Before, there was really only one option if you were looking into psychotherapeutic help: traditional, office-based or face-to-face therapy with a therapist that you would meet (or who would meet you) on a regular basis. Nowadays, though, present technologies have made it possible to pose an alternative to this traditional option: distance therapy, which involves the use of communication technology to cover physical distances between the parties having the session, i.e. the client/patient and therapist. With distance therapy, you may take to using video calls, cellphone or telephone calls, and even instant messaging in order to converse with your therapist and arrive at the same meaningful insight that you (ideally) would in a traditional psychotherapy setting.
While there are still people who have their doubts about this method of communication between the therapist and his client, there are many therapists who have done both traditional and distance methods and who argue that the results—although not necessarily the journey—are generally the same no matter which method is used. Joseph Burgo of AfterPsychotherapy.com, for example, believes so much in the efficacy of the distance therapy methods that he offers them himself to his clients. He does point out, however, that visual contact is often crucial for establishing a relationship between the therapist and a new client, which is why he works via Skype for distance therapy.
That is something to consider: if you are thinking of getting a distance therapist, you should be aware of the sorts of cues you find help you when you are interacting with a therapist to “open up”. If you need visual contact, it is necessary to seek out a therapist who works with distance therapy methods that make visual contact possible during sessions. The same goes for those who require real-time, instant communication: instant messaging would not be a good idea for such people.
As long as you are aware of what the client-therapist relationship is—which is not really one of physical contact, after all—there should be no obstacles to your try at a distance therapy session with a good therapist. Indeed, there may be more reasons to do it than otherwise, since it can be a convenient answer for those whose schedules or places of residence/transience of location make it hard for them to see a therapist the traditional way.
Get some idea as to whether or not distance therapy could be a good match for you and your needs. While many therapists like Joseph Burgo argue that distance therapy produces much the same results as traditional therapy, there may be other factors that you want to take into consideration when you decide.
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