last for an hour or so but you still need to implement the solutions discussed after the therapy is done. Following your free therapist’s advice and making sure you bring about a positive change in life can help you move forward. Don’t forget what your therapist says as soon as you finish your conversation.

Being proactive and serious about therapy is the best way to ensure success. You may also need fewer sessions if you are serious about therapy as you will start to feel better sooner.

If you follow these tips, you will get the most out of your free counseling sessions. All you need to do is commit and cooperate with your counselor.

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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.

Benefits of Free Online Therapy

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Mental health is just as important as physical health. Taking care of your mind can help improve the quality of your life significantly and even attending a few sessions with a therapist can have an impact. Unfortunately, many people hesitate invest in therapy and don’t consider it effective. The stigma against mental health issues doesn’t help. If you’re hesitating to consider therapy, try a few free online therapy sessions. Here’s a look at some of the most important benefits of online therapy:

1. Mental Health Support

Some mental health support is better than none. Attending a few free sessions with experienced therapists may set you on the right path and help you focus on your mental health. If you’re wary of therapy and don’t know if it is for you, consider getting free sessions just to experience with it is like. There is no risk or investment required. If you find therapy an unpleasant experience, you can stop immediately.

Moreover, these sessions are held online, which means you can attend them from the comfort of your home. Convenient access to mental health services is exactly what you need to get on the journey towards good health.

2. Determining the Root Cause

Your mental health troubles may have a specific root cause. You may not be able to understand why you’re experiencing certain symptoms but a psychologist may be able to. Determining the root cause can help you overcome the problem. Understanding the root cause is a matter of understanding the client. Psychologists carefully ask leading questions and consider the answers provided by their clients.

The answers to these questions give the psychologists a clearer idea of the client’s current mental state. Their advice is more effective and treatments offer better results if they are working with better information.

3. Affordability

The first few days on eTherapy platforms are generally free. This allows you to test and understand the services available. However, many people wonder what happens after the trail period expires. If you want to remain onboard and continue with therapy, you just need to pay a small fee for your sessions.

Online therapy is often reasonable priced because you can pick a therapist from cheaper locations and benefit from lower overhead costs. Many people save hundreds of dollars on therapy every year by opting for online counseling. This affordability makes online therapy more accessible than traditional therapy. If you’re on a tight budget, it doesn’t hurt to get a few free therapy sessions from experienced professionals.

4. Specialists for Different Issues

When you attend traditional therapy sessions, you have to compromise with what you have available at your town or location. For example, if your local therapists aren’t familiar or don’t have too much experience with your specific concern, you have no choice but to accept it or look for a therapist that works farther away.

Online therapy is different because you have access to expert therapists from different parts of the country. The platform will ask you to fill up a form and then assign a therapist based on the information available on the form. There will be no need to worry about poor mental health care. You will be assigned specialized experts that understand your troubles and will be able to offer nuanced advice based on experience.

5. Accessibility

Many people aren’t able to access mental health services because they are too expensive, conspicuous, or out of reach. Online therapy is a much better solution as it allows people to access mental health services discretely. For example, if you’re in a high-risk situation and think it is unsafe to visit a therapist, you can access therapy anonymously online. You don’t even need to share your name with the therapist if you feel vulnerable.

This level of accessibility had been impossible before the advent of eTherapy. Many people simply couldn’t speak with a therapist even if they wanted to. Internet has made things easier and more convenient. Now, you can simply message your therapist or speak to them on a video call if you prefer more face-to-face interaction.

As you can see, free therapy has several benefits at very low risk. All you need to do is give it a try to see if this is the right option for you.

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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.

What to Expect from Your First Online Therapy Session for Depression?

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Attending the first therapy session is always a difficult experience. Most people don’t know how to begin or what to expect. The situation can be even more difficult if you are online since you’re not talking to the therapist face-to-face. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Here are some tips that can help you communicate with your therapist effectively and make the most out of your first session:

1. Take Time to Know the Therapist

Most people don’t think this is an important part of therapy but understanding your therapist and their background can help you feel more grounded. For example, if you are struggling with social anxiety disorder and the therapist says they specialize in the field, you will feel more at ease.

Most online therapists will provide a short introduction to help you understand their background and give an idea about their personality. That will help you feel more comfortable with the therapy session.

2. Start a Discussion

Starting a discussion with a stranger online in such circumstances can feel a little uncomfortable and awkward. However, the initial discussion is a hurdle that you must overcome. There are several ways to approach this. Usually, a therapist will start asking guiding questions to get to know you better. Their goal is to make you comfortable and get a read on your personality as well as issues. The form you filled out earlier already provides some information to them but that’s not enough for them to start helping you.

It is important to meet your therapist half-way by communicating with them honestly. You don’t want to give them a mistaken impression of your circumstances or issues. If they ask questions, answer them as honestly as they can. If the topic is too difficult to discuss, you can always say you’re not comfortable and don’t wish to discuss it.

The therapist will move on to another topic and you can revisit the issue at a later date.

3. Ask Questions

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t be afraid to ask them. For example, if you want to know more about the therapist’s qualifications, ask them. If you want to know more about their experience with your particular concern, ask them.

Asking questions also helps improve communication between the patient and the therapist. It allows the therapist to understand that your concerns are and address them fully in the first session itself.

When it comes to online therapy, many people are hesitant and wonder if this medium is effective. You can ask your therapist directly about how effective eTherapy can be for your particular concern.

4. Setting Goals

Setting goals is an important aspect of beginner sessions. What do you want to work on? Which issue do you want to resolve first? Setting a goal allows the therapist to create a guided path and plan every session.

For example, do you want to treat your intense social anxiety? Then that should be the goal of your therapy with the counselor. Do you want to address negative and depressive thoughts? If so, that will be the goal you work towards.

Sometimes, patients don’t really understand their own mental health concerns. They don’t know why they experience certain symptoms like self-sabotage, extreme self-criticism, and more. In such cases, a therapist may take a few sessions to come up with a goal. But usually, this is decided in the first session.

5. Confidentiality

Online counselors follow the same ethics and guidelines as traditional counselors do. You can expect everything you say to your therapist to remain confidential. The therapist will not share the information with anyone unless this information is harmful to yourself.

Regardless of your age, you can expect the therapist to respect your privacy and confidence. They will not share what you say with anyone unless they have your express permission.

6. Technical Issues

Technology improves every day but technical issues can still happen. You may lose connection, experience glitches, or face a system downtime during your session. They are an inevitable part of using technology. Some issues may pop up on your end and some issues may pop up on the therapist’s side.

While technical issues can be disruptive, don’t get frustrated. Resolve them calmly and if they can’t be resolved quickly, reschedule your session with the therapist.

If you experience technical issues in your first session with the therapist, don’t be discouraged and give up. Like all problems, these can be fixed and you will be able to attend sessions smoothly. Good eTherapy platforms are well-maintained and will run smoothly.

Attending the first session is a positive step towards better mental health. All you need to do is to remain on this path and continue forward. Eventually, you will get used to this medium of communication and hit your stride.

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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.

5 Reasons Why Online Therapy is Successful

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Online therapy is a relatively new approach to therapy. It has been around for a handful of years and picked up speed when the pandemic ravaged the world. Initially, people were rightfully skeptical about this new approach, wondering if just chatting with a therapist or video-calling them would be as effective as traditional therapy. However, studies show that this approach is as effective as therapy and even more so in certain cases with certain patients. Here’s a look at some reasons why online therapy is successful:

1. More Accessible

Online therapy platforms are much more accessible than regular therapy. You can book a few sessions online and attend them from the comfort of your home, regardless of where you live. You could be in some isolated town in Alaska and still have access to the best counseling available. eTherapy makes it easier for people from remote or underserviced areas to access good therapy.

Accessibility is particularly necessary for people suffering from underrepresented mental health conditions. It is easy to get help for depression or anxiety but sometimes it can be difficult to get help for gender-related concerns or rare mental health conditions. Online therapy gives people access to more professionals, which gives people the benefit of options.

2. Privacy and Anonymity

More people are willing to try online therapy than traditional therapy because of the platform’s privacy and anonymity. Most online therapy websites don’t require your full name or contact information. You don’t even need to show your face to your therapist if you’re communicating primarily through chat or calls. This gives people a sense of privacy and safety. They don’t need to worry about anyone knowing that they are attending therapy.

This is particularly useful for people in risky or vulnerable situations. For example, if a person from an abusive or extremely conservative household requires therapy, they can access eTherapy services discretely, without worrying about anyone finding out. Studies have shown that teenagers and young adults, in particular, find these options appealing. They are more willing to attend online therapy because there is no exposure to peers involved.

3. Medium of Communication

Most online counseling happens through text messages or video conferences, depending on the approach the patient prefers. There are email and similar options available as well. Different platforms offer different communication approaches. You can choose what is most comfortable and tailor the session according to your requirements.

Most younger patients are very familiar with online communication. They are comfortable communicating primarily through text and are often more open or unreserved when using this medium. Older generations do struggle a little but even that is a matter of habit. If you dislike text communication, there’s always voice or video conferencing available. eTherapy can be tailored to suit any kind of requirement easily.

4. Eliminating Barriers

Online therapy eliminates several barriers, especially for people who can’t access traditional therapy. For example, individuals with physical disabilities or people who can’t speak or hear can use text as a way to communicate and access online therapy. Individuals that can’t see can use video or voice conferencing to access therapy. All of these things can be done from the comfort of their home, without the hassle of traveling to the therapist’s office.

Online therapy is also useful for people in high-risk situations. If you think attending therapy will place you in danger or get you in trouble, you can access it discretely without letting anyone know. That sets eTherapy apart from traditional therapy and draws more vulnerable people into the fold.

5. Flexibility

eTherapy is more flexible than traditional therapy, which is necessary for today’s fast-paced lifestyle. Every minute of the day is precious and most people don’t have much time on their hands to drive to a therapist’s office during work hours to get the support they need. Online therapy is more flexible. You can access it any time, from anywhere, and schedule the sessions according to your requirements.

This flexibility also means that you can schedule around disruptions and have the session when you are in the right mindset. For example, it is easier to schedule a session when the kids are at school or when everyone else is busy with work. You can have a quiet and relaxed environment around you and focus on your session completely. People find it easier to use online therapy than to attend face-to-face sessions with a counselor, which does have an impact on the overall success of the therapy.

These reasons make it clear why eTherapy is so successful. However, that doesn’t mean that traditional therapy is completely replaceable. If you’re dealing with serious self-harming behaviors and are an active risk to yourself or people around you, you may need more thorough medical intervention. In these cases, a traditional psychiatrist with the ability to prescribe medication or recommend a hospital stay may be necessary.

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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.