The Future of Online Psychotherapy

Online psychotherapy is a term designated to conventional psychotherapy but is delivered via the Internet. Methods of delivering online psychotherapy include e-mail, online chat, online teleconferencing, and face-to-face video telephone.

Application

Online psychotherapy is a great alternative to provide treatment and care to patients who have limited access to psychosocial intervention, specifically those in less developed areas. The Internet has become widely accessible even to challenged countries and rural areas.

Patients would be more inclined to access psychotherapy online. Aside from wide accessibility, patients benefit from its portability. They can seek therapy almost anywhere. Patients also feel more secured because the Internet can provide anonymity. They can seek therapy without having to showcase themselves in public as one who enters a psychotherapist’s clinic for treatment.

Arguments

There are several issues regarding the use of online psychotherapy that have to be addressed. These arguments tackle the dynamics of performing procedures through the various online delivery methods, which in turn, affect the entire treatment process.

Text-based Treatment

Providing psychotherapy through online chat and e-mail has brought up the possibility of identity falsification. Psychotherapists have no way to determine if they are dealing with their actual patient or a patient substitute. The use of a substitute may implicate that the patient is already well when he/she is actually not.

Another issue in text-based treatment is the patient’s ability to express him/herself. Not all individuals can express themselves effectively through online text. There are some patients who are more communicative in face-to-face interactions.

Finally, there are patients who more accurately process information through the spoken word. These individuals can easily understand what is being conveyed to them through verbal means, instead of through the written word. The same is true in the case of psychotherapists. They are unable to accurately assess their patient’s status when reading their e-mail accounts. Text can mask the true tone, emotion, and overall status of a patient. Such methods provide psychotherapists with a vague description of their patients.

Video-based Interactions

To address the arising problems in text-based online psychotherapy, video conferencing through the Internet was utilized. In this method, psychotherapists could visibly assess and determine a patient’s affect, non-verbal cues, and reactions. Video conferencing provides a widely accessible virtual face-to-face interaction at a low cost with the advent of various video conferencing programs like iChat, Skype, and AOL.

The use of online video conferencing in psychotherapy is relatively developing. Most psychotherapists who wish to provide online counseling would have to learn its fundamentals. Online psychotherapy is not extensively taught in counseling and psychotherapy school departments.

Equipment Issues

Online psychotherapy is effective as long as both the psychotherapist and patient have the right equipment and software to utilize it. At times, one the parties may lack certain hardware (like a digital camera or a microphone) or software (video conferencing or chatting programs). There can also be instances where hardware can crash, rendering less or no treatment at all.

Development and Effectiveness

Online psychotherapy will continue to develop. It serves as an alternative mode of delivering healthcare to those who cannot access it. There may be some who disapprove of it, but with the continuous virtualization of the world, what can they expect? Even so, online therapists should remember that online treatment is not to substitute the doctor-patient relationship rather, to support it. Psychotherapists should set guidelines to be observed when rendering online care. Organizations and associations should be established and refined to keep watch on online practices. But, ultimately, the success of psychotherapy, whether online or not, depends on the patient’s efforts and adherence to treatment.