Pros and Cons of Online Trauma Therapy

Online trauma therapy is changing the way people cope with mental health challenges. Therapy used to be an expensive treatment to overcome the issues created by trauma. However, thanks to a variety of online trauma therapy providers, sufferers can now get help more quickly than ever before.

Trauma is the result of experiencing a disturbing life event. The death of a loved one, health scares, and near-death experiences all classify as trauma. These experiences can be hard to talk about. Seeking professional help from a mental healthcare provider can be difficult if you are afraid to talk about the experience.

Speaking one-to-one with a professional about the trauma can create stress and anxiety. This can especially be the case when you undergo trauma therapy in a mental healthcare professional’s office.

Online trauma therapy is an alternative that helps individuals speak to mental healthcare professionals in a more comfortable, relaxed way. Online trauma therapy removes the barriers to gaining help and counseling from a therapist.

Understanding Trauma Therapy

Trauma therapy is a mental health treatment that may help you cope with physical, psychological, and emotional issues produced by trauma. Trauma therapy tries to understand the negative episodes that affect an individual’s emotional and behavioral reactions.

Online trauma treatment, like in-person one-to-one treatment, allows you to learn coping skills, tools, and strategies to understand those past negative episodes¹Watkins, Laura E., et al. “Treating PTSD: A Review of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Interventions – PMC.” PubMed Central (PMC), 2 Nov. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6224348.. Treatment gives you the chance to process the emotions and memories of past traumatic experiences.

The popularity of trauma therapy is growing. People that undergo trauma therapy can see a decrease in the symptoms that caused them anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

The rise of online trauma therapy has led to a large swathe of society to get help they otherwise wouldn’t. The ability to undergo treatment from home over the Internet for a fraction of the cost of in-person therapy is just one of the reasons for the growth of trauma therapy.

What are the Benefits Online Trauma Therapy?

There are a number of reasons you may choose online trauma therapy over traditional in-person sessions. Here are some of the most important reasons people benefit from online therapy:

Possibly more effective

Although research is still being conducted, studies have found that online trauma therapy may be more effective than traditional in-person sessions. Issues such as social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety, and panic disorders can be treated just as successfully by online treatment as in-person therapy. More individuals may consider therapy online rather than having to meet with someone face-to-face. Being in-person can turn people off of speaking.

Positive option for rural residents

Trauma therapy isn’t always accessible for individuals due to where they live. Online therapy can be accessed no matter where a person lives as long as they have an Internet connection. Driving to sessions and having to fit treatment into a busy schedule can put people off of signing up for help or attending appointments.

Accessible for housebound individuals

Not everyone needing trauma therapy can attend sessions in-person. Mobility issues can keep a person from leaving their home. Online trauma therapy enables a person to get the help needed despite remaining at home.

Additionally, some people are taken out of their comfort zone by attending an office. Attending an online treatment program from home may enable a person to be more open and willing to speak.

Affordable

In-person therapy is expensive. The price of attending a practice doesn’t just include the time and treatment as therapists have to pay their overhead. Online trauma therapy reduces the overhead a therapist experiences.

In fact, many online trauma therapists work from an office at home. The price of working with an online trauma therapist can reduce the amount you pay for therapy significantly. Some insurance companies in the United States now cover online therapy preventing some people from paying out of pocket.

What are the Cons of Online Trauma Therapy?

While online trauma therapy has plenty of pros, there are some cons associated with it. Here are some of the disadvantages of using online trauma therapy:

Price and Insurance

While the cost of online trauma therapy is less than in-person treatment, it can still prevent some people from getting the help needed. The cost of online therapy isn’t cheap and some people are still priced out. In addition, not all insurance companies cover online therapy. Paying out of your own pocket can see your bills increase quickly.

Out-of-State Providers May Not be Provided

In the United States, not all out-of-state therapists are allowed to provide treatment. In many cases, your treatment must be provided by a therapist who resides in the same state. This limits the number of online therapists you have to work with.

Technology Can be Unreliable

The increase in technology over the last 20 years has allowed online trauma therapy to be provided more readily. However, technology can still be unreliable and therapy platforms may not be able to cope on occasions. In addition, your Internet connection may have issues, preventing you from attending a session. There is also a chance for private information to be leaked by data breaches.

Slow Response in Crisis Situations

An online therapist may not be able to react quickly when a client is in a crisis situation. An individual may have a breakdown, experience thoughts of self-harm, or experience something else that sends them spiraling out of control.

Getting access to your therapist can be difficult. However, it can also be difficult to get access in a crisis moment with an in-person therapist.

Not Right for Serious Mental Health Issues

Online trauma therapy is ideal for people with an anxiety, depression, or panic disorders. However, it is not appropriate for people with serious mental health issues.

Online trauma therapists cannot prescribe medication and people with serious issues may need it to overcome their problems. In-person treatment is sometimes needed to intervene and help an individual properly.

Our Summary…

Therapists can work with clients from all over the globe. Different countries have different requirements for therapist qualifications. It is important to identify and understand the qualifications of your therapist from the start.

Once again, this is something that can occur when attending an in-person session. Regardless of whether online or in-person, it is important to know about your therapy provider and their qualifications.

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