Is Telehealth Therapy Effective?
As stay at home orders in Washington continue, with people seeking to minimize the amount of time they are away from home and interacting with members outside of their household, the demand for telehealth therapy has rapidly increased. Many therapists in the area have moved to telehealth appointments for the safety of both themselves and their clients. It’s a shift that can change the dynamics of therapy, especially if you began working with your therapist in person and then moved to a telehealth set-up.
Telehealth therapy and in person therapy each have different advantages, disadvantages, and challenges. Although telehealth platforms do an excellent job providing good video and audio, there is still no substitute for the experience of sharing a room with someone. The nuances and subtleties of each person’s body language are much harder to read over a screen and can make it feel more difficult to connect. In navigating this change, many people have wondered if doing therapy via telehealth is as effective as in person.
It is likely that the number of studies looking at the effectiveness of telehealth therapy will dramatically increase in response to the record numbers of people now doing therapy this way. But already, studies conducted prior to this broad shift indicate that the use of telehealth platforms is indeed an effective way to do therapy. A study published in 2013 looked at all studies between 2003 and 2013 that had examined the effectiveness of telehealth therapy. It found that telehealth therapy was just as effective as in person therapy for the assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders, and that the outcomes of telehealth therapy were comparable to those from in person therapy. Many of those studies were looking only at sessions done over the phone, and still found that the therapy was effective. As technology has advanced, the effectiveness of telehealth therapy has increased.
Other studies have looked at the effectiveness of telehealth therapy in addressing specific issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, and stress management. Those studies have found that telehealth therapy was comparable to in person therapy for all of the issues studied, with comparable effectiveness. So overall, the data suggests that doing therapy via a telehealth platform is not any less effective than in-person for a range of concerns commonly addressed in therapy.
That being said, there are distinct challenges to doing telehealth therapy. The myriad of body language cues that are easily observed in person are much harder to see over a screen, sometimes resulting in a more difficult time connecting with and understanding one another. Technology issues such as a poor wifi connection or dead battery can disrupt a session, making it hard to stay present and focused. Finding a private space to talk with your therapist without interruption can be difficult, especially if you live in a home with other people (as they are likely also operating under the stay at home orders). And not all concerns are appropriate to address over telehealth- certain circumstances and mental health conditions need to be addressed in person.
The challenges presented by the move to telehealth platforms are not insignificant, but the benefits to being able to do therapy through them significantly outweigh those challenges. One of the main benefits to more therapists shifting to telehealth is that far more people are able to continue doing therapy or access therapy for the first time. Telehealth increases the pool of providers you can choose from, as you can see any therapist who is licensed in your state. For those who live in rural areas or areas with very few therapists, telehealth allows you to connect with a therapist without necessitating a lengthy drive or time commitment beyond the appointment itself. For people who are particularly busy, cutting out the time it takes to drive to and from an appointment can make a big difference even if your therapist is in your area.
Many therapists (and clients) have a preference for in person therapy. And while telehealth therapy is no substitute for the experience of being in the same room with someone, it offers the benefits of continuing or starting therapy while also staying home and healthy. The challenges and discomforts that might come up for you when doing telehealth therapy are real and should be addressed. It is worth the effort, as the current data shows that although it’s an adjustment and can be difficult, it ultimately will not decrease the effectiveness of the work you and your therapist are doing together. Stay at home orders don’t need to delay or impede your journey towards healing- until it’s safe to be in the same room again, telehealth therapy provides a safe and convenient way to access the care you need.
If you would like to read more about the effectiveness of telehealth therapy, click the links below. The last two links require a login to access the full article, but the abstracts are available for free.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662387/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jclp.22030
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005789411000141
