Online therapy just means that the client and therapist connect via the online communication app, Skype. Skype accounts are free and easy to use. Sign up takes about five minutes. Communication requires a webcam and stable Internet connection.

The client and therapist can see and hear each other in real-time. The therapist will connect with the client from a quiet, secure room and the client from the place of their choice (ideally quiet and secure as well).

Love the convenience..

Meeting your therapist via Skype every week has some great advantages. Imagine on the morning of your therapy session you wake up, get dressed, make a cup of coffee, walk in your socks to your computer and turn it on. Now you are ready for your session. No fighting traffic, no sterile waiting rooms or risk of bumping into other people and often the price of online treatment is less expensive than face-to-face therapy.

Because locality is not an issue, you can choose from therapists worldwide. It makes it easier to find one who you really like. If you have a hectic work schedule or kids to look after, early morning or late at night might be the only time that you have to talk to someone. You can choose a therapist in a time zone that suits your schedule. For example, 6 a.m. in the US is mid-working day in Europe.

Obstacles such as disability, distance, childcare, common language or hectic schedules are alleviated. It’s private and most people can spare an hour a week at home.

But does it work as well as face-to-face therapy?

A mountain of research supports the effectiveness of various forms of online therapy. Over 20 years of scientific studies have established that online therapy can work as effectively as face-to-face therapy.

A common concern is that online is too impersonal for therapy. However, as more of us connect with friends and family via online therapy, our comfort levels with online communication increase.

How does it work?

Just like face-to-face therapy, many of us try online therapy because we feel stuck. We’ve asked advice from our friends or family and tried everything that we can think of but nothing seems to work. Or we can’t figure out why we can’t muster the motivation change.

Successful therapy means that the therapist not only helps you get through a difficult situation but also enables you to build resilience, confidence and coping skills to use with a wider range of life challenges long after therapy has finished.

How to make it work for you.

Even though studies have shown that online therapy can work, everyone is different. Therapy is a collaborative effort and one must put one’s trust in the therapist and therapeutic process in order for positive changes to occur. So find a therapist with which you feel you can have a good rapport.