The undeniable advantages of working with an online psychotherapist are convenience and effectiveness.
Starting online talkspace therapy will allow you to work with your therapist in a friendly environment where you can talk openly and work freely on your problems without commuting.
In this article, you will learn about the online psychotherapy service and online psychological therapy: who can use it, what are its advantages and disadvantages.
You will also learn how to effectively look for the right specialist and what to look for before you decide on online talkspace therapy.
Perhaps you are wondering about what criteria to choose the right specialist for you? The following list may be helpful.
Knowledge about what you want to work with a psychologist.
Try to think about what symptoms or problems you are struggling with that made you want to consult a specialist.Psychologists often determine the area of their specialization on the site, so if your symptoms are anxious, for example, you may want a therapist who specializes in treating them.
Length and frequency of sessions
Most therapy sessions last 50 minutes and take place once a week. However, these are not rigid rules - sometimes sessions last shorter or longer, there are also people contacting the psychologist more than once a week, as well as those who consult only once a month.Find out how a specialist works and whether it suits you this way.
The cost of online therapy
It is worth first specifying the budget you can spend on therapy. Thanks to this, you will not waste time browsing services that you will not be able to use. Be particularly attentive if you find a therapist working at rates that deviate significantly from the average.Most online psychologists cost between PLN 100 and PLN 200 for a 50-minute online session
Personal preferences
Sometimes people have personal preferences about who they would like to be a psychologist. It boils down to building trust - for some it is easier, for example, to be open to a person of the same sex or similar age.Others - on the contrary, would prefer a person of the opposite sex and, for example, an older person. If you have these types of preferences - take them into account, it is important that you feel at ease in the virtual meeting.
Forms of communication
Online talkspace therapy can include texting, voice messages, video conferencing, e-mail exchange, and even the use of dedicated applications.Think about what option will be the most convenient and the best for you.
The means of communication are secondary and affect your comfort rather than the effectiveness of therapy.
Just try it
Before officially starting regular talkspace therapy, consider talking to a therapist over the phone or the Internet, or use a single session to simply meet the psychologist.Often, an online psychologist also allows you to benefit from the free "trial" talkspace therapy or consultation.
This is a great opportunity to check whether you like the center or this form of communication with a psychologist.
A psychologist is a man to whom you will confess your fears and thoughts. Sometimes, even if the specialist has the right qualifications, he just doesn't get along well with the client.
If this happens to you and you feel that "something is wrong" - don't worry, just keep looking. The therapeutic relationship is often a matter of interpersonal chemistry, which simply may not work.
What to look for when looking for an online psychologist?
A person seeking psychological help - often in crisis, with a distorted perception of reality - should have clear and easy access to reliable information about the proposed psychological service and about the person who provides these services.Therefore, the first thing you should pay attention to when entering an online psychologist's website is whether it contains all the necessary information.
What information should be available on the psychologist's website?
• therapist's name and surname,
• specific qualifications and authorizations,
• rules for the provision of services,
• payment,
• form of therapy.
It is difficult to imagine the possibility of building a therapeutic relationship based on trust if the psychologist did not even provide his basic data, i.e. his name.
It is also good practice for specialists to place their photos, which additionally supports trust.
You should be able to view the qualifications and qualifications of a specialist - that is, find information about completed studies and training, as well as experience gained.
Ideally, if the psychologist gives specific data, the adequacy of which you can check: for example, the diploma number.
Rules for the provision of services is a broad concept. The most important thing is that at least in a few words on the site it is specified how you can use the services of this psychologist.
Such rules may include, for example:
• how to make an appointment,
• how long is the visit
• what medium you can use for sessions (e.g. via Skype),
• telephone number or email address through which additional information can be obtained.
As you probably expect, the services of an online psychologist are paid. You should have access to the price list and payment methods so that you can immediately determine if the option is in your financial capacity.
It is also important for the psychologist to provide a range of additional and more detailed information.
This information is not always available on the website - sometimes it is sent before undertaking talkspace therapy or the psychologist informs about it at the first online meeting or is included in the privacy policy or regulations.
This information includes:
• specific response time to the first message (if talkspace therapy is to involve the exchange of text messages),
• the requirement to provide patient data and GDPR issues,
• the requirement of the patient's age of majority or written consent of legal guardians,
• information on data encryption,
• providing contact in case of technical failure,
• information on data confidentiality.
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