How to Choose the Right Therapist
Choosing the right therapist to help with life challenges can be a daunting one. Inevitably, we all may suffer at some period in our lives with some form of pressure. However, having children of my own, I do feel for teenagers where the pressures can be very high. These can range from social pressures, academic pressures, family responsibilities, and more. Added to this the teenage years can also be a very confusing time.
With accessibility to the Internet, the choice of therapist can be a vast and confusing field without a little guidance.
On a recent mission to find a therapist for my teenage daughter I came across the website BetterHelp, which is the world’s largest e-counselling platform. They offer access to licensed, accredited psychologists, marriage and family therapists and clinical social workers, which made my search incredibly simple from the one single site.
More importantly with the use of technology, Virtual Therapy is becoming increasingly popular and an ideal option for teenagers as in general they feel very comfortable with the virtual world. Many of their homework assignments are turned in virtually, and much of their social communication is done virtually. It, therefore, makes complete sense that Virtual Therapy can be a productive way to help support teenagers with their many pressures and busy life.
Virtual Therapy can also be a benefit for a variety of additional reasons:
Momentum– Act the moment you make your decision. How many times have we decided to do something but you can not get an appointment immediately – there is generally a waiting period and in that time frame there is every chance you could change your mind. With Virtual Therapy this is a much faster process.
You can remain anonymous – there is and possibly may always be a stigma when it comes to therapy. It’s not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’. The last thing you may desire is to bump into someone you know when you are waiting in the waiting area of a therapy office. Therefore, you may not wish to be known. This, in turn, gives you the freedom to talk about anything you like without the fear of embarrassment or being judged.
Convenience– It is not always convenient to take time off work or school once a week to arrange to see a therapist. Pursuing therapy online, however, requires nothing of the sort: you can communicate with your counsellor by email, over text chat, or schedule an appointment for a phone or video call. Allowing you to fit your treatment into your own time schedule. Therefore if you are travelling, inaccessible or feel you have to communicate your thoughts at 5 am in the morning you have the option to do so.
Accessibility – For those living in rural or remote areas online therapy offers access to their geographic area. This also applies to those who are disabled or housebound and unable to get transport to see your closest therapist.
Affordability– This can be a more affordable treatment. It may also be covered on your health insurance policy if you have one.
Time-saving– an additional benefit for myself was certainly saving time commuting to and from appointments and waiting whilst my daughter was having treatment. This was a stress reliever for the both of us and put my daughter in a better frame of mind before her sessions started.
Comfort– in your chosen environment at home you potentially will feel more comfortable, relaxed and less vulnerable.
Consistency– Online therapy decreases absences due to poor weather conditions for travelling to a destination or sickness, allowing clients to participate in therapy on a regular basis, which in turn will accelerate progress
Teaching aids– When working in the virtual world not only does the therapist have access to a variety of teaching aids and tools but you do too.
Help can often be right under our noses, finding the right place to look is half the battle.
Lilly Light