Except for those with very serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and clinical depression, the study found that therapy administered by telephone was as effective for people with relatively mild depression and anxiety as the in-person variety. In addition, telephone therapy was more than 35% cheaper. While many psychologists and patients have adopted videoconferencing for psychological treatment, that option is not viable for everyone due to technological and access limitations or preference issues. Phone-only or audio-only therapy has strong evidence to support its effectiveness and should be considered a viable care option.
However, audio-only therapy has some unique aspects that psychologists and patients should consider. A new study reveals that cognitive therapy by phone is as effective as meeting face-to-face. The research was published today, September 28, in the journal PLOS ONE. Is telephone therapy effective? Online therapy, also called teletherapy or virtual therapy, provides mental health support from anywhere.
Some forms of online therapy include text messages, emails, phone calls, and video services. While phone therapy isn't for people in emergencies, it can be a great way to get therapy anywhere you are. While face-to-face therapy may seem like the most reliable way to receive psychotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy, phone therapy is becoming increasingly popular. These therapists are licensed to provide general therapy and often receive additional and ongoing training to offer therapy over the phone.
If you are looking for individual counseling, couples therapy, psychotherapy, or another form of therapy, you can choose to meet with your Thriveworks counselor by phone rather than through traditional therapy, which is often referred to as in-person therapy. We are professionals to learn how to get started with affordable telephone counseling services or online therapy options. In between phone sessions, you have unlimited messaging with your online therapist and the therapist must keep your information completely private due to the privacy policy of the therapy website you work with. Remote therapy sessions are very flexible, with certified therapists available online and by phone 24 hours a day.
Telephone counseling is a form of virtual contact therapy for mental health clients and licensed therapy providers to participate in virtual counseling sessions. Other forms of distance therapy include audio sessions via the therapy platform or telephone, SMS messaging and video chat. For the study, data from 39,000 patients from seven established Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services (an initiative that aims to expand the availability of psychological therapies) in the east of England were used to compare cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) administered face-to-face with phone. The Thriveworks team has been providing online counseling therapy services, including telephone counseling, for many years.
Like “normal” therapy, telephone therapy is primarily based on talking to licensed therapists about your problems. Whether it's a phone therapy session or a video therapy session, sometimes that can mean getting out of the house, going for a walk, or hanging out on a park bench for a little privacy.
