Online Counseling - a Timely Happenstance
ByDavid Snape
Online counseling may be the latest and greatest
improvement in therapy. It seems to be perfect
for this fast-paced world with many workers
who sit by their computer screens all day
long. Yet, it is not limited to today's information
technology workers or those whose work requires
being online frequently.
Imagine how convenient it will be
to read a quick email from your therapist
that can give you just the insight you
were looking for to move beyond your failed
relationship or that obsession with chocolate
that was left in the wake of a bad break-up.
This could be the very addiction that
is causing you to buy larger sized clothes
all of the sudden.
Think about the worried mother who doesn't
quite know what to do about her child's
out-of-character or unusual behavior.
Or even worse, the distraught parent trying
to cope with his teenager's drug or alcohol
addiction. And of course there are other
intense problems, such as teen pregnancy,
death of a loved one or terminal illness
in the family.
These can be tough problems to tackle
in an already stressed environment that
is the world we live in. But when do you
find the time to go to your therapy session?
This is especially the case when your
therapist is not available during the
day, over weekends or at some other time
when it is convenient to you?
Think about the time it takes to travel
back and forth for a therapy session even
when you do manage to schedule one. There
is the ever increasing cost of gasoline
to contend with too, adding to the stress
that might lead you to seek counseling
in the first place!
Then there are some problems that you
might not want to talk to someone face-to-face
with, especially someone who lives in
your home town. Wouldn't it be much easier
to sign up for email counselling sessions
with someone in a far away city? You could
even open an anonymous email account with
yahoo or some other email provider that
doesn't necessarily need your real name,
and use that to offer near total anonymity.
This seems like a good idea, it can provide
you the kind of nurturing environment
needed to really pour your heart out to
the therapist and get a professional response
via email. The therapist doesn't have
to know anything about your identity and
can still treat you professionally. And
this could mean no embarrassing record
that could be subpoenaed in a court of
law.
A good online counseling plan might include
unlimited emails for a certain amount
of time. Giving you the kind of access
to a therapist that you might not get
in a once-a-week appointment. Not without
paying extra, that is.
Yes, there are a number of benefits to
seeking online therapy. Anonymity, access,
time and money savings. No one needs to
know you are in therapy and they won't
ever see you "go" to an appointment.
Yet, while you are sitting at your computer,
an email may pop up with just the timely
advice or encouragement you were looking
for, the kind of support that can be hard
to come by in today's crazy, mixed up
world.
Dave Snape is a health, fitness and wellness
enthusiast. His website is http://tobeinformed.com
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