Written by Lara Just – Feb 2017…

At ADADSU, we understand that your time is precious and you may not be able to attend psychotherapy, counselling or coaching sessions at our London therapy clinics.  With this in mind we now offer clients the choice of face-to-face or sessions conducted over appropriate online technologies. This may be via video, audio, email, chat or phone methods. It is interesting to us that there are still a number of myths surrounding online therapy that can put people off.

We thought we would address some of the concerns in order to put your mind at rest:

Myth 1 – Online therapy is not as effective as face-to-face sessions

In truth, you only get out of therapy or coaching what you are prepared to put in along with your therapist or coach.  Online sessions can actually be more effective, convenient, stress free and economical as you don’t have to travel, or get stuck in traffic. Sessions can be arranged at a time to suit you in the comfort of your own home or chosen surroundings.

We are happy to work with you face-to-face or via online and we will help you find the best method that works best for you.

Myth 2 – You cannot build a relationship with a therapist online

Relationship building is key for any therapeutic relationship, in coaching or psychotherapy or counselling.  Though it often seems easier when a relationship pre-exists, we have found that some people actually prefer to work online or over the phone as they felt safer and more comfortable to express their thoughts and feelings. We aim to have a face-to-face meetings at the beginning to work out if there is compatibility between both parties and if the relationship can be built online.  We continually assess the effectiveness of the sessions, in person or online, and will together assess progress of our work at regular intervals.

Myth 3 – It’s harder to work in depth in online sessions

We have already conducted hundreds of hours via online or telephone sessions and found this not to be the case. We found ways of working that can make online and phone session as effective or even more so. It may require slightly different skills, focus and approaches to normal room-based training for therapists. Feedback from many of these clients has shown that it can feel often safer to be more open and honest in online/phone sessions with the therapist or coach as they are run from a place of safety to them.  Whether that be at home or at work, if you are comfortable in your surroundings you are more likely to open up.

If we can see you visually and read your body language and expressions, or just auditory listen to your voice and intonation, a trained and skilled therapist or coach can pick up on things that require further attention. Similar to room-based work, we will work with you to get the most out of the sessions to meet your needs.

Myth 4 –  It is easier to be distracted during online sessions

Whilst we agree you may get distracted if you are not 100% committed, any therapy or coaching session requires the dedication and motivation to change. It is important that you are in a private space. If other people live in your home it may be important to agree with them how they could support you with the space and time you need, or find alternative solutions.  We also ask for other device, emails, and notifications to be switched off to limit any additional distractions and will help you keep the sessions on track.

Myth 5 – Online therapy is not secure

Online therapy can be secure.  We will ask that the sessions be run from a room in which only you are present and that you are not in a public place or using a public network.  Sessions are not recorded and we ask that you don’t use a public network like from coffee shops or libraries. We can discuss the most appropriate technology for you to use, if you are concerned about confidentiality.

Myth 6 – Internet connection issues are disruptive to the process

It is true that a good, fast Wi-Fi connection is helpful and in some cases required to ensure the sessions are successful but we can work with you on this. There may be ways to improve your existing connection without installing higher bandwidth rates, so do speak to us in case you have any questions about this.

We are sure there are a number of other questions you may have with regards to online therapy, counselling or coaching sessions – we would be delighted to hear your thoughts and help where we can to make it work for you.

Also see our latest eNews for more information and other benefits of online therapy and our online therapy page where we have added an interview with Irvin Yalom, renowned author and psychotherapist, on his evolving position on online therapy.

If you would like to find out more, contact us here.