What we’re noticing about online therapy.

The world looks quite different at the moment.

And we’re no exception. Our entire clinic has migrated from being a thriving office with the reassuring rumbles of clients coming and going, the telephone ringing and the familiar hum of knowing a colleague is in a session next door, to an entirely online set up.

While logistically challenging, thanks to our formidable operations and reception team, we made the shift quickly and smoothly. And as psychologists we’re settling into our new normal too.

There are many things to adjust to when working away from the clinic, but providing online therapy isn’t one of them. Our team are very familiar with online therapy and comfortable providing counseling in this way, and in fact we’ve been doing so for many years.

Thumbs up for online and telephone-based therapies!

I’m a huge fan of telephone and online counselling and have been involved in delivering and managing these services both in the UK and the UAE for many years.  When telephone-based services were first introduced in the UK, it was met with a lot of scepticism mainly amongst professionals.  What we found in practice though is that many people chose and actually preferred online counseling and telephone counselling.

Benefits of online counseling

• • • Scheduling, flexibility & time saving; this is often the most cited reason why people opt to have therapy online. It eliminates the need to travel and you can schedule appointments around work and family commitments. It also means you can continue to receive therapy when travelling for work if you so choose.
    • Safety; Starting therapy can feel quite daunting and for many people starting therapy online from the comfort of their home can be the first step towards treatment.
    • Stigma & privacy; many people both in the UK and the UAE avoid seeking treatment because of the stigma that still surrounds mental health. Online and telephone counselling allows people to get the help that they need without the fear of bumping into someone they know on their way to the clinic.

Different therapeutic models and online counseling

Having spoken to my colleagues any my broader professional network, we’re seeing that all models of therapy (CBT, DBT, EMDR, psychodynamic etc) lend themselves well to this way of working.

Professional guidelines backed up the decision we’d already made.

In response to government directives on patient and clinician safety in the UAE, Vivamus moved its services online. This guidance was swiftly backed up by the British Psychological Society who state:

“…Judgments about the best method of delivery need to include consideration of risks of infection. This means that at some times work that previously would have indicated face to face delivery will need to be delivered through digital platforms or by telephone.”; (BPS 2020)

How fortunate we are to be able to provide our services in this way.

The pandemic has forced the world to change and currently the only safe method of delivering therapy is either online or over the telephone. What a great opportunity to embrace technology and take advantage of the fact that counseling is one of the few health services that translates exceptionably well online.

Cheryl Warsama, Counseling Psychologist, Vivamus.