Is Telehealth as Effective As In-Person Therapy?

I've had clients and other therapists ask me about the effectiveness of telehealth therapy. I've been a therapist for over 22 years, the first 15+ years I was providing services in person, and since 2019, I've been exclusively a telehealth provider. The short answer is yes, therapy via telehealth, also known as video chat, can be just as effective as in person. Since the start of the COVID pandemic, more people have accessed therapy this way and research has been done supporting this; see articles here and here, You could search for more articles as well, if you like, they're out there on the interwebs!

So which will work better for you, therapy over video chat or in person? Here are some factors: 1) What's your preference? The preference of the person(s) receiving the services will always take precedence in making this decision. Those preferences, along with needs, are determining factors of success of any therapy.

2) What access do you have? For some, especially in rural communities, there may not be options of therapists being close enough. Some people have disabilities, time constraints, agoraphobia, and/or other factors that mean they wouldn't get the treatment they need without telehealth as an option. Some clients may need therapists with specialized training or experience with a specific population.

3) The therapist's skills, interests, attention span, and abilities matter! Not all therapists are skilled with providing telehealth services. I've known therapists, for example, who don't enjoy it, don't have the practice with how to engage with clients this way, and/or don't have the attentiveness needed, especially to maintain focus with a computer screen. I get it, it can be taxing some days and the balance of staying off screens during personal time becomes more essential. Lastly, I'll add that yes, EMDR therapy is effective over telehealth. There are websites for both the clinician and client to connect to simultaneously, with audio and visual options for the bilateral stimulation. The client can also use tapping. My training in EMDR was 100% over live video, as well as consultations I've received. I'm now certified and all of the EMDR I've provided has been through telehealth sessions. If I didn't think it was effective, I would not have continued to provide it. I've seen it be helpful for clients struggling with past trauma, anxiety, fears, and other areas in which they feel stuck. #Therapy #Telehealth #EMDR #GoWithThat #GoWithHealing