Is online therapy as effective?

Many more things now take place virtually given the ongoing global pandemic, so apart from a surge in concert livestreams and digital exhibitions, there has also been a boom in online therapy services, no thanks to living in a time of great uncertainty.

"In 2020, we saw an uptake in patients asking our GPs about what they could do about stress and anxiety, and data showed that mental wellness via teleconsult was the most requested service by our users," says Justin Chow, Chief Marketing & Partnerships Officer at homegrown telemedicine provider WhiteCoat.

But is online therapy as effective as face-to-face therapy? After all, it can be hard to surrender to vulnerability if it's harder to interpret body language and facial expressions.

Common myths

There are a couple of myths about online therapy that can be rationally addressed.

Myth 1: Online therapy lacks 'warmth'

"In the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, meeting your therapist virtually means the both of you can be mask-off."

"This allows you to connect with them fully since they can pick up on your facial expressions and other non-verbal cues," says Lauren Wan, Head of Client Experience at Singapore-based mental health app LaVica.

Myth 2: The platform is not secure 

Patients can actually have greater control over the information they share when engaging in online therapy.

"With LaVica, we offer the option of using a nickname and using text- or audio-based therapy only. Also, every interaction with your therapist is encrypted."

Myth 3: You need to choose between online and offline therapy

"Mental health routines operate best when multiple strategies are used. The same way a runner might also do strength training or yoga, it can be good to supplement in-person sessions with check-ins offered by asynchronous chat-based therapy," she adds.

Is online therapy as effective?

Online therapy can be as, or even more, effective than face-to-face therapy when you take into account an individual's comfort levels.

"For some people, being anonymous lends them confidence. And for others, being in a familiar space like their home can help them relax and open up," says Lauren.

Plus, therapy is much more accessible when it's this convenient.

"A new parent can meet a therapist without worrying about their baby since they can attend to the baby if needed during the session. And for someone who only has free time during their commute to work, they can engage in a live text-based session while on the go."

Moreover, the therapists available for an online session are as qualified.

"At WhiteCoat, our panel therapists are all certified clinical psychologists who have undergone stringent training and have the necessary professional experience to accurately diagnose and treat patients via remote care. Their credentials are displayed in-app so patients have the information they need before making a selection," explains Justin.

The virtual experience

Want to give online therapy a go? You can choose to be assigned a therapist or select one from a list of profiles when using WhiteCoat or LaVica.

"First-time users will undergo a triage-type session to determine if the patient's condition is suitable for teleconsult. This helps patients develop an initial rapport with the attending psychologist, and enables the psychologist to derive a preliminary diagnosis of the patient's mental condition," says Justin.

"Having the option of choosing their attending psychologist each time they teleconsult affords the patient the flexibility of switching psychologists at their discretion."

READ ALSO: 5 Instagram accounts by psychologists and therapists to follow if you have anxiety

This article was first published in Her World Online.