We live in a fast-paced world with no signs of it slowing down. The very foundations of how we communicate are being affected more quickly than we can update our status, upload a photo, or send out a tweet. The field of therapy is not immune to these changes and is needing to change along with the methods of the times we live in. That’s why Teletherapy has been showing up more and more in the industry today and is changing things for the better.
What Is Teletherapy and How Can It Help Someone in Quarantine?
Teletherapy, otherwise known as telepsychology, e-therapy or distance counseling, points back to any kind of counseling or psychotherapy being distributed by telecommunications technologies. This kind of communication includes video conferencing or phone platforms.
While some people conclude that teletherapy combines the best means of communication with the traditional practices of counseling for the best possible result, you might still be left with questions about this new method. How does it benefit the patient and how does this affect the counselor? Do I need to be tech-savvy to use it? Don’t you lose the personal touch by relying solely on technology? These are all great questions to ask, and a lot of people are asking the exact same things.
With that being said, here are 12 benefits for both patients and therapists looking into Teletherapy:
Benefits of Teletherapy For Patients in Quarantine:
- Flexibility Of Appointments
With a busy schedule, it can be extremely difficult to squeeze in the time it takes to commute from the home or office to an appointment, and then make it back again without some part of your personal life taking a hit. Teletherapy eliminates this problem by allowing you to fit the appointment into your schedule at your convenience, protecting you and your family life.
- Flexibility Of Location
Offices and waiting rooms can cause anxiety in and of themselves. Why not take advantage of the unique opportunity to have your therapy session anywhere you want? From your bedroom, home office or even alongside a loved one, it’s as easy as picking up the phone and dialing in from wherever you are at any given moment. You can even do it from another state.
- Ease For First Time Patients
Are you uncertain whether or not therapy is for you? With Teletherapy, the choice is in your hands to continue your appointments, or end them after a couple of attempts with ease and without embarrassment. This method gives you the ability to test out the waters of therapy while not worrying about whether you should or shouldn’t discontinue.
- Anonymity
If you are shy, or hesitant about attending an appointment in person, Teletherapy gives you a healthy way to avoid that. Talking on the phone or seeing someone on a video chat is way less intimidating than meeting someone face to face. Tele-therapists understand that there is a comfort to certain levels of anonymity.
- Safety And Security
Most Tele-therapists utilize the latest video or phone conferencing technology which is highly encrypted. These methods are much more safe and secure than typical means of communication. With precautions like these, you can be confident that private information stays private and protected.
- Less Appointments Missed
Teletherapy is so preferred, secure, and consistent, that fewer appointments are missed. Not having to commute, or carve out more space in a schedule means that the patient is able to be on time, every time, all the time. This helps both the patient and the therapist in the long run.
Benefits of Teletherapy For Therapists:
- Remote Living For Therapist
Teletherapy provides a special benefit to the therapist by allowing remote flexibility. With enough clients, the therapist could live in any location, or travel at any time of the year. With this kind of technology, the options are limitless.
- No More Commuting Hassles
Having to deal with traffic, distance and fuel costs is not so great when you have to make the commute every single day. For a Teletherapist, these problems are in the past. Call or video chat your patients from the comfort of your home office(a good write off for your CPA), favorite coffee shop or even while sitting outside on a beautiful day. When you compare the two options, it seems like a no brainer.
- Flexibility In Schedule
When you schedule so many appointments with patients to meet at an office, there are bound to be complications. Anything from scheduling conflicts, appointments running long to patients not showing up for their allotted time. If you are a Teletherapist, you will find that patients are more likely to stay consistent with their appointments, conflicts are avoided, and there is better communication between the Therapist and the patient.
- No More Hassles Of A Physical Location
Maintaining an office space can be extremely difficult. Being a tenant of a building, or even sharing space can sometimes be a disaster. Not to mention all of the costs associated with being in that kind of environment. As a Teletherapist, you can easily avoid the hassles of needing to be in a physical location.
- No More Exposure To Illnesses
When flu season rolls around, the last place you want to be is in close proximity to people who have been exposed to it. Being in small spaces with other people can potentially cause a lot of problems when it comes to staying healthy. Teletherapy allows you to easily have an out to these types of concerns in your own practice.
- Gives The Therapist A Different Perspective
Hearing certain problems or stories over the phone or over video chat can provide a completely new perspective for the therapist. The comfortability that both parties are feeling can lead to more open and honest conversations that could have otherwise taken weeks to get to.
So if you were maybe a little bit skeptical about what Teletherapy was or if it provided benefits over traditional methods, we hope you found this information helpful. Remember, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to pursue Teletherapy.
Teletherapy is purely just a new and improved method for delivering something that was already great in the first place: Good Therapy for people who need it.
