How online counseling is worth your time

People today are more aware of the presence of mental illnesses and the importance of self-care. However, what some people don’t realize is that self-care isn’t only for people who are severely sick. Taking care of one’s mental state is a constant activity that ideally every individual needs to practice. It is not uncommon for people to work on their mental conditions even if they seem perfectly healthy. 

However, the stigma around therapy is so high that people often feel like they would rather handle all their problems on their own. What they seldom understand is that by pushing away help, most people bury their pain and try to function like normal people. Normal people have intense or traumatic experiences too though, and there is no shame in asking for help.

Counseling can also seem like a tedious process because one may not always find the best therapist for them in the first go. Maybe you’ll have to look and try a few times before finding the best fit, but people sometimes don’t have the patience to go through this.

Considering the times, face-to-face therapy is not only inconvenient but practically impossible.Online counseling is a great alternative now and at any given time, where the same certified counselor can help you navigate your emotions from the comfort of your own home. With online counseling, find the perfect therapist also gets easier and you will not feel lethargy towards working on your mental health.

How it works

You might know how therapy works or might have strange conclusions about it. Online therapy to people, however, may seem drastically different from face-to-face sessions. This is not even close to being true, because if you take out the ‘talking through a screen’ factor, the process still involves the same clinically-proven methods used by practiced therapists who’ll guide you through your traumas and emotions. 

Online Therapy works a lot like real-life counseling and is focused on having your thoughts and emotions heard out. It provides a safe space where you can blurt out whatever it is that hurts or triggers you and from there your fears, pain and triggers are dissected to find out what is driving a person to feel the way they do. Even traumatic experiences that you went through as a child will be resolved as and when they surface.

Services provided in these sessions include individual-based treatment plans, personal interventions, rehabilitation, skill development, toxic coping mechanisms explained and replaced with healthier ways, stress management, counseling, and the likes. 

Through discussion and scientifically proved, evidence-based methods, your counselor will seek the best method to go about your treatment plan.

Advantages of starting online therapy

If you can get through all the factors keeping you from starting your self-healing journey

and decide to start online counseling, here are the benefits you would reap from this:

• Self-awareness – Therapists are trained to listen to your journey and help you form connections about how your past has paved the way for your behaviors, beliefs, and emotions. Therapists don’t tell you what to do or how. They only offer you a chance to make these connections for yourself in an empowering and safe environment. By doing so, you can discuss everything you’ve ever gone through and can gauge what thoughts and beliefs are truly yours and which ones exist due to conditioning. This will boost your self-confidence in some ways as well because you will be more aware of who you are and throw out the ideas of whom or what the world wants you to be.

•  Goals and dreams – People might be lost or confused with what they want from life, what their ambitions are, and might give up on having any. Therapy will help you clear the muddle and help focus your attention on the kind of skills you have and could develop and talk about what’s keeping you from achieving it now.  If you’re stuck in a job you don’t like or can never take the first step towards what you want, a therapist will be able to tell you what kind of mental, emotional or physical restraints are keeping you from going where you want to.

• Better Relationships – Therapy is a great way to improve your relationship with those around you because it enables you to better your relationship with yourself. Remember if you’re not happy alone, filling your life with people is not the solution. Therapy will address difficult issues like self-respect, insecurities, trust issues, and other aspects that can kill a relationship. If you’re in a toxic relationship and unable to get out, having a counselor will be a great help. You will be able to detach from what is making you cling onto the relationship and see it for what it is and how it makes you feel.  

• Better health – Contrary to popular belief about mental illnesses showing no physical conditions, research shows that physical ailments do manifest themselves as a result of stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental conditions. Issues like migraines, gastric problems, digestion problems and hormonal imbalances caused by mental suffering triggers off changes in your body that can sometimes cause worsened state of body. Going to therapy ensures overall health benefits and prevents any toxic and unhealthy cycles you have formed for yourself.

Tips for a Good Online Session

• The major requirement for a peaceful online therapy session is having a decent internet connection. Make sure your connection is strong and that no one else is connected or has opened data draining apps and software during your session.
• Check the headphones, mic and lighting. Therapy works majorly on facial expressions, body language and what you’re saying and the tone. So make sure the qualities of all these things are top-notch or at least working in good conditions.
• Make sure that you’re in a quiet and private place where you will not be disturbed and feel completely safe and comfortable. Remember, your comfort levels are important for you to be able to speak without hesitation. You can switch your phone off and leave DND signs on your door for maximum privacy and zero disturbance.
• Always remember to read the confidentiality clause with your therapist and make sure you are comfortable with them.
• Remember to keep tabs on where you left off during a session, especially if it got interrupted due to technical issues. This way your therapist will know exactly where to start and this will make the flow of your session smoother.

Therapy offers aid in all aspects of life, be it a career, self, health, relationships, troubling thoughts, and anything else you can think of. Online counseling is not always the final solution to all your problems, but it is the first step. 

According to how you’re doing, a therapist will decide further treatment plans and will refer you to a psychiatrist if they think you need a diagnostic test or some form of medication to go along with therapy.  

If you’re still contemplating going to therapy, remember that at the safety of your home you get a chance to heal. You may not lose much by trying it out but could potentially worsen your state if you push it off.