Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Therapy

Advantages Of Online Therapy

1. Online therapy offers access to mental health information to people in rural or remote areas.
   
2. Online therapy provides accessibility to individuals who are disabled or housebound.
   
3. Online therapy is usually fairly affordable and convenient.
   
4. The Internet makes mental health information more accessible. People may feel comfortable talking to friends and family about health care issues, but may not feel the same discussing mental health concerns.
   
5. E-therapy can be an important tool to help people learn more about psychological health.

Disadvantages of Online Therapy

1. Most insurance policies do not cover online therapy.
   
2. Concerns about confidentiality, privacy and unreliable technology.
   
3. Therapists cannot respond to crisis situations.
   
4. Online therapy is not appropriate for those with serious psychiatric illnesses.
   
5. E-therapy is not appropriate for people with complicated or detailed problems. The scope of the help provided can be limited.
   
6. In most cases, online therapists cannot see facial expressions, vocal signals or body language.
   
7. Online therapy eliminates geographic restraints, making the enforcement of legal and ethical codes difficult. Therapists can treat clients from anywhere in the world, and many states have different licensing requirements and treatment guidelines.

More About Online Therapy:

• 9 Observations About the Practice and Process of Online Therapy
  Gregory Mulhauser of CounselingResource.com explores some of the major aspects of online therapy in this paper based observations of actual online counseling and therapy.
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• How Much Online Therapy Really Goes On?
  This great article from Gregory Mulhauser of CounselingResource.com looks at the ethical challenges posed by therapists and their experience with online therapy.
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• E-mailing Your Doctor or Therapist
  Learn more about some of the issues surrounding the use of e-mail communications between therapists and clients, from your About Guide to Mental Health Resources.
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• Five Years Studying Online Therapy
  An overview of a study conducted by the International Society for Mental Health Online, from your About Guide to Mental Health Resources.