What Therapists Think About Virtual Therapy
By Carly Fleming, M.Ed. RP
Registered Psychotherapist
The New York Times recently published an article outlining the experiences of therapists providing online counselling to their clients during the pandemic. We were thrilled to see our own experiences as therapists reflected in the article. One of the therapists interviewed said that the transition to virtual counselling was “one of the most surprising, and in many ways pleasurable, experiences of my professional career”. Our everwell therapists have expressed this sentiment to each other many times. At first we were stressed, worried that our clients would suffer as a result of the quick change to online counselling but we have been consistently affirmed by how well our clients have adapted to the change.
The New York Times article addresses the benefit of the client being in their own home during therapy. They say that video sessions give therapists a window into their clients’ homes. While our therapists at everwell may not have put it into those words, we definitely notice the benefit of clients being in their home environment, in the place they feel the most comfortable. Clients seem to be able to access vulnerability and reflection in their homes in a way that sometimes is hard to access in a therapist’s office.
Of course, there are drawbacks to virtual therapy and we agree with many of the drawbacks identified by the New York Times. It is particularly difficult to comfort a struggling client when you are not in the same room – however, we have been able to provide comfort with our words and our sustained attention in ways that feel meaningful to our clients. And for clients who don’t have a private place in their home to connect with their therapist, the online connection is far less than ideal. But we believe that there are workarounds for this drawback and others – with some patience and ingenuity we are usually able to address the practical concerns that the virtual connection creates.
None of us know what the world of therapy will look like once the dust settles on this pandemic. But we are encouraged by the fact that online therapy offers us another very effective option to provide service to our clients.
If you’re looking for strategies to cope with the challenges you are facing now, and want the tools to build a more purpose-driven life in the future, our Online Therapy Guide is a resource created to help you feel a little less anxious about taking that first step towards meaningful change.