Does Teletherapy Have a Future Beyond Covid-19?
Is digital an acceptable substitute for physical interaction?
Teletherapy, unlike traditional face to face therapy, is conducted via a video call over the internet and there has been a dramatic increase in this form of therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since many people now work from home and whilst social distancing measures are in place, both therapists and clients have found themselves turning to phones and laptops to do work and to connect with others.
Although teletherapy has been around for a few years, the pandemic has forced therapists and those in the mental health profession to modernise the way they work to provide their services virtually.
The surge in teletherapy indicates that it is hugely popular and both clients and therapists alike have reported positive experiences, however, it isn’t without its challenges.
The sudden change has left many therapists struggling with technical issues, lack of support, and concerns over confidentiality and ethics. In a world in which we are consumed by technology, can we benefit from digital therapy, or is the value of face to face interaction something that can never quite be replaced?
For clients seeking therapy, many have praised teletherapy during a time in which they need support and guidance the most since the pandemic has worsened the mental health and wellbeing of many.
The obvious advantage to the client is the convenience and accessibility of online therapy. Some people may live in rural areas, or during the pandemic, self-isolating, so the option of attending via video call platforms such as Zoom, is highly desirable.
Additionally, if teletherapy becomes greatly efficient and more accessible, it may decrease the waiting lists for face to face treatment which is a significant issue for mental health services in the UK as waiting lists tend to be long.
Online therapy for therapists, in addition to being convenient, the opportunity to view the client in their own home provides additional insight into their home life and who they are. Thus, this additional information may lead to a better understanding of the client and to the therapist giving better and more specific advice.
However, many psychologists have noted that although video calling and seeing the client's home, there are other details that are possibly more important that might be being missed.
Sometimes a person’s behaviour can be more telling than what they do (or don’t) say, so the silent tears, shaking hands, and fidgeting that might be common non-verbal communication within a therapist's office is likely to be undetected during the online therapy session.
Since the increase in teletherapy, one of the issues therapists have reported is the significant technological and logistical issues, after all, they have been trained as therapists, not computer technicians.
Although we may manage the occasional Zoom call, it is much more difficult to set up multiple video calls throughout the day with various clients, some of whom may be late and have poor WiFi connections which can disrupt the quality and flow of the conversation between therapist and client.
If these concerns were addressed and improved upon by institutions, governments, and companies then both the quality and quantity of teletherapy sessions would be improved, thus helping more people.
COVID-19 has resulted in companies and individuals having to be able to quickly adapt and therapy is no exception, so of course, the need to adapt comes with great challenges.
Perhaps the pandemic has been the push that was needed to create change as although teletherapy has existed for years, it has been slow to evolve and become popularised.
Now that teletherapy has become commonplace over lockdown and whilst social distancing is maintained, it may lead to a more accepted online mental health system.
This rise in online therapy, in addition to the media coverage about the affect COVID-19, is having on mental health, may also lead to a decrease in social stigma and an increase of acceptance. This is vital because the increase in acceptance will allow more people to seek help and prevent people from living without an undiagnosed mental health disorder.
Teletherapy can be used for a range of therapies, however, research suggests that the easiest to transfer from in-person to online is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Psychotherapy.
Overall, most forms of therapy can be transferred to online therapy sessions and still remain effective, however, there are a few caveats to this. Individuals who may have more severe mental health issues or are more at risk of harming themselves are less likely to engage and commit to teletherapy and will benefit more from therapy in an office, face to face.
Additionally, depending on the therapy, or even the therapist themselves, therapeutic skills traditionally developed for in-person may not be automatically transferred into therapeutic skills online.
When it comes to working in an office versus working from home, opinions are polarized, but it is safe to assume that many workplaces will no longer be the same as what they once were.
During this time of unprecedented change, there is no telling what the future brings, but if teletherapy can continue to provide people with mental health support, then it may outlast COVID-19 and reduce the need for traditional therapy.
References:
Connolly, S. L., Miller, C. J., Lindsay, J. A., & Bauer, M. S. (2020). A systematic review of providers’ attitudes toward telemental health via videoconferencing. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, e12311.
Feijt, M., de Kort, Y., Bongers, I., Bierbooms, J., Westerink, J., & IJsselsteijn, W. (2020). Mental Health Care Goes Online: Practitioners’ Experiences of Providing Mental Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
Stoll, J., Müller, J. A., & Trachsel, M. (2020). Ethical issues in online psychotherapy: A narrative review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 993.
