The Internet has become one of the fastest growing mediums of communication in the last 30 years. Increased migration, the need to connect with relatives and friends in different geographical latitudes, speaking in the mother tongue are some of the factors that forced this development.
Over time, more and more people sit down in front of a screen to carry out their daily professional, hobby or even cultural activities. In seconds we can transport ourselves to the office, to a match of our favorite team or to the cinema. But the new normal, as it has become fashionable to call it, cannot replace human contact.
On the other hand, in the last year, when the whole world is struggling with the health situation surrounding COVID-19, the online space has become what has allowed us to shorten the distance. The isolation and restrictions that we need to observe have placed all of humanity in a new and unfamiliar environment, and this has increased our anxiety, our fears, our stress. The need for psychological work has also increased in order to reduce the above factors and stabilize our daily existence in the new environment.
The story of online therapy did not start with the pandemic. As early as 1966, Josef Weizenbaum created a program called ELIZA, which aims, through text entered by the participant, to respond as a therapist to the questions asked (Weizenbaum, 1966). In tracking the effectiveness of this platform, it is clear that the participants are involved and active in the therapeutic work and it has a positive effect.
Similar results were obtained by other platforms, and in 1990 is reaching a peak, the main reason for this being the increased use and development of the Internet, as well as its accessibility for everyday activities by everyone. This is where the increased adaptation of various psychotherapeutic methods to online work begins. Each paradigm has its own characteristics, but this does not stop those working in the field from adapting their practice for remote work, even on the contrary. This process also requires tracking the effect and quality of online therapy, whether it can meet the expectations of both clients and therapists. Research in the field confirms that the outcome is positive and allows such work to support the process, even in the long term (Ersahin&Haley, 2017; Hanley et al., 2019).
The past 2020, a year of restrictive measures and distance, forced us all to look for a way out and adapt to the changes. Different work strategies are being developed, with which the process of psychological counseling and psychotherapy, at the moment, does not encounter difficulties in achieving clients' goals and satisfying the need for psychological support (Hanley et al., 2019; Hanley&Wyatt, 2020).
The ways for remote psychotherapeutic and psychological work are:
- By e-mail - two-way and anonymous
- Over the phone – can happen short-term, again allows for anonymity
- Through internet platforms – Skype, Viber, Zoom, TalkSpace, etc.
- Through various platforms created specifically for some paradigms (ProReal, Teen Counseling, etc.)
In the case of remote work through online platforms, some specific agreements are also necessary to support the therapeutic process:
- During the consultation/therapy session itself, the client needs to secure a quiet place to work, in which he feels comfortable, without worrying about the intrusion of persons external to the process;
- During the consultation/therapy session itself, the client needs to secure a quiet place to work, in which he feels comfortable, without worrying about the intrusion of persons external to the process;
The participants in the process are preferred, to have cameras on, as visual contact allows monitoring of non-verbal communication and promotes trust;
- In group work, one of the main rules is listening, active listening, concentration on the process. All these requirements create a better quality and efficient work process. There may be other specific rules determined by the specialist.
Online therapy has become a lifeline for those in need of support, allowing us to continue to grow, seek help for our children, share and discover our abilities and qualities using specialist help.
However, work in the Internet space is not intended to replace real human contact between client and therapist, but to support situations in which such contact is difficult or impossible. Few therapists will share that they prefer online work, but in many situations it is certainly more appropriate than not taking a step in the direction of improving mental health.
If you feel that you need psychological counseling or psychotherapy, you can take advantage of the services of psychotherapists who work online, without placing before you the limitation of location or language in which to communicate. If needed, seek help anywhere.