Digital…in my experience is a term that made me mentally walk away from any conversation. I didn't understand it and as long as I could turn on this computer and send one or another text, I was well served. I belong to a generation where the analogue still existed as relevant, not as memorabilia.
It has been a big change, as an analyst of the human mind I decided to question these prejudices and learn to be more agile in a digital world. Because the change has also moved (if not it was its very origin) to the relational field, how we interact with ourselves and with others.
Being a migrant, I have appreciated it and enjoyed the benefits. I can keep in touch with family and friends almost immediately, I can work with people in other parts of the world and learn from their cultures and ways.
What is online therapy?
It is one that relies on the internet and some device to be carried out. Also known as telehealth, e-therapy, distance or remote therapy. It is almost always given through video calls on platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom or Meet, but it can also be given through audio calls or even through exchanges of messages or email.
How does it work from the psychologist perspective?
Professionally, I was lucky enough to have dabbled in digital therapy before the pandemic. And I say lucky, since as I have mentioned my knowledge about technology was not adequate, I had to learn before we all had to.
The main challenge lay above all in translating into a remote format therapeutic exercises that I considered essentially face-to-face. But even those, with certain modifications, could be implemented in video call sessions.
In my therapeutic work, putting into practice is basic. So, during the therapy sessions, exercises, role playing, guided visualizations and so on, serve as a foundation to make the experience richer.
Main advantages
The requirements on the part of the consultant are minimal: have a good internet connection and be in a private space. With the benefit of even being able to be in your pyjamas if you feel like it.
I have worked with patients who have experienced both formats and at no time has the richness of therapeutic work been lost or dispersed. What happens in that space is sometimes so intense that despite not knowing some of my patients in person, I can connect with their gestures, personality, forms and particularities. The physical distance does not affect the depth of the work and I´m very glad I didn´t have to compromise in this aspect.
Main drawbacks
To date, the main cons of this modality seem to me to be the dependence on our technology working to carry out the session (blackouts, network failures, places with poor reception) and restrictions on the patient's space such as not having another chair, sheets of paper at hand and other specific materials. Nothing that cannot be planned in advance.
If you, as me before, don´t feel comfortable enough with technology, don´t worry, it could be as easy as a WhatsApp video call. You don´t need to sign on to anything, no need to have installed fancy or expensive apps. If you still prefer face to face sessions, that´s okay, not everything is for everyone.
I invite you to try, to consider the pros and cons of remote therapy and to have the experience before reaching any conclusion. Maybe it could be right for you.
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