E-counseling began as something as a novelty. E-counseling, also known as online counseling, was initially touted as an alternative for people who weren’t able to or were unwilling to access traditional mental health therapy services.
The e-counseling industry has only continued to expand, though. Nowadays, e-counseling has become more and more popular to the degree that it’s simply becoming a more viable option than traditional counseling. E-counseling is more convenient, it’s often cheaper, and it’s much easier to access than traditional therapy.
That said, it’s no surprise that e-counseling is shaking up the mental health industry quite a bit. This article will describe some of the changes that have been occurring as a result of e-counseling.
Pros – Positive Changes in the Mental Health Industry
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There are a number of positive changes that have emerged in the mental health industry as a result of online therapy and other forms of e-counseling. Here are some of the most obvious pros of these changes.
- Intrigue. There’s no way around it – the emergence of e-therapy and online therapy apps has sparked the intrigue of many people who may have otherwise been uninterested in getting therapy at all. This has increased the number of people seeking treatment and will likely lead to some statistical improvements in mental health.
- More service is available. There are lots of people who live in areas where there are no mental health services or who aren’t able to get to the services that are available. E-therapy has helped to bring service to these people so they can begin working on their interests. E-therapy, in many cases, also provides 24-hour services.
- More support is available. The use of technology for counseling makes people easier to get into contact with. Face-to-face therapists can extend their sessions with patients over video or text. There are many ways that technology can help to extend support from therapist to patient
Cons – Negative Changes in the Mental Health Industry
While there are many fantastic things that have come up as a result of e-therapy, there are also many questionable issues that have arisen.
- Efficacy. There simply isn’t as much evidence that this form of therapy is as effective as traditional therapy, and evidence can be hard to acquire.
- Patient guidance. Since there aren’t any industry standards yet it can be hard for users to find out whether or not an app will work well for them
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- Regulatory procedures. It’s a lot harder to ensure that an online therapy company is regulated, and it’s possible that someone could set up an online therapy company with illegitimate counselors before being busted.
- Pricing. Some companies charge far more than their services are worth, convincing customers through well-written prose that they are the best choice.
- Privacy. It’s very important to check out the privacy guarantee of any company that you’re going to be working with to ensure that your information remains confidential.
In Conclusion
There are a number of positive and negative changes that have emerged as a result of the innovation of online therapy. Hopefully, we’ve helped you understand some of the positive changes as well as some of the negative. To learn more about E-counseling, you should visit E-counseling.com which is a “premier guide to e-counseling services and mental health.”
