Living in the 21st century is amazing for many reasons. The Internet does not only allow people to start a business or purchase a shop from the comfort of their room. It also serves as an excellent tool for the improvement of mental health.
Many people do not feel comfortable visiting an expert in-person. The good news is that online counseling is one of the options that all people have. If you have a stable Wi-Fi connection and decent smart device, trying out that type of service is available to you.
There are many online therapy providers online that deserve your attention. You can check out the analysis that websites like drmental.org made, and get familiar with some of them. Still, many people try to figure out whether online counseling is worth the money or not. By analyzing the pros and cons, we will get some clear answers. Let’s find them out together!
Source: Generation T
Contents
Pros of Online Counseling
We will start the article with some positive pieces of information. The benefits you can get are more valuable compared to the cons of this type of treatment.
Accessible for people in a rural environment
Online consulting can help you improve your mental health even if you are living in a rural area. Unfortunately, it is a common problem that people who are living in those types of places do not have the opportunity to get some mental health treatment. Usually, all psychology treatments are available only in towns. Logically, no one would drive on so long a distance to take therapy sessions. However, with internet access, you will not be isolated from the chance to improve your mental health. Whatever problem you have, you can find online support to help you overcome it.
Source: ecessionproofrealtor.com
Time Saver
Before we had access to the Internet, we had to leave the house if we wanted to buy something to eat, take money from the bank, make a payment, purchase some wardrobe, etc.. Thanks to technology development, many services are available to us without the need to leave our houses. One of them is attending psychotherapy sessions. However, some people have to spend one-two hours on getting to the therapist’s office because of the traffic and distance in a big city. Spending time on going to the office and getting back home can be stressful. Luckily, with online therapy, you do not have to worry about traveling long distances. You just need to make an appointment with your online therapist and connect to the Internet at that time.
Affordability
Unfortunately, insurance companies are not always going to cover the costs of online counseling. We will explain that later. However, people will not have to spend a lot of money on this type of service.
The costs of the treatment vary from one place to another. Still, you need to have some things in mind. You won’t have to travel anywhere, and you will attend treatment from the comfort of your room with no extra costs. That can be essential for people that live in rural environments.
There is a good reason why online therapists are cheap. They do not have to invest a lot of money to start a business. For instance, renting an office space is the cost they do not have. That is the reason why the prices they offer are a lot lower compared to therapists that organize sessions in person.
Source: study.com
Comfort
Talking about physical health is much easier. People won’t hesitate to talk about that with friends, relatives, and doctors. However, talking about mental health is much tougher. People do not feel comfortable talking about that subject in person.
The good thing is that online counseling is accessible to everyone with a stable Wi-Fi connection. You will feel more comfortable discussing the mental problems that bother you. In that way, you will find the solution in a much easier way.
Cons of Online Counseling
It would be unfair to say that everything around online counseling is perfect. There are also some cons that people should know. However, these cons should not scare people or convince them that online counseling is not worth the money. We will highlight the most significant ones and allow you to make your own conclusions.
Source: MyTherapist
Lack of Support from Insurance Companies
Insurance companies do not always cover online counseling. It depends a lot on the state where you live. You may need to spend additional money on this type of service. However, as we said, affordability is one of the advantages of online counseling. Because of that, the costs you will potentially have are not going to be high.
Certain Law Limits
There is another disadvantage that depends on the state where you live. Some local laws do not allow out-of-state psychologists to provide the service of that type. That means the expert you need to collaborate with can’t only have a license that allows him to work in his home state. He/she needs to get permission for your from your state.
Still, even those people that have permission sometimes have a limited amount of time. For instance, they won’t have the right to work more than 30 days per year. Because of that, it is essential to check out whether the expert you plan to hire has the necessary license from American Psychological Association.
Source: Medium
Not Always Appropriate
Unfortunately, online counseling is not always going to be appropriate. It will meet the requirements and expectations of many people that need help. However, when patients suffer from some serious mental illnesses, this type of service won’t be ideal. Those patients require in-person interventions, and that is the only way they can get adequate treatment.
We can use an example to make things clear. Let’s imagine that a person has some serious drug addiction problems. That type of situation is complex for both parties. It can be tough to say the right words or determine the perfect solution under those conditions. The doctors will not manage to see body language, facial expressions, and some other signals that can say a lot when the crisis occurs. Because of that, they may not manage to react properly in some cases.
Final Thought
Generally speaking, we can all agree that online counseling is worth the money. It may not be appropriate for some extreme cases, but most of the patients are aware of that. As you can see, the benefits of online counseling are more valuable, and that is the reason why people should not hesitate. Even if they have some additional costs, that doesn’t mean they will have to spend a fortune.
