New technologies and the current great demand for the figure of the online psychologist is promoting more and more new forms of communication between therapist and patient, and through the influence of cinema and television, one only has to go to series and films where more and more We see how this type of therapeutic model appears. The schools of psychologists in our country are already creating more and more groups and training regarding this new way of providing therapy. In this world of innovation and technological change, psychology was not going to be less…
Effectiveness of the online psychologist
Currently there are different studies that show the efficacy of online psychological therapy, especially for patients with problems of anxiety, depression, phobias, addictions, etc.: Swinson, RP et al. (1995), Alfred Lange et al. (2003), Kessler D. et al (2009) or Gallego, MJ et al (2011).
Of course, there is still much to go in depth in this field and it is now that more research in this regard begins to emerge. To date, according to the studies available to us, the online psychologist is especially effective in:
- In people with anxiety problems: phobias, social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder In depressed people In people with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia In people with addictions in general and substance abuse And in the treatment and therapeutic monitoring of people: with chronic diseases, suffering from psychosomatic symptoms (insomnia, sexual dysfunctions, relaxation problems), in support of suicide prevention, in response to disasters or accidents, in couples therapy, in domestic violence,…
In all these cases, the improvement, in addition to the therapeutic work, is due to the ease in monitoring and contacting the therapist through videoconference, e-mail, chat or telephone. It has been shown that the patient feels, when performing this type of therapy, that the professional is monitoring and providing adequate care, using means of communication that until now were not used in face-to-face therapy.
Benefits of the online psychologist
On the other hand, in addition to the effectiveness of this type of therapy, there are advantages and benefits different from traditional face-to-face therapy. Among these benefits we can highlight:
- Cost reduction: Traditional face-to-face consultations tend to have a high cost, due to the professional value but also to the material investment. If we reduce the material cost, we can considerably lower the consultation price, so that a larger population can benefit from online psychological care. For example, from my experience in consultation, I can say that young people, students or people with economic income difficulties are populations that benefit from this type of therapy. It makes it possible to consult people who live in remote regions or with difficult access (such as rural populations or isolated residences). A trend that has been common in recent times is the return to rural towns and places of people who lived in the city.Thanks to new technologies, they do not lose access to certain services despite living far from large populations. Possibility of choosing the best online specialist or psychologist in the field that we want, even when outside our city. Online therapy allows us to access more recognized specialists who are not close to our city of residence, people residing abroad where access to a professional in their own language is difficult. At present, due to the crisis, there is an increase in the number of Spanish emigrants that the process of integration to the new culture may have different psychological and psychosomatic problems: anxiety, depression, feelings of loneliness, insomnia, etc. Online therapy can benefit people residing abroad and expats.Accessibility of therapy for people with disabilities or illnesses that may impede travel to the consultation. In this case, psychological assistance to patients with this situation can also be beneficial for their relatives or caregivers, saving on costs and travel. There are patients who feel less intimidated than in face-to-face therapy because they are in a known and safe Not having a face-to-face contact favors being able to speak to patients about delicate topics and that in face-to-face treatment there may be resistance to bring it to light. In this sense, we can also mention some people who request assistance from the online psychologist being famous or public figures and being able to enjoy total anonymity in therapy.Facilitates the therapeutic process for people with difficulty working hours and other occupations, where travel to the office can be an impediment. In this regard, professionals who have long periods away from their place of residence can carry out a therapeutic process continuously.
Recommendations for users:
Although I firmly believe in the effectiveness and benefit of online psychological therapy, it does not mean that the user does not have to take precautions as in any health service. The first thing is perhaps to recommend that the person ensure that the professional has the appropriate training and experience to practice in the field of therapeutic psychology. Normally, for this task, a first session is usually held by videoconference for free in which the psychologist and the patient exchange and agree on all these issues. Certifying the corresponding title, registering with the official college of psychologists or checking the trajectory carried out is a right of the user to ensure that it will be properly attended to. On the other hand, in complex cases (serious personality disorders, gender violence present,significant risk of suicide,…) face-to-face therapy is still recommended as the best healthcare.
In general, there is still a long way to go in the development of online psychological consultation, but it will undoubtedly be the psychology with the greatest boom in the next decade. The techniques are constantly changing and improving, something that helps this type of service to improve it. Although as always, although the means of communication and technical resources may change, the fundamental thing continues to be the connection and quality of the professional and their competencies when carrying out the therapeutic process, and in this, new technologies help to bring us closer to despite the distance.
