Telehealth…. the Future of Therapy?

Years ago, the idea of seeing a therapist for help navigating through a difficult event or an emotional struggle was often stigmatized, portrayed as a sign of weakness or of mental instability. In recent years, much of the stigma attached to psychotherapy has, fortunately, diminished, opening up a potentially life-changing source of support for those who sought it out.

Still, many do not understand the value of accessing effective therapeutic support as a source of unbiased help for dealing with a specific problem occurring in their lives. Therapy offers a safe, discreet, judgment-free zone where life’s biggest challenges can be parsed out and examined, where new coping skills and life management tools are learned, and where important insights as to the source of emotional pain are gained.

As a result of the pandemic, many therapists had to quickly pivot and offer their clients online sessions in an effort to help them to continue to make progress while at the same time abide by the social distancing guidelines to flatten the curve. Many therapists have opted to stay remote and have permanently moved to teletherapy or telehealth platforms.

While the country and rest of the world slowly started opening back up and going back to business as usual, many of us have learned something very important during this crisis: telehealth offers clients something very valuable, and that is therapy on THEIR terms. It’s really not so surprising that telehealth is currently a $6 billion industry that is expected to reach $20 billion by 2025.

Here are just some of the benefits of “virtual therapy”:

Privacy

Traditionally, many people, especially those that live in smaller towns and cities, refuse to seek help from a therapist for fear people will find out. With telehealth, a patient can receive help from the comfort and privacy of their own home. This can be particularly helpful for therapists who treat teens and young adults who go to the same school/college and can feel ashamed of seeking professional help.

Telehealth is a Time Saver

Not many of us ever feel we have enough time in the day to accomplish all that we need to. You will find your clients will appreciate telehealth because it saves them having to deal with traffic, scheduling in possible long drive times, and looking for parking.

Flexibility

I have found in my own practice that those clients who often require my services the most are the ones that are overworked and often have scheduling conflicts. Telehealth helps you to offer clients timeslots outside of regular hours that you may not normally have available.

Timeliness

Therapists benefit from telehealth as well. In any given month, many clients may show up late to an appointment. When a session can begin with the simple mouse-click, timeliness is greatly improved.

SOURCES:

Life can be complicated, messy, and rarely progresses in a straight line. PeoplePsych is a Chicago-based psychotherapy group that treats adults seeking profound change in their lives. We provide services that affirm the dignity, worth, and value of all individuals. We strive to create a safe non-judgemental space for clients to explore the issues that bring them. To connect with one of our therapists, please contact our Clinical Coordinator at (312) 252-5252 or intake@peoplepsych.com.