With the growing competition in every sphere of life, the need for counseling and taking care of our mental health is increasing gradually. Statistics suggest that 6 out of 10 random people suffer from depression. The increasing numbers of patients who have mental illness are due to several facts some of them being, the tremendous pressure and rat-race at the workplace, continuous pressure to excel compared to the others, dealing with relationship blues, unending desire to achieve material goals, etc. Meeting the requirements of the day to day life makes people so vulnerable and hyperactive that they end up suffering from mental ailments and psychological disorders. Online therapy is the procedure by which counseling, guidance, and other psychological help are subjected through the internet to people who hesitate to fix an appointment and go to an actual counselor.
The advantages of therapy online over face to face counseling are as follows:
∙ Therapy is advantageous for those who want to keep their counseling process a secret.
∙ Visiting the office of a psychologist or counselor can make a lot of people know about the fact that you are opting for mental health therapy. Therapy spares you from the problem.
∙ Visiting a psychologist or a counselor involves a lot of time and also is more expensive compared to therapy online. The latter is more cost-effective and can be availed at your convenience. Transportation cost required for visiting the office of the counselor is also saved if you go for therapy online.
∙       Internet therapy is the best choice for people who are physically challenged and cannot move to the office of the counselor.
Different ways by which Internet therapy can be availed
Counseling and psychological help through the internet can be provided in several ways such as:
- Texting and messaging: Many people feel hesitant to discuss or talk about their problems to strangers. This method helps them to share their problems by chatting through SMS or by other means of the messaging system. Nowadays, due to the availability of several social networking sites, it has become quite easy to gain access to therapy online. Messaging also helps to maintain confidentiality and keep one’s problem private. This method is extremely helpful for those who are insecure of their physical appearance, say an acid attack victim, as the counselor is not able to visualize the person, hence they feel confident to share about their problems.
- Video calling: With the advent of Skype and other video calling applications it has become quite convenient to interact with any person, in any corner of the globe. So, if someone wants to share their problems with a counselor but do not want to visit them in person, this method can be extremely beneficial.
- Sharing emails: By this method, you can write to a counselor and they will reply to you at their convenience. This is less advantageous than instant texting or messaging as by the former the counselor will be able to speak directly with the patient and ask questions instantly, whereas through mailing, the counselor can only respond to the questions asked, that too after a considerable period.
Why are more and more people are getting inclined to Internet therapy?
As mentioned earlier, growing stress makes it difficult for people nowadays to lead a happy and healthy life. Lack of time and convenience makes them opt for online therapy. Through this type of therapy, they can choose to talk to a counselor at a time they wish to without the trouble of taking a prior appointment, visiting the office of the counselor time and again for the follow-up sessions or revealing their complete identity to the counselor. Moreover, the advent of several counseling applications on your smartphone makes it easier for people to choose from a wide range of online therapist, to go through their online reviews and decide who is better than the other and also avail for discounts. By referring to friends or family, one also gets to avail referral points or discount in their fees, or even money back offer, which is not possible in a direct session. Such counseling apps on your mobile, tablet or laptop make it convenient to talk to the therapist at any time, while sitting on your car on your way to the office, during your lunch break at work or while relaxing at your home. Through online therapists, people can share even trivial problems which they would have felt hesitant to share with a counselor directly and thus, they have someone to talk to, which is mostly lacking in today’s time and age.
Need for Internet therapy
People nowadays are becoming extremely introvert and unsocial, thanks to their long working hours or excessive inclination towards social networking sites. Through therapy and counseling, an individual gets a friend with whom they can talk to even in the wee hours and thus, feel less depressed or lonely. Therapy has greatly helped those who are bedridden or are suffering from long time chronic ailments, those who feel devastated and suicidal due to a personal loss, tragedy or failure and for those who do not have a proper friend circle or a family to communicate to. Statistics reveal that online counseling and psychological help has considerably reduced the rates of suicide and attempts to suicide in the US as more people are getting inclined to this new form of mental illness therapy and healing.
Therapy has become quite common in different parts of the world, and many people are benefiting from it. Even children and adolescents, who feel scared or insecure to share their problems with their parents or friends are availing this type of therapy and are helped immensely by it.
So whether you have lost your partner to divorcing, lost a job, lost a position in a job you craved for, failed in the examination, did not make it to the top, had a recent break-up, online therapy can help you come over your grief and lead a more meaningful and peaceful life.
