Over six million people in the UK currently are diagnosed with stress, anxiety or depression, yet only a meagre 37% of adults access mental health treatment.
Portability
There are a number of reasons why the figure is staggeringly low. Psychiatrist, Dr John Hillery, Chairman of videoDoc’s Medical Advisory Committee, says “for individuals facing such issues, seeking help can be a real challenge, mainly due to the difficulty people with symptoms have gaining access to appointments due to personal mobility or time constraints. Social stigma may also cause people to feel anxious about engaging with therapy in a traditional face-to-face session.”
However he believes online therapy can overcome this intricacy as “connecting with a therapist online, removes all of these barriers and helps empower someone to take the first step in the right direction and can revolutionise the way people view therapy ."
With this in mind, here are ten reasons to use online therapy:
Accessibility. As mentioned before, not everyone can physically meet with a therapist for reasons such as timing, stigma or other day-to-day matters. Online therapy removes these barriers to access.
Control. Patients have the freedom to control their environment as they no longer have the added stress of traveling for meetings but instead can avail of the luxury of staying at home or wherever they feel most comfortable,
Portability. Similar to the previous point, with online therapy you have the opportunity to go on your laptop or mobile phone anywhere without missing or having to reschedule a session.
Lack of waiting times. No longer having to wait for the therapist to give you a date, patients can select whatever time suits their personal schedule.
Opportunity. Patients can avail of a multitude of therapists online as opposed to searching for the nearest in their vicinity.
Selection. No longer confined to their locality, patients can be selective choosing a therapist online as all they all offer different perspectives and ideas .
Confidentiality. Some individuals may feel reluctant to speak with a therapist within their community for fear they possibly know someone or a place they talk about in discussion. Online therapy gives patients the chance to let go of their inhibitions as they are interacting with someone entirely removed from the situation.
Intimacy. Since patients can choose their own space and time for availing of therapy online they may feel comfortable to delve deeper into their experiences and issues. This allows for the session to be of greater benefit for the patient and the therapist as the patient can honestly vent and the therapist can develop a vaster understanding.
Confidence. By allowing the sessions to become intimate patients will gain the social confidence to be at ease full-time as they have already been honest about their experiences.
Predisposition. Seeing as many individuals who suffer from anxiety feel more comfortable attending therapy online, they will be more inclined to stick with therapy in the long-term rather than leaving after one attempt in person.
videoDoc just partnered with national UK charity, Anxiety UK to help them build a bespoke online therapy platform; to extend the digital reach of their therapists across the UK in a way which puts the client in control. Members of the public can access it here: https://consult.anxietyuktherapy.org.uk/
Tagged in Therapy