Therapy (or Counseling) as a Service
Psychotherapy (aka, therapy) or counseling is a service like no other. You reach out to a counselor, probably a stranger who you have never met before, and are supposed to tell this person your personal issues and deepest, darkest inner experience? Really?
In pondering this issue, you may also think, “I get therapy from my friends and family and that’s all I need.” This, however, might not be the case for everybody. I mean, don’t get me wrong: talking to supportive friends and family can be great. However, often friends and family are unable to remain neutral, may give you biased advice according to their own limited experience, attempt to unconsciously advance their own agenda like covertly wanting to control you (or do as they say), etc. Even some family and friends may judge or criticize you harshly.
What Does a Therapist Actually Do, and How Can They Help Me?
Some people believe that psychotherapy is a process shrouded in mystery, but it does not have to be this way. Perhaps you live with the popular, yet outdated, image of a psychotherapist being a bushy-bearded person with a couch and a notebook.
In individual therapy, you work with a therapist, someone who can act as a neutral (third) party that can listen and try to understand you without judgment. Within legal and professional ethics parameters, it is up to you and the therapist to determine what therapy will be like.
Let’s Be Real
Starting therapy can be frightening. This is a relatively common reaction. By asking yourself the following three questions, you can get a feel as to whether you are ready to take on this intimidating yet crucial step forward. Score the answer to each questions on a scale from zero to ten:
- How much of a negative effect has my problem had in my life? (10 = most negative effect)
- How important is it to me to feel better? (10 = extremely important), and
- How willing am I to make getting better a priority currently in my life? (10 = highest priority)
If you scored five (5) or more on two or three scales, you are ready to change. It means that you have decided that it is time to take charge and change, and that you are prepared to dedicate some time regularly to get better.
Teletherapy: A Modern Way of Doing Therapy
Therapists have jumped onto the bandwagon of technology to create a new, modern approach to doing therapy: It is called teletherapy or distance counseling. It typically involves engaging in therapy sessions through video sessions, direct messaging, or a mixture of both, that operate on secured technology platforms.
For example, if your home is too far from the therapist’s office you may be able to hold teletherapy sessions. Or if you can’t get to therapist’s office because your car is malfunctioning or if it'd be rather unsafe to drive a car under certain type of weather, you may opt to hold a teletherapy session instead. It gives you more options to continue therapy without interruption.
Typically, the communication during teletherapy sessions happens in real time. A lot of people have reported that they feel more comfortable and experience a greater ability to speak more openly and honestly through teletherapy sessions.
Why Choose Teletherapy Over Traditional (“In-Office”) Therapy?
- You’re busy
- You prefer the comfort of your home or office
- City traffic gets on your nerves (tell me about it)
As you may see, CONVENIENCE is the most obvious advantage of choosing teletherapy over traditional “in-office” therapy.
Let’s Do This!
Let’s talk about starting teletherapy, or a mixture of both. I am here to support you in every step of the way throughout your journey toward healing and wellness!
Let me help you! To get started, contact me for a free, confidential 20-minute phone consultation.