If you have come this far to read this article, perhaps it is because you have unresolved questions or concerns about how psychologists who put online psychotherapy into practice work. You may have asked yourself before reading this article… how do they work? Is it reliable? What does it cost? It is effective?
From now on I will try to clarify and answer these questions about the services that psychologists do online
Frequently asked questions about online psychotherapy
Maybe you are thinking that you need to go to psychotherapy, and you think you could do it online, from the tranquility, privacy and comfort of your home without having to travel and without having to face a waiting room.
But since it is something new and unknown to you, it can generate many uncertainties, so you will ask yourself some questions to be sure enough before deciding to start an online psychotherapeutic process. Perhaps some of the questions that arise are the following.
1. What are the online psychology sessions like?
These sessions usually operate through videoconference, from platforms that facilitate video calling The psychotherapy session can be carried out without images, only with sound, by audio-conference or by telephone; also without image or sound, only written in real time, by chat or even by delayed email.
In any case, I only recommend doing online psychotherapy only by videoconference, I consider it to be the most effective way since it is the one that achieves the best results.
2. How do I pay the price for online psychotherapy sessions?
Surely you have made some purchases online, because in the same way that you pay for online purchases, you can also pay payments to your online psychologist. Currently there are many electronic payment gateways or sending and transferring money (such as Pay Pal), and payments can be made through them.
Other alternative means of payment can be bank transfers, account deposits or also money transfers through Western Union.
3. Are the psychotherapy sessions completely online or do they sometimes need to be in person?
Psychological therapy can be completely online, since both diagnosis and treatment can be carried out by video call and payments, as we have just said, through Internet payment gateways, or by transfer or account deposit.
You should know that psychology, unlike other health disciplines such as medicine, physical contact with the patient is not essential to make a diagnosis, nor to carry out psychotherapeutic intervention; Therefore, it is only necessary to do it through videoconference.
4. Is it reliable to do therapy with an online psychologist?
I could tell you that you can also trust a psychologist who works in person. At the end of the day, the only thing that changes is the way you communicate with the psychologist.
As a psychologist who works online, I can accredit my university degrees, both as a graduate in psychology and as a Specialist in Clinical Psychology.
Of course you can find a fake or imposter, but that can also happen in person and in that case you will have to report it to the authorities for professional intrusion. But what you will usually find is that we are the same psychologists who have in-person consultations who now also carry out online psychotherapy.
Anyway, today You can check the fingerprint, prestige of the therapist and opinions of other patients from a psychologist before deciding to start a psychotherapeutic process.
5. What is the price of an online psychotherapy session?
I am one of those who believe that the price of both online and in-person psychology sessions should be the same, because the psychologist contributes the same work
You will have seen that there are more or less economical rates. This will depend on the training, experience and prestige of the psychology professional, and the same thing happens with sessions that are done in person.
What is more economical is in relation to the time and the relevant transfer to get to an in-person psychologist consultation.
6. What do you think of free online psychology?
There are many people who come to certain websites that offer a free online psychologist. Unfortunately, these supposed psychology services are not reliable nor do they in any way deserve your trust, they are a fraud. Going to see a psychologist is not free, just like a plumber or a lawyer is not free.
The psychologist is a professional who charges for his work, like any other profession. We cannot provide free service Well, like everyone, we have to earn a living from our work.
Perhaps there are psychologists who work and their services are free or subsidized since they are part of a program financed by a Public Administration, a Charitable Foundation or an NGO. In these cases I do not have the drawbacks mentioned at the beginning.
7. Will online psychotherapy be effective for me?
I would tell you that at the same level as the psychotherapy that we do in person is effective. The techniques and therapies supported by the science that we use in face-to-face psychotherapy sessions to treat and help people with psychological problems are the same as those we use online. The only difference is the way they are delivered to the patient
I hope I have answered your questions about online psychotherapy. It is a viable option, not the only one, that you should not discard without knowing its benefits and effectiveness.