Online Therapy for Grief After Life Changes
Grief comes with almost any life changes such as divorce, a change of a job, health changes and diagnosis and of course the loss after a death. And sometimes you need someone to talk to, to lend an ear, or to discover how to navigate your way to a new normal. Today we talk about online therapy for grief – and to see how online therapy may help you!
What is Online Therapy
Online therapy is therapy but online that allows people to connect with licensed mental health professionals. It is a convenient way to get help. So instead of making appointments and attending in person appointments people are able to access therapy from the comfort and privacy of their home.
How Do You Communicate with a Therapist Online
Many online therapy sites allow users to speak with a therapist via messaging, video calls, live chats, and phone calls. All of which give the people who use online therapy services the flexibility to choose how they wish to interact with a therapist. It is a great alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy sessions.
Does Online Therapy Really Work?
Thousands of people opt to do online therapy. Beside its convenience studies on the efficacy of online therapy show that the majority of them found that online therapy can be as effective as traditional therapy. For example, people who are struggling with depression, insomnia grief in certain cases and related issues can often find online therapy incredibly helpful.
Is Online Therapy for Everyone
However, this type of care isn’t the best option for everyone. It’s not a good solution for people who are struggling with severe mental health issues and psychosis. Additionally, many online therapy platforms don’t accept insurance. This can make them tough to pay for.
It’s also worth mentioning that your experience with online therapy can vary tremendously depending on the counselor that you get matched with. There are plenty of negative reviews about online therapists who aren’t responsive and who offer cookie-cutter advice that doesn’t adequately address the unique needs of the patient they’re seeing.
That being said, most online therapy platforms will let you change to a new therapist if you’re not happy with your existing one. So it is possible to address some of these concerns while still getting to enjoy the convenience of connecting with a therapist online.
Is Online Therapy Like Traditional Therapy?
Online therapy can be just as effective as traditional therapy. Depending on your needs and with the right therapist match it is more than possible to benefit with online therapy.
With that said online therapy may not be best suited for those with serious mental health issues.
What Can Online Therapy Therapy Help With
There are many therapists on the platform with training in various types of therapy. The company reports that there are therapists trained specifically in online cognitive behavioral therapy. This can help with a variety of issues, and many that in relation to grief and loss.
When signing up for Online-Therapy.com, you can choose from the extensive list of issues and conditions you’d like to address, including:
- Anxiety
- Sleep/insomnia
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Autism
- Eating & food disorders
- Domestic violence
- Weight loss
- Self-esteem
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Stress, anxiety
- Chronic pain
- Borderline personality
- Career issues
- Speech anxiety
- Parenting
- Grief and Loss
*** Currently, only individual therapy is available on this platform, but the website states that group therapy is coming soon.
Get started with Online-Therapy.com >>
Online therapy is much more convenient than traditional therapy. It gives you the freedom to connect with licensed, highly qualified professional therapists from anywhere in the world as long as you have a decent internet connection. The professional counselors that you can connect with through online therapy platforms have the same qualifications that in-person therapists have.
Your privacy will also be about the same whether you choose traditional or online therapy. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) extends to online counseling. So you don’t have to worry about your confidential information being shared with any third parties. In terms of cost, online therapy is often significantly cheaper than traditional therapy on an hourly basis.
But many of the best online therapy platforms don’t accept insurance. So your out-of-pocket costs may actually be higher if you choose to use one of these services.
Are Online Therapist Licensed?
All of the top platforms use practitioners who are licensed. They have the same qualifications that you would expect to find if visiting a therapist in person. There are even some sites that will provide users with a prescription for psychiatric medication online.
How Much Does Online Therapy Cost?
Most online therapy platforms charge between $60 and $90 per week and bill users monthly. So you should expect to pay between $240 and $360 per month for your online therapy plan. Generally, this includes one 30-minute live session per week and unlimited messaging with your counselor. However, counselors vary greatly in how often they respond to messages. Some will only do so once per day, or even just once every few days.
Some therapy platforms accept insurance and that can reduce your costs greatly. Depending on the platform you choose, you’ll likely also have some control over what your therapy plan includes. You may be able to customize the care that you receive to keep it in line with your budget.
Important Features of Online Therapy
Many online therapy platforms have mobile apps. These give you the freedom to connect with your counselor when you don’t have a computer on hand.
They also sometimes feature helpful care management features, such as progress tracking. Mobile apps can be important if that’s where you expect to interact with your therapist the most. But they may not matter to you at all if you’re planning on using your computer to talk with your counselor instead.
Types of Online Therapy Sessions Available
Most online therapy companies provide users with the same methods of communication. Live video calls are a key feature of every provider. Most of them also offer the opportunity to connect with a therapist via phone calls, live chats, and messages.
You’ll want to make sure that your plan includes live video calls so that you get to enjoy the full benefits of talk therapy. Messages and live chats are good ways to get answers to specific mental health questions as they arise.
How Often Should You Communicate With an Online Therapist
Online therapy for grief and loss as well as related issues will best benefit with regular communication with an online therapist. Some online therapy platforms may have a limit, but they should offer support so you can communicate with your therapist my email, or text if you need some quick guidance.
Talk to your online therapist to set up a plan that works best for your needs.
Talk to a Licensed Therapist Online
There are lots of different licenses that therapists can have. These indicate the specific type of mental health counseling that the provider excels at. For example, if you wanted to receive couples counseling, it would be a good idea to seek out a licensed marriage and family counselor (LMFT).
Online therapy programs vary in the types of licensed therapists that they partner with. It can be a good idea to investigate which types of therapists each platform that you’re considering will connect you with. Doing so will clue you into whether that platform is the right place to get the type of specialized care that you want.
Patient Anonymity
When you go to see a therapist, you discuss some of your most intimate thoughts and feelings. That’s why privacy and anonymity are potentially important factors to consider when choosing your online therapy platform.
You want to make sure that your data and what you’re discussing aren’t being shared with any third parties. Patient anonymity offers you a tremendous amount of privacy. It protects your identity from even your therapist. If that’s something that you would value, then make sure to focus your online therapy search on companies that offer patient anonymity.
Therapist Response Times
Response time refers to the amount of time that it takes for an online therapist to get back to you after you’ve messaged them. This can vary greatly from platform to platform and even provider to provider. Most online therapy services advertise unlimited messaging, but that won’t mean much if your counselor doesn’t get back to you within a reasonable time frame. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend some time researching the response rates of various platforms. Try to find one with a guaranteed response window or a timeframe you’re comfortable with.
Therapy Specializations
You may receive better care if you work with a therapist who specializes in the type of mental health concern that you want to address. For example, if you’re struggling with anxiety or depression then you’ll want to work with a counselor who specializes in treating those problems.
Concluding Online Therapy for Grief and Loss
Online therapy for grief, loss and related issues such as insomnia, depression, anxiety… is an excellent option for anyone who wants help to move through their issues to find their new normal with and aim to get back on track.
However if you are struggling it is important to seek the assistance of a professional. And to do whatever it takes to care for yourself.
Get started with Online-Therapy.com >>
