I get this question at least a dozen times every week: which is better?
Offline Therapy or Online Therapy.
From our experience, we often tell people people to compare the two among these 3 factors:
- Convenience
- Cost
- Effectiveness
Convenience
In terms of how convenient it is to take the actual session, online therapy is a LOT more convenient. I've taken both kinds of therapy and the sheer task of reaching a therapist's office is insane. A lot of our clients have shared visiting NIMHANS for a therapy session in Bangalore and they'd see a friend or relative. Which gets super awkward for a lot of them.
Staying at home, in your own space is often much more convenient.
Cost
You'll usually see the fee for an online session and offline session as the same. But just in case, online therapy is almost always more affordable because the therapist doesn't have to rent a space, maintain a place, and stuff
If they don't have their own space, they either have to rent out a space for therapy for 300-500 an hour or a few hospitals give them a space for 20-30% of the session cost.
Online therapy - is a lot better here.
Effectiveness
A lot of therapy is about being in a safe enough environment that your brain is willing to open up. Think of it this way, see how a lot of people get defensive when accused of something, or say "I just don't have the mental space to deal with this right now" which is perfectly fine.
But to get to the core thoughts, one needs to feel completely safe to be able to deal with their thoughts head-on, and hence offline therapy can be a lot more effective at this.
I'd say if you're dealing with disorders or extreme mental health issues, especially when you find it hard to find a safe, private space in your home - choose an offline therapist.
But if you have a room to yourself, no distractions, and feel safe sharing things with a therapist there, then great.
If you think online therapy is a good fit for you, then YourEmotionalWellBeing.org is the best place for anyone to start their mental wellness and Therapy journey. Online therapy platforms can be expensive, inaccessible, and slow while not helping you in deciding which therapist is the best fit for you. At YourEmotionalWellBeing.org, your first session is free and you can choose not to continue if you don't think the therapist is a right fit. This is probably the best counseling solution to start your therapy journey with a professional psychologist.
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