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Online Counseling

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Virtual Clinic at Home!

Do you think that you need somebody to extend a healing touch to your troubled heart? Visiting a mental health professional doesn't make you feel comfortable? Feeling embarrassed to meet a counselor face to face?

Virtual clinic is intended for people like you. There are hundreds of virtual mental health clinics and thousands of qualified therapist working round the clock to talk to you... No embarrassment because you are not going out of your room to physically see a therapist... No need to let others know that you have an appointment with a mental health professional... There are thousands of practitioners to choose from... You can pick your therapist after reviewing their credentials and also you have the option to enquire about the therapy methods they are using even before committing to attend an appointment.

Virtual clinic operates in different methods. Most of the counseling sites provide you online live chat session, which is found to be the most effective one. The therapist can ask different diagnostic questions in real time in order to make his clinical assessment of your problem. Once a diagnosis is made the clinician will discuss the treatment plan with you. Follow-up appointment will be mutually decided.

The major disadvantage is that the clinician loses the opportunity to read your body language, and also to note if you have problems like tics. The clinican cannot make physical examination or check your blood pressure which are needed on some cases. However, research shows that there are millions of people access this facility because of the comfort and flexibility the virtual clinic gives to them.

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What Makes eTherapy Attractive?

Advantages of Online Therapy

According to Nils-Günter Schultze, there are many benefits to online treatment in which the patient does not see the therapist. The following list of mental processes are common during online treatment, and serve as factors that enable online therapy to be a success.

1. Psychological anonymity - Real anonymity is difficult to achieve nowadays, yet online patients are afforded this benefit, having the ability to receive treatment in the comfort of their own homes. Many of them even choose e-therapy for this very reason. The anonymity that e-therapy affords enables them to talk about their most intimate personal matters with a total stranger, much easier than if they had to do so in traditional face-to-face therapy. This anonymity also allows them to decide when they would like to end sessions, a benefit not found in traditional therapy.

2. Protection of self assurance - Since most online sessions do not involve seeing the other person, patients do not have to experience the common humiliation that accompanies the discussion of sensitive topics. Empowered to speak freely, the anonymity minimizes the patients' helplessness during the process.

3. Projection - Online counseling lacks the formality, objectively experienced distance, and insecurity triggered often during the first few sessions in traditional face-to-face therapy. Therefore, often, the patient's image of the therapist takes on traits of projection where a patient's inner image of the counselor is most likely to match some imagined character of an ideal counsel.

4. Willingness to change - The unique setting of online treatment encourages patients to feel increased inner confidence and openness. These feelings of empowerment facilitate greater acceptance of the counselor's intervention, and thus makes the treatment even more effective. Over time, and in the context of one-time counseling, it means that counselors have the opportunity to make more of an impact.

5. Accessibility - Due to the fact that all treatment materials are permanently documented, patients and counselors both have the ability to re-read session transcripts. This kind of access is a benefit not found in traditional therapy, and it allows patients the ability to literally track their progress, over time.

Based on: Schultze, N.G. (2006). Success Factors in Internet-Based Psychological Counseling. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9 (5), 623-626.

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E-mail Therapy

Issues to Consider

1. Although messages can be written and read at the optimal time and place for both parties, it is highly recommended to schedule a deadline for replying to messages, so clients will be able to know when they can expect to hear back from their counselor.

2. The sender has time to think before writing, and re-think before sending the message. While it may mean a lack of spontaneity on one hand, on the other hand it also offers a chance for deeper introspection and reflection before messages are sent.

3. Files that are relevant for therapy can be easily attached to messages. By attaching links to relevant online materials, the therapist is able to enrich the therapy that they themselves are able to provide.

4. On services like ProvenTherapy.com, messages are automatically saved and easily sorted, allowing clients access to their records in a way that isn't common to find in traditional face-to-face counseling.