Benefits of Virtual Therapy
1. Unparalleled flexibility and convenience
Access professional mental health support from the comfort of your home, car, or even a local coffee shop, without the constraints of physical location. This accessibility allows you to seamlessly integrate therapy into your daily routine, making it easier to prioritize mental well-being and attend sessions regularly. While discreet sessions in public spaces may require some consideration of privacy, the ability to receive care from anywhere empowers you to choose the environment that best suits your needs and preferences.
2. Improve accessibility and address the challenges presented by living in a “mental health desert,” as is the case in many parts of the Western Slope region.
While physical location has traditionally been a significant barrier to accessing mental healthcare for rural communities, the advent of online and remote therapy options has effectively eliminated this constraint. Accessibility is not solely contingent on geographic proximity, but can also be hindered by various other factors, such as physical disabilities, lack of reliable transportation, or demanding family responsibilities like being a stay-at-home parent. This enhanced accessibility can be truly transformative, empowering more people to prioritize their mental well-being and access the support they need to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
3. Concern about potential stigma or judgement from the community for seeking therapy.
Virtual therapy sessions present a highly effective solution to safeguard their confidentiality. By engaging in therapy remotely, you can discreetly receive the mental health support you need without the worry of being seen entering or leaving a therapist’s office.
Challenges to Virtual Therapy
1. Unreliable internet can interfere with the flow of therapy.
Although this is seldom an issue, it is nonetheless a situation that neither the therapist nor the client has complete control over. However, there is a plan B when this occurs, as a phone call is a reliable alternative when video is interrupted. Some clients even preferred phone sessions as they could go for a walk, fold laundry, or just relax without worrying about their appearance. However, as therapists, we like to see our clients’ faces to ensure they are doing okay, as body language can speak volumes.
2. Maintaining privacy when other people are at home or you are in a public space.
There are usually backup plans for such situations. Some people will often meet in their car if there are too many people at home, or others who go outside on the deck of their apartment, In both situations it is important to ensure they communicate the need for privacy during the session with others at home. In general, virtual clients often use headphones or earbuds to keep at least half of the conversation from being overheard.
3. Distractibility can also occur more frequently when meeting in a virtual setting.
The very nature of remote work and video conferencing introduces a host of new potential distractions that are not present in traditional, in-person meetings. When we are in our own personal spaces, the presence of family members, pets, or even just the familiar sights and sounds of our home environments can easily pull our attention away from the task at hand. Moreover, even minor visual clutter or disorganization within our virtual meeting backdrops can serve as unwelcome sources of distraction, preventing one from maintaining full focus on the session. To mitigate these challenges, it is important to establish a dedicated space where distractions are minimal.