What is e-Therapy?
e-Therapy is a termed that was first coined by Dr. John Grohol to identify mental health counseling services provided over the internet. e-Therapy can range from a few consultation e-mails about a specific family and marriage issue to a more extensive, longer-term therapy program to address more complex family and marriage counseling issues.
Why e-Therapy? Is it as effective as traditional counseling?
e-Therapy can be used as an extremely effective alternative by people who cannot or do not want to make an appointment for face-to-face therapy in an office setting. Some people simply have no time in their lives to squeeze in therapy sessions. Many users of e-Therapy have never been to a more traditional counseling session before, but many have. People who have had both face to face as well as online therapy experience often explain that the experience is almost identical in terms of the work that is accomplished, but that e-Therapy has the advantage of convenience and cost savings. Imagine you are working with an e-Therapist who is located in California while you reside in New York, a session with the e-Therapist when you get home from work or in your evening will be possible since it will still be during your e-Therapist's normal work hours. There are plenty of reasons to choose e-Therapy including:
- Convenience (Difficulty in scheduling time to see a therapist face to face)
- Stigma attached to going to a therapist’s office
- Shyness
- Increased honesty and candor - clients may be more forthcoming over the internet
- E-mail therapy allows client and provider more time to fully reflect on issues being discussed
- No local treatment available in one’s area
- Access to highly specialized practitioners even if they are not local
- Therapy for highly mobile individuals - they can access service almost anywhere
- Privacy - especially in smaller communities
- Possible anonymity
- More flexibility in choosing a therapist (they can be located almost anywhere)
- Possible lower costs
- Easier to do when one spouse is unwilling to undergo therapy
The practice of e-Therapy is definitely not new. It has become more popular as the internet has become a more widely used tool that people use to do research as well as interact with other people and search for needed services. Thousands of counselors, including those who operate independent websites and services as well as those who work in teams for larger websites are providing e-Therapy. e-Therapy can be provided through the use of back and forth e-mails, online chat sessions, video conferencing as well as telephone conversations. It isn't difficult to imagine that e-Therapy offers many of the same advantages of traditional counseling without a lot of the disadvantages.
Click here to visit FixMyFamily.com to locate an e-Therapist or a regular counselor
