With COVID-19 keeping us all in our homes, you may be wondering how you will receive mental health services when you are unable to meet with a therapist face-to-face. When the concept of telehealth therapy or online therapy began circulating the therapy world, so did a lot of questions. 

Therapy is an inherently personal process. How could something so personal be provided via video conferencing? Would there be a deficit in the ability of the therapist to connect and engage with their clients with a screen between them? Will the absence of the physical presence of the therapist somehow impede the therapeutic process? These are all legitimate questions. Fortunately, Harmony Bay Wellness can not only address them but show you how our online therapy through our telehealth services can work for you.

IS TELEHEALTH THERAPY AS EFFECTIVE AS IN-PERSON THERAPY? 

You may wonder if online therapy is as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy. The short answer: yes. Telehealth has been around a lot longer than you may think. Thus, it involves many means of providing and receiving therapy services. You may have engaged in some form of telehealth with your therapist without even realizing it. 

If you have engaged in email communication or processed a particularly stressful day over the phone with your therapist, you have already engaged in telehealth services. Some of the earliest telehealth therapy sessions utilized the telephone as the primary means of service delivery. However, with the advent of new technology, therapists are now able to utilize video conferencing as a means of engaging individuals. Online therapy allows for a more personal experience.

Also, telehealth allows therapists to reach individuals who otherwise would go untreated. Online therapy pulls down the barriers to getting mental health treatment by eliminating obstacles like transportation issues, limited time to spare to attend sessions, and lack of available therapists nearby to one’s home. Our telehealth services simply require an Internet connection to speak with and see your therapist live.

THE USEFULNESS OF ONLINE THERAPY

As for the efficacy of telehealth therapy, individuals who engage in telehealth services can rest assured that research has shown telehealth to be as effective as in-person treatment. A systematic review of 65 research articles found that there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes between telemental health services and traditional in-person services in the treatment of many disorders, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and anger management (Backhaus et al., 2012).

Further, individuals can access many of the same programs, treatments, and therapeutic services we provide in traditional face-to-face counseling. For example, our online therapy includes:

• Depression therapy
• Couples therapy
• Stress reduction therapy
• Anxiety therapy
• Grief counseling   

We make these services and many others available through our telehealth services. Clients receive the same high quality of care and attention but through a different medium.

HARMONY BAY WELLNESS

Some individuals may prefer traditional, in-person therapy due to personal preference or their comfort with technology. However, there is no reason to believe that online therapy is somehow of lesser quality. That is just simply not the case. 

Many who are hesitant to try telehealth therapy due to comfort with technology find that they are pleasantly surprised by the ease of the process. With a simple click of a button, you can log in and meet with your therapist face-to-face in the comfort and safety of your own home.

To learn more about how to access telehealth services in Cherry Hill, NJ and greater South Jersey at Harmony Bay Wellness, contact us at [Direct].

References:

Backhaus, A., Agha, Z., Maglione, M., & Thorp, S. (2012). Videoconferencing Psychotherapy: A Systematic Review. Psychological Services 9(2):111-31 DOI: 10.1037/a0027924

Jenny Adamski, LCSW