Online Psychotherapy…hmmmm…is it effective? Well Read On…
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The Internet and the world wide web (WWW) have become an intricate part in almost every aspect of our society, including psychotherapy. While some psychotherapists are fully embracing the use of the Internet, others are sitting on the wall, or are totally denouncing it.
Whether one is opposed to or in support of the use of the Internet as a viable method of delivering psychotherapeutic services, it goes without saying that psychotherapists should understand the effectiveness or otherwise of the Internet psychotherapy.
To understand the effectiveness of any treatment following three fundamental questions need to be answered:
(a) Does it work under special, experimental conditions?
(b) Does it work in practice?
(c) Is it working for this patient?
Ironically more questions will guide us in that analysis especially in case of psychotherapy. These questions explore the therapeutic relationship i.e. the relationship between patient and psychotherapist, the most critical factor in the success of psychotherapy because of its interpersonal nature.
The questions will take following form if we are comparing the face-to-face and online psychotherapy:
- Does the relationship exist in real time or in an asynchronous frame.
- What is the mode of communication? Is it via text, or are visual images exchanged, or combinations of the two?
- Is auditory stimulation involved? If so, what type?
- Does the relationship rely on real identities and real environments, or imaginary ones?
- How strong is the presence of the clinician in the therapeutic experience?
The answer to these questions will lead us to the advantages and disadvantages of Internet psychotherapy.
There are some unique advantages to computer-mediated and online interventions. One obvious and frequently mentioned benefit of online therapy is the opportunity to reach people who are unable to visit psychotherapists due to geographical, physical, or lifestyle limitations.
Following is the more objective discussion of the pros and cons of online psychotherapy:
Pros
- No scheduling problems or other difficulties associated with a specific appointment time. - Enhanced "zone for reflection" giving time to the therapist and client to think and compose a reply. - Computer programs may be efficient, objective, and accurate tools in the assessment, testing, and diagnostic phases of treatment.
- Some clients may be more comfortable and expressive when they believe a human therapist in not present. - Behind the scenes rallying of consultants and supplementary resources, even WHILE the clinician works with the client in real time. - Being an invisible client can reduce or eliminate the cultural stigma of being a psychotherapy patient.
Cons
- In the mind of the client, "therapy" may be associated specifically with the appointment and isn't perceived as a process outside of that temporal period. - Computer programs don't reason or learn nearly as well as humans, and therefore may be very limited in their ability to adapt to changing or new psychotherapeutic situations. - The curative effects of a healing human relationship are lost when either the client or therapist is not present. - The client's or therapist's commitment to the therapy may be greatly reduced when their counterpart is not present.
Notwithstanding the pros and cons, it can not be denied that Cybertherapy can be a stepping stone to face-to-face therapy, especially in the treatment of a severe social phobia where the client's interpersonal anxiety can be diminished through e-mails, chat to a level where in-person contact can be tolerated.
To be frank, advantages far out-weigh the disadvantages. The evidence is the integration of online psychotherapy in the anger management certification training courses. To know more on this issue read stuff on http://www.biam.org.uk.
Benedicta Dolson is a respected psychiatric counselor. She has helped many with her anger management classes and <b><a href=http://www.biam.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=10> stress reduction</a></b> techniques. She is also a big supporter of <b><a href=http://www.biam.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=9>online psychotherapy</a></b>.
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