What Is The First Online Psychotherapy Session Like?

Increasingly, online psychotherapy is emerging as the favorite option for many clients and patients who welcome the advantages of this type of psychological intervention.

It is not strange, given that the freedom it provides and the ease with which the psychologist’s consultation can be accessed via the Internet They are factors from which many benefit. The limitations of time and space do not have to hinder us when accessing psychotherapy services.

Now, it is common that the idea of ​​attending therapy over the Internet is somewhat confusing for those who are considering opting for this option and are not very familiar with the options provided by the distance format supported by new interconnection technologies. Let’s see, then, what the first online therapy session is like

This is how the first online psychotherapy session begins

At first, what distinguishes online psychotherapy from in-person psychotherapy is minimal. The contact between the therapist and the patient is fundamentally the same in both cases, given that currently most of the first steps in establishing communication occur on the Internet, either through the psychologist’s website or through a directory of psychologists. It is, in short, an email message or a phone call.

From there, The professional can raise the possibility of doing online or in-person therapy or it may also be the case that the potential patient expresses the intention to use only the online format.

In any case, it should not always be taken into account that even if care is to be received online, the service will be provided by a mental health professional clearly identified by name, surname and membership number, not by a computer program or by a virtual interface alien to any human component.

Tomás Santa Cecilia, an expert in online therapy with more than 25 years of experience and one of the pioneers in the use of this modality in Spain, points out that this therapy modality is subject to the same quality standards as in-person care in a physical consultation. , and the same psychologists who can serve through the Internet They are trained to practice face to face : The type of service is the same, and only the medium in which it is provided changes.

At the same time that the day and time of the first online psychological therapy session is established, the patient receives simple instructions to know what to do to start the session, which will take place by videoconference.

Problem exploration

Once the connection is started, both the professional and the patient have on their computer screens a live image of what the other person’s webcam captures which points to the face: both the image and the sound.

Videoconferencing is the basis of online therapy, since it offers a context in which both parties can share elements of verbal and non-verbal communication, and there is also the possibility of sharing audiovisual content in real time (which can be useful in various phases of therapy).

In the first minutes of the start of what can technically be considered the first online psychotherapy session, formal presentations are made. This phase is intended to create a communicative flow in which patients feel comfortable. Then, the patient, invited by the professional, explains what he is looking for or what his problem is.

This explanation does not have to be very prepared, and can be relatively spontaneous and improvised, given that later the patient and therapist will negotiate the establishment of much more specific objectives.

In any case, it is important to note that these explanations are not given “on camera”, since the session takes place not looking at the camera (which would be uncomfortable for many people, but rather looking at the therapist. The online format itself is designed so that be an interaction very similar to the one that would occur if both were in the same room

On the other hand, even though in this phase of therapy the patient has a lot of information about the case and the therapist does not yet have it, the latter usually intervenes frequently to help the patient structure his explanations. If necessary, the patient can share videos or photographs to provide more information about their case, as long as these documents do not violate the privacy of other people.

A remote but not impersonal session

Most of this first video conference session, which usually lasts less than an hour, It is dedicated to the patient explaining themselves and communicating their concerns and aspirations related to the problem or need to be treated.

The professional acts as a guide to make these explanations go towards one area of ​​life or another, but he does not give orders or abruptly interrupt the other person without giving the opportunity to continue explaining. Tomás Santa Cecilia points out that the fact that there is a screen in the middle is in no way an excuse to offer a more distant and impersonal treatment to the patient, but rather a resource to be used to allow a type of communication that better fits with the availability from both sides.

Of course, psychologists adopt a professional role and do not try to pass themselves off as friends of the patient, but that does not mean that they are not empathetic and close, nor that they make relevant decisions in a completely unilateral manner. The creation of consensual therapeutic commitments is always sought , which allow the therapy to advance. Thus, the first online therapy session ends by pointing towards the objectives of the next session, in which a recapitulation of what has been shared in the first will be carried out and the proposals will be delved into to begin walking towards the goals. set objectives.