Online therapy doesn't always work, according to expert

Some sessions with therapists can now be hosted online and in person, but professionals say this isn't always as good as it sounds.

Hybrid working can be useful in some fields. Photo by Surface on Unsplash

During Covid, in April 2020, over 45% of the UK worked from home, according to Census data.

Judy Claughton, a Communications professional who has used hybrid working for almost fourteen years, believes, "It made a lot of different things possible."

"I was working with the UK Council for Psychotherapy and the Association of Child Therapists... but they were still operating in a space where hybrid working was 'unproven'," Judy said.

"There was some debate therapeutically as to whether or not [online] worked, and there are some situations - as it has been shown with the mental health explosion - where remote working isn't right."

Mental health charity, Mind published a report, stating "around a third of adults and young people said their mental health has got much worse since March 2020", which may have prompted the increase in offering online therapy appointments.

Virtual therapy, or 'telehealth' appointments, boomed during Covid, going from being offered by "21% of therapists in 2019 to 96% in 2021".

Online therapy is offered by nearly all therapists as of 2023 Nik Shuliahin 💛💙 on Unsplash

Online therapy does have its successes; a study in the World Journal of Psychiatry found that some "online therapy had the same benefits as face-to-face therapy."

The benefits of online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are that it is "more cost-effective" than in-person sessions on the NHS, relating to how fast patients can access this care.

However, some think that this isn't always the answer for all types of mental health support.

"[Appointments], particularly with people with extreme distress and crisis situations, we're talking A&E and suicide prevention, you can't do it over Zoom," Judy said.

Further criticisms of this practice came from therapists being unable to respond to this type of situation rapidly, virtual sessions not being suitable for more complex diagnoses, and not being face-to-face may remove reliance on non-verbal communication, including body language.

"I was involved in the debate of what's ethical. What's correct? What's therapeutic?" Judy said.

"We're recognizing the adaptability of different things; there are certain situations where hybrid can help, and there are certain situations where it can't."

"I was seeing those different worlds try to align, but also recognizing there were things we can't do; you can't be a doctor remotely."

"You can't be a doctor remotely." Photo by Joyful on Unsplash

Despite concerns from some professionals about the authenticity of telehealth appointments, and the relaxation of Coronavirus protocols meaning more people can return to in-person contacts, many therapists are certain that "online therapy is here to stay".