The Advantages of Virtual Therapy

Virtual therapy has completely changed my life and business for the better. If there was any benefit to be gained from the pandemic, I believe it was the expansion of telehealth services in healthcare. When barriers to care are removed, more people are able to access that care.

I began my career traditionally, working in clinics until March 2020 when quarantine began. Insurance companies were solving the problem of developing virtual care in real time, creating new billing codes for telehealth as March and April came along. Virtual platforms were also being created in real time to meet the needs of the industry. By 2021, it became clear that telehealth was here to stay because of its immense benefits. In 2023, it’s still here.

I transitioned to virtual therapy in March 2020 by force, but I have never gone back to an office by choice. During my first semester of graduate school, a professor asked us to imagine our ideal future career. My answer was this: running a quiet private practice out of my house. With virtual therapy, I am essentially doing just that. I love working from home for the same reasons we all do: not commuting, waking up later, wearing sweats, cooking warm food for lunch, and hanging out with my cats all day.

Virtual therapy is as effective as in-person therapy. It meets the needs of the same populations who benefit from in-person outpatient care. It is not appropriate for populations who require higher levels of care, such as partial hospitalization or inpatient treatment. The virtual vs. in-person debate is about your personal preference. Neither virtual nor in-person is better or worse, they are as effective as one another for the appropriate client.

What are the major advantages of doing therapy online?

Transportation

When a patient cannot physically access a space due to lack of transportation, they are unfairly denied that care. Before the pandemic when I worked in clinics, I cannot tell you how many patients had to cancel their appointments because their ride didn’t show up or the bus was running late. With telehealth, this problem is completely eliminated, as well as the problem of having gas or ride fare.

Unique Accessibility

Therapy is famously underutilized in rural areas due to access. This means not enough therapists work in a geographical area to meet the needs of the population. Virtual therapy opens the doors for a therapist to treat anyone within the state they are licensed in. For example, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a more sparsely populated area with less healthcare providers, and is not known to be an especially LGBTQ+ friendly area. A queer client from this geographical area is now able to work with a therapist like me (though I am physically 8+ hours away) via telehealth and get their clinical needs met without traveling. Therapists are also able to be licensed in multiple states, like myself, and see those clients virtually to further increase accessibility. If we were stuck with in-person only, I could never work with my wonderful clients in Illinois!

Convenience

Imagine not having to spend the time commuting to and from another healthcare appointment? It opens up so much more opportunity for you to prioritize yourself when driving both ways is not involved. Doing therapy from your house, in your jammies, with comfort items around you, sounds way better to me than sitting in an office. Clients have met me for virtual sessions in their beds, in their cars, outside in parks, or whatever private place they feel comfortable. How great is that? Just the same, I am also meeting you from my home, where I’m a more effective clinician because I am also more comfortable.

Are there disadvantages to virtual therapy? Sure.

Connectivity issues interrupt sessions here and there, though virtual platforms are better equipped to handle the needs of the industry than they were in 2020. Also, in a worst case scenario, we can switch from a video call to an audio-only telephone call.

Some clients feel they may not be able to connect with their therapist as well through a screen. To this I say, that is your preference and you are allowed to have it, but I encourage you to give it a try. I find I am more myself in virtual sessions because I am able to be in my own home, where I am the most comfortable being me!

What questions do you have about virtual therapy?