Do Online Therapies Really Work?

New technologies have invaded practically all areas of life. Our way of doing things has changed substantially in recent decades, due to the presence of computers, mobile devices and “digital solutions” for almost all aspects of daily life.

Psychological treatments do not escape this new reality. Just do a quick search and you can see that there are thousands and thousands of websites that offer you online therapies for all kinds of problems.

The subject is a source of debate. Some specialists maintain that online therapies have exactly the same efficacy as face-to-face therapies. Others look at this new modality with reserve and are suspicious about it.

The only certainty is that this form of mental care gains new patients every day. Lack of time, or comfort are the main reasons to go to online therapies. But. Do they really work?

These are the points to keep in mind:

The type of therapy

Some types of therapy are more flexible than others. Cognitive-behavioral therapies, for example, seek a change in behavior from the rationalization of the problematic aspects in the patient. From that point of view, an online therapy is basically the same as a face-to-face one. In those cases, it can work.

On the other hand , psychoanalysis, for example, is a little more demanding in what is known as “the frame”. This means that specific conditions must be created (place, time and environment) that are stable enough to facilitate the emergence of the unconscious contents of patients.

With online therapies the setting is more limited, since the psychoanalyst cannot control the environmental factors.

Information beyond words

In some therapies it is very important to pay attention to all the non-verbal content of a patient. His way of looking, the expression of his face, his hands and his body, provide very valuable information for the cure.

However, advocates of online therapies point out that there is still the recourse of using the webcam. If this is not possible, they ensure that there is a sharpening of the senses, which makes it possible to better capture the tone of the patient’s voice and pay greater attention to their words.

The level of commitment of the patient

Online therapy facilitates access to treatment, that cannot be doubted. It avoids the stress of traveling to an office and therefore saves time. In addition, it allows the patient to be located in a space that he feels comfortable and familiar with.

However, there is a worrying point. The patient always has a degree of resistance to treatment, which is usually expressed as a delay in arriving at the office, absences, criticism of the therapist, etc. The psychologist or psychoanalyst addresses and channels these resistances as part of the process.

Online therapies can help these resistances to be camouflaged. Sometimes the “connection drops” and the therapist does not know if this is true or if the patient ended the session because it was uncomfortable.

Sometimes a patient avoids face-to-face contact, not out of ease or necessity, but because it allows him to continue to avoid some aspect that should be addressed in therapy.

In short, what?

To know whether or not an online therapy is convenient for you, you must take into account two aspects. The first is that in cases where there is a serious difficulty, or a profound problem, online therapies generally have a very limited scope. In other words, online therapy is not for everyone. It is effective mainly in less severe cases.

The second is that it is very important that you make sure of the accreditation and professionalism of whoever offers online therapy.

Currently there are many sites whose offer is truly questionable. They promise to remove anorexia in 5 sessions, or give you a free sample, or add guarantees such as money back if there is no satisfaction.

Sites that promote themselves have more to do with marketing than therapy. And who cares for you there, who knows if they have a professional degree.

Finally, it is best to follow this principle: whenever you can, go to therapy in person. Only if it is impossible for you to do so, seek help online and make sure that you will be treated by a true mental health professional.

Image courtesy of Official GDC.