eTherapy

Types of Psychotherapy	Pros & Cons of eTherapy
Where to Get Help

eTherapy (the delivery of mental health services online) is a rapidly growing service. eTherapy is normally conducted in the form of email communications, discussion lists, live chat rooms, or live audio or audiovisual conferencing. It is a controversial practice, but one that increasing numbers of therapists and clients are taking part in.

eTherapy should not be used as a replacement for face-to-face counseling, but it offers hope to those people unable or unwilling to take part in traditional psychotherapy. There are many benefits to eTherapy, and some of those are listed below:

Some Advantages of eTherapy:

eTherapy makes it possible for clients to access services at any time, any day of the week. Although it often takes time for the therapist to get back to the client, there is no longer a need to wait for a scheduled appointment to "get something off your chest" or to share something before it is forgotten.

eTherapy can provide services not typically available to clients in remote areas, and can be useful to clients who are physically unable to leave their homes.

Internet therapy can provide added confidentiality for clients worried about being seen going into their therapist's office, and in some cases can increase honesty on the part of the client as there is less concern about running into their therapist on the street.

Geography is not an issue when it comes to eTherapy, giving clients access to highly specialized practitioners all around the country.

 

Some Disadvantages of eTherapy:

The potential for miscommunication is greater online due to lack of access to the client’s non-verbal behavior, and this may make it difficult to correctly assess and diagnose many disorders.

Little research exists at this time on the effectiveness of eTherapy, and it may turn out to have little benefit for clients in the long run.

It is difficult for the etherapist to determine the severity of symptoms online, and this form of therapy might not be useful (and may even be harmful) for the psychotic client.

Clients may misrepresent themselves, creating barriers to effective therapy.

Ability to intervene in the event of a crisis may be limited or impossible.

 

Considering eTherapy?

If you are considering eTherapy, please research and check the credentials of any therapist you are communicating with. Metanoia is a great resource to use when looking for an online therapist. Be certain to check out their ABC's of Internet Therapy.