Online Or Not Online?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of working with a therapist either face to face or online?
Well, the first big benefit overriding any differences between the two possibilities is that these days we have a choice which was simply non existence not so many years ago.
If you have experienced receiving therapy both face to face and online, you perhaps already know which you prefer, but if you've so far only experienced one of them, or if you are completely new to therapy, it might be helpful to consider why you would prefer one or the other.
HOW THINGS USED TO BE…..
Not so many years ago, certainly before the Pandemic, it would have seemed very strange to even consider not seeing a therapist in person. I was aware of some telephone counselling services, but the people I knew who made use of them did so purely because they were cheaper. If they could have afforded to do so, meeting a therapist face to face was deemed preferable because it would be easier to form a proper relationship with them, to know them better and thus to feel more comfortable in their presence.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED!
Yet how things have changed! So many of us now feel completely comfortable communicating via Zoom etc. We may not be in the same physical space as, in this instance, our therapist, but we can see them, on a large screen if we want, and see their environment. So does it matter whether or not you see your therapist in person?
The advantages of online therapy are fairly obvious: you don’t have to travel, you can work with a therapist who lives in another country if you wish, or in your home country if you are living abroad and you can feel safe and very comfortable in your own environment.
This last point is especially important when you reach the end of the session; you are safe and comfortable in your own environment. You can have a cup of tea and reflect on the experience that you have just had, without having to negotiate public transport/ driving your car/the outside world in general.
This point was brought home to me very forcibly many years ago when I had a past life regression session when I was given no time to collect myself after being brought out of a deep trance and then told that I had to leave immediately because the therapist had to catch a plane. Luckily, because I was already a trained hypnotherapist myself, I realised that I should on no account drive and took myself off to a coffee shop to regroup.
FACE TO FACE
So, visiting a therapist for a face to face session will clearly take more of your time because you have to get there, but there are advantages to making the effort. Taking the time to travel there and back can create a space to think about what issues you want to focus on and then to reflect on the work that did together in the session.
The therapist will work in a bespoke space, dedicated to their work. This means that there will be nothing to distract you. Although working from your own environment can feel very safe, for some people their environment is anything but safe and they need to be elsewhere.
YOU CHOOSE
So when looking for a therapist to work with, along with what type of therapy you would like, you are going to have the choice of whether to see the therapist in person or online.
Both as a therapist and a client, to my initial surprise, I experience little difference between the two. As a therapist I prepare for a session in exactly the same way as I would if were seeing the client in person. I work from a space which is very private and dedicated to the work. It is uncluttered and energetically clean. I am fully present and completely focussed on the person I am working with.
As an online client, I have found it most helpful to prepare a little aswell. So I would suggest taking some time before the session to focus on the issues you want to discuss. Make sure you can be in a space where you will not be interrupted and also where you won’t be distracted. This might mean moving your lap top away from your work space. Finally allow yourself some time after the session to reflect, journal or whatever helps you to benefit from it as much as possible.