With the arrival of the coronavirus in our lives, we have been forced to adapt to the circumstances and leave our routine aside to confine ourselves at home for a long period of time.
Due to the high risk of infection, professionals have had to close practices and cancel thousands of appointments. But thanks to technology, in many cases, it has been possible to continue to treat patients effectively through telemedicine.
This is the case of online psychological therapy, which in recent years has been expanding more and more.
What does online psychological therapy consist of?
Through telemedicine, psychology can cover and help a greater number of patients, since it does not require face-to-face sessions but is carried out through the Internet. It is ideal for those patients who have little time, or those who for whatever reason cannot move from home, or for cases such as the current ones, in which for major reasons the consultations must be closed.
The contact between psychologist and patient can be established through different modalities:
- Telephone, Chat or email. They are useful ways especially for a first contact or as a complement of a therapy. Even so, it should be noted that valuable information such as the audiovisual contact between patient and clinical psychologist is lost. Therefore, it is considered to be a support to therapy, but not a substitute.
- Video call or videoconference. This is the most effective method, since the audiovisual contact between the patient and the professional is not lost. As long as there is good sound and image quality, it is very similar to a face-to-face consultation.
What are the first consultations like?
Everything will depend on each person and their needs, we will distinguish two modalities of consultation: orientation or punctual support.
During the first consultation we will observe if it is a person who needs a punctual intervention, on a punctual problem, to clarify doubts or to listen to a second opinion… Or if on the contrary, we are in front of a person who presents a psychological disorder, such as anxiety or a personal crisis, among others.
In the second case, an intervention similar to that of a face-to-face treatment will be required, establishing a number of sessions and a personalized treatment.
Tasks to be carried out between sessions are usually established so that the patient can work between consultations and make progress. All this will be assessed during the first consultation and a diagnosis will be made.
Advantages and disadvantages of this type of therapy
It has many advantages over traditional therapy:
- Geographical barriers: all the difficulties in displacements disappear, being able to carry out the therapy in any place as long as you have access to Internet.
- Time flexibility: It is enough to connect at the time agreed with the professional, without wasting time in previous displacements. The time is more profitable, being able to adapt even to the tightest schedules. In addition, if you have to travel, you will not be forced to interrupt your treatment.
- Physical barriers: in cases where there is a physical disability, travel will not be necessary. But it is also a great help in initiating treatment for disorders that, by their nature, prevent the person from going outdoors (such as panic attacks and agoraphobia).
There are also limitations and disadvantages:
- We must know in the hands of which professional we are not putting. Avoid scams and, above all, inform ourselves about their methods and reputation or academic and professional experience.
- This type of therapy cannot be substituted for traditional therapy in all types of cases and patients. There are severe cases, in which the patient may pose a risk to himself or others. Here, whenever possible, urgent face-to-face therapies should be carried out (as in psychotic states). It is also not suitable for severe eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
- It is not suitable for problems in their acute phase, nor for deep depressions with suicide attempt.
It is important that the psychologist and the patient feel comfortable and that a pleasant and trusting professional bond is created, otherwise the therapy will not be successful.
Recommendations when choosing an online professional
The ethics of online psychological therapy are the same as in traditional psychology and are governed by the Psychologist’s Code of Ethics.
- It is advisable to make sure that the professional is qualified and accredited; you can verify the clinical trajectory, the number of the professional, the professional experience and the accreditations.
- Make sure that he/she is specialized in the problem to be treated.
- In case of doubt, there is a telephone number of the Official College of Psychologists where they can give you information about the member’s data.
In any case, we must know who is the person who is going to be treated in this way. But it is also necessary to alert about the professional intrusion of people who are not accredited.
You can find my telematic services in my profile, both messaging and telemedicine.