It goes by many names. Officially, in Arizona, it is psychotherapy under the umbrella of 'telemedicine'. This is a service that an agency where I previously worked really took full advantage of (in a good way). Through my own online private practice, I get to incorporate this unique way of providing psychotherapy every day. It is amazing to have clients all over the state versus being limited to those located nearby the office. This platform obviously allows me to reach a much broader range of clients who invite me into their worlds through a doorway that, had telemedicine never come to be, I would have no way of walking through.
So how did this telemedicine thing happen? Starting with the previous two posts, and for the remainder of this week, I will be covering a series titled,The Top 4 Reasons Online Therapy is Needed. This post covers reason number three. If interested, check out the past two posts on this topic as follows: Reason Number 1; Reason Number 2.
Reason Number 3: Busy Schedules
From what I can tell, we in the United States work harder, longer, and with less breaks than many other industrialized nations. This also leads to exhaustion, fatigue, depression, and anxiety as our struggle to take care of ourselves often falls by the wayside in our struggle to get ahead financially and provide for our families. I've fallen into this same trap a lot throughout my life. It is actually a big reason why I went into private practice. I could make more without working overtime, take better care of myself, and have far more energy to devote to the clients I serve. It's was a win-win that too many of us don't have an option for. Ultimately, it took me 13 years - between work and college - before I was able to start Doane Counseling Services. But, in the United States, our crazy schedules have a lot to do with why online therapy has become such a viable option for so many people. Parents I work with can now schedule with me after work, or even on their way to pick up their kids after work (although gets noisy and chaotic...and is not something I recommend since a client of mine tried it last week).
One Final Reason
Join me tomorrow for the final post of this series tomorrow. We will be talking about how comfort level is a major contributor to this trend.
