Is Tele-therapy Here to Stay?
The concept of tele-medicine has been around for years; although, it has not been widely utilized until recently. COVID-19 has caused pain and anguish worldwide and while the negatives far outweigh the positives, teletherapy is one silver lining that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Tele-medicine is now being widely implemented across the country and the world, people who live in rural areas can now access healthcare services that they previously could not. Furthermore, inclement weather is not the impediment it used to be in order to attend therapy, and utilizing tele-therapy is now easier than ever.
However, there are four differences that tele-therapy brings with it highlighted below.
Body Language- One of the biggest differences between in-person therapy and teletherapy is the loss of being able to read someone’s body language. Reading someone’s body language is like second nature to most people that they do not even realize they are doing it. Even reading someone’s facial expressions is more challenging over telehealth. A way to combat these drawbacks is to be aware that they exist and discuss them with your therapist if you feel like it can impact the therapeutic relationship.
Flow of Conversation- Talking to someone over a video call is very different than face to face. When you are in-person, there are natural breaks and pauses in the conversation, which are prompts for the other person to add in their comment. It is much different over video when it is unclear if the other person just paused or they were just catching their breath. This can cause confusion, especially in the earlier stages of therapy. However, the more sessions and conversations you have with a person, the more you learn what their conversation style is.
Convenience- It’s not all bad news! There are some really good things about telehealth and the biggest one is convenience. Having the ability to attend a therapy session in the privacy of your own home is something that people truly appreciate. For parents that cannot find a babysitter, for people living in rural areas, and for people with disabilities and handicaps, teletherapy offers a safer and more accessible therapy service. Another added convenience is scheduling since travel time does not need be accounted for, thereby allowing extra time slots for the therapist to offer.
Have Fun With It- Therapy can be an intimidating process and depending on someone’s preference, tele-therapy might not be their first option. However, having a therapy session in your home also means that the therapist has a chance to see your environment. For clients who struggle with clutter or hoarding, the therapist can assist in creating a plan of action while being able to see with their own eyes what the client is dealing with.
Ben Barer, LCSW-C is offering sessions virtually as well as in-person. Ben also has extensive experience working with clients who suffer from OCD, depression, anxiety, and relationship issues using CBT and Internal Family Systems to improve all areas of life. He can be contacted by phone or email, 443-601-9722 or barercounseling@gmail.com or through the contact form on barercounseling.com.
