Phone therapy and now online psychotherapy are touted as being fabulous therapy breakthroughs–especially in the treatment of depression. In Psychology Today, psychotherapist Peter Strong, PhD writes about online psychotherapy and notes that studies have shown when online therapy uses the popular evidence-based method called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy it can be effective. He also points out that distance-therapy, though it can be very helpful, is probably not a substitue for face-to-face therapy, something I have written about in this blog and in Therapy Revolution.
Instant messenging and writing an email, like writing in a journal, can be useful tools in helping some patients feel connected, organize their thoughts, get in touch with their feelings, and so on, all while receiving feedback that might feel too confrontational if in person. However, in order for psychotherapists and counselors to evaluate patients fully and get to know the person behind the diagnosis, seeing visual cues known as “body language”, (facial expressions, gestures,body positions and movements, even choice of clothing), and hearing a patient’s voice are all important to good therapy.
For patients in certain circumstances who would otherwise be unable to access therapy or as a fill-in for face-to-face therapy, online and phone therapies can have great merit. However, the eyes are the windows to the soul and being able to see a patient’s eyes, listen to their voice, see their body language, and so on, are important factors that contribute to how a therapist crafts a session or a course of therapy.
We all have the experience of hitting send on an email, and regretting it. The written word is as “loaded” with cues as the spoken word, perhaps even more since it can be read over and over again while the spoken word is generally heard once, and accessed only by memory. This colors our emotional and intellectual responses/understanding of the message. Perhaps a new way to describe what happens when we communicate by email or instant messaging is needed, a different kind of communication is happening, and this, in turn, is having an impact on our relationships.
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