Online therapy

I am now doing online therapy with a new therapist. I was wondering if anyone else is doing online therapy and how its working for you. It is hard for me and I really want to talk with someone who has done it or is doing it.

The closest thing I can say is my hour long appointments with my pdoc. To me, it was less stressful than in person. I was able to tell her more online than I could in person. I think for me, it was paranoia based. But I liked online much better.

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cinnamon stick, this is a christian website with free resources and free immediate chat to listen to you and help you out. I have used it a couple of times. The people there are nice and wonderful. And it is FREE. It never hurts. It is not affiliated with any denomination at all. Blessings

I haven't done online therapy as such but I did do emails which were helpful at the time. My then t offered emails as she was so far away. It helped me to say more than I could vocally say and I would prefer to write than speak.
What is so hard for you about it cinnamon?

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There is no body language or tone with words written. It can cause a lot of confusion and disagreements. I also have a very hard time getting comfort and care from just reading words.

Is it just chat or IM or is there the possibility of a video call like on Skype? I would think that would help.

I don't think I could do therapy like that and it seems reasonable you might be having a difficult time.

It is just chatting like texting. There are video sessions for more money but its expensive.

In the UK, therapy is generally cheaper than the US (for example my T is highly experienced and charges approx 58 usd per hour.) A lot of UK therapists do Skype, and because it's an online thing I wonder if it would matter to you that the T was in the US?

ETA: I don't know how this compares to the fees you pay? https://www.skypetherapies.co.uk/search

Never done online therapy, but doubt I would be able to handle that. My Pdoc, years ago, gave me the advice to head to our local university because they have their own psychology department and clinic, and you pay based on a sliding scale. And even if you fail to pay a session or two, they work with you. The clinic is not like those huge non-profit government facilities and is personal with you. And the clinic for one-on-one therapy is small and comfortable.

The only thing they ask is if they are allowed to record your sessions if you plan to work with a student. And I answered yes because the therapist was specializing in severe Bipolar I Disorder and PTSD. And because I was diagnosed as a child with the disorder, it intrigued the department a bit. Yay me? Haha

I've not done formal therapy online, but have done crisis chats and emailed back and forth with a residential cener I was considering for treatment at one point. I had a lot of the same difficulties with the written piece. I'm not sure I would be able to do therapy only through writing. It's easier to divulge some things that way, but I would constantly be worried about the emotional context.
Can you bring it up with your online t? I'm guessing there are ways to address all that if they do therapy primarily online...

Is there a specific reason you are choosing online therapy at this time? Were you saying you were weary to try in- person therapy again because of attachment stuff? Or am I mixing that up with someone else? Would you be willing to give in-person a try again? There definitely are challenges with online therapy, mostly the lack of non-verbal cues...

I took an online CBT program in addition to the therapy sessions as directed by my therapist

I have brought this up to my online therapist. Nothing changed. I just have a hard time with getting comfort and reasurance with words.

Online therapy is best for me right now. I wanted the daily access to a therapist and the ability to write whenever I want and how much I want. For now I can't do in person. I don't have the means and I don't want to get attached again.

This last line really seems important Cinnamon! I am wondering if this is a coincidence or is finding an online therapist a way of avoiding attachment?

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Finding an online therapist was to avoid attachment but I also have other concrete reasons that I can't see someone in person. It might change someday.

Is there anyone out there who has done online therapy that can share there experience with it? I know its not the norm but I want to talk with someone who is doing the same thing.

I know of one user who did online (text) therapy very successfully. Leah123? But she doesn't come on here much any more. I'll see if I can dig up any old posts which might be useful...

ETA here's a relevant post but I can't find anything more detailed. Maybe you could PM the user? http://forums.psychcentral.com/3587231-post5.html

Hi there Cinnamon, hi all. Yes, I'm in online therapy, it's been three years and three months now. If you have any questions or want to share experiences, feel free to PM me.

In short, I'd say the benefits for me have been tremendous, I've made significant progress, gained a wonderful ally in therapy, and done it partly because of the online format actually. I have schedule flexibility, session records, format versatility and more organic contact opportunities than I would have had in person. I also recall enjoying the "quiet" of an online environment which facilitated reflection and communication for me, especially early on. Online therapy also facilitates sharing music, images, texts, which I find enriching and makes my therapy a little more dynamic.

I've done both in-person therapy (about three years, many years ago) and online therapy for the same time currently and I've found it just as effective, really moreso for me where I am in my life now, because of the really superb relationship/match between me and my therapist along with the format and schedule.

It's been a lot of hard work, as a lot of good therapy is, and there are definitely benefits and drawbacks to the format. For example, sometimes I wish she could read my expression but I have to be patient and let her have more time to understand where I'm at if I'm quiet, or be assertive and explain what's going on, but both work. Other times I'd like the physical proximity of sharing a room, though sharing my own space- being at home and having her communicating with me there is special too. In my case, the benefits have far outweighed the drawbacks and my therapy feels more integral with my life than it did during my in-person sessions.

As others alluded, I agree it was important (to me anyway) to have a licensed therapist (and be able to verify that license) who specialized in my concerns and met other criteria I had, just as if I were seeing someone in a mainstream office.

Hope your experience is healing and growth-inspiring for you too!

Best,

Leah

For me, it was attractive to gain quick and anonymous(in my case) access to therapist. But results were not particularly impressive. It seems like we haven't established a relationship of trust online, and it was too easy for me to abandon therapy.

Thank you for your response. I am glad its going so well for you. Its nice to talk to people who are doing it as well. I just PMed you.