What Online Therapy Can Help With

Research has shown that online therapy can help with numerous different mental health disorders. While more serious conditions should be treated with in-person therapy with the help of a psychiatrist a medical doctor, many of the common mental health disorders can be treated with online therapy services.

Many online counselors will use the same types of therapies that in-person counselors will use. Additionally, online counselors and therapists are licensed mental health professionals who have been trained to help you learn ways to cope with your mental disorder. While most mental health disorders can be targeted with online therapy, the more severe types of mental disorders may also need to be treated with in-person care or to be discussed with your medical doctor.

Below are the several different areas that are often targeted along with my therapy.

Addiction

For those who are struggling with addiction, online therapy can be a viable option to help you learn to cope with the physical, emotional, social, and financial impact that the addiction has on your life. While many treatment options may start in a rehabilitation center, online therapy can help those who are recovering from addiction or who are first seeking services.

Some of the top online therapy options for addiction include cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Both of these therapeutic approaches are evidence-based and can help those struggling with addiction reduce their cravings and learn to recognize how their addiction impacts their own life as well as those around them.

There are numerous benefits are attending online therapy if you are struggling with addiction. For example, some research suggests that online addiction treatments may help people stick with their treatment plans. Because it is easy to succumb to a craving or have a relapse, online therapy services may help the individual stay accountable for their actions and continue with their path of treatment.

Additionally, the use of online therapy services may help the individual reduce their substance use. While the most effective services are generally cognitive behavioral therapy, the use of an online service can help keep the individual accountable and again, stay on that treatment plan. Further, online therapy is more accessible fan traditional therapy. This is because many people who experience mental health problems never seek service in the first place. However, online therapy makes it incredibly easy to find a therapist to talk to on a regular basis.

Anger Management

If you are experiencing trouble with the anger management, talking with a therapist can help manage symptoms. While this may be a better option for an individual who is already taking an anger management class or for someone who was simply trying to work on their anger management in coping skills, it is still a great option to use for online therapy.

Anger management can get in the way of interpersonal relationships, work success, and more. That said, talking with an online therapist about anger management and working with them to find ways to improve anger management skills may be beneficial.

When you talk to an online therapist, you will be able to discuss progress, come up with treatment plans, reflect on how anger management and troubles managing anger has impacted your life, and work on ways to improve yourself for the future.

Anxiety

Online therapy is a great option for anyone looking for accessible therapy services. Because online therapy can be accessed from anywhere, can be a great option for individuals looking to find ways to cope with their anxiety.

Stress is a normal part of any person’s life. However, too much stress can be incredibly difficult to manage and can severely impact your quality of life, your relationships, and your success in the workplace. That being said, it’s important to talk with a therapist about your anxiety so that you can develop better ways to cope with this excess stress.

Additionally, there are many different types of anxiety disorders ranging from general anxiety to specific phobias, such as social phobia and fears of leaving the home. When you work with a therapist, you will likely first identify which type of anxiety you are dealing with and then find the right course of therapy that works for you.

Some of the more common forms of therapy that target anxiety include cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. While each of these types of therapy takes a slightly different approach, they all work to help you manage your anxiety and face the situations and fears that you may have gradually. By doing so slowly, you will eventually experience less anxiety and will learn how to manage your levels of distress.

When working with your online therapist, you may learn to cope with your anxiety, learn how to set and achieve your goals, discuss how to overcome stressful events and obstacles and work on building your confidence in the areas that you choose.

Because stress management is so important to managing anxiety, you will likely work with your therapist to figure out the best ways that you can use to cope.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a medical condition that this typically characterized by extreme mood swings where you will sometimes feel what is called manic or experience emotional highs, and other times you will feel incredibly low and depressed. Because this disorder experiences such extreme swings and moods, talking to a therapist can be a great way to help manage these symptoms.

During the depressed episodes that those with bipolar disorder experience, they may feel sad or hopeless and you may even lose interest in the activities that you once enjoyed. If you see an online therapist during these times, you can work to manage your depression. Alternatively, you may also want to talk to your therapist when you are experiencing a high because these can also be very confusing emotions that you are experiencing.

While more severe forms of bipolar disorder should be treated in person and with the help of licensed psychologists and psychiatrists, you may choose to transition to online therapy options. It may also be particularly helpful if you have already been seeing professionals about your bipolar disorder and are looking for a more convenient way to manage your mental health challenges.

In addition to seeing a therapist one on one, there are also many different types of online support groups that you can work with to help manage her bipolar disorder. If you work with an online counselor, they may have some connections to these online support groups and can possibly even arrange for you to attend them.

Depression

Depression is characterized by times of feeling low, sad, lethargic, or even have difficulty getting out of bed. Many individuals will struggle with depression throughout their lifetime, and it can be a debilitating disorder if you do not get the help that you need. Similar to bipolar disorder, it’s important to get professional help from psychologists and psychiatrists if you are feeling extremely depressed or have thoughts of suicide.

However, seeing an online therapist is a great step in helping to manage your depression. Because not everyone is comfortable seeing a therapist in person, talking to an online therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy or someone who specializes in working with those who suffer from depression can be a great way to start to manage your depression.

When talking to your online therapist, you will likely set goals and work to manage symptoms. Sometimes, your goals are as simple as getting up and taking a shower. However, you will work with her therapist to continue to manage your depression. In some cases, you may be referred to a psychiatrist to potentially start taking medication or antidepressants.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are debilitating disorders wherein the individual well either avoids eating food as a way to maintain control or potentially binge eats as a way to self-comfort or as a weight-loss method. However, eating disorders are developed for numerous different reasons and may serve a different purpose altogether.

Luckily, Telehealth and online therapy can be a great way to help manage eating disorder symptoms. Typically, an online therapist will use cognitive behavioral therapy or family-based treatment when working with individuals who are struggling with eating disorders. With these two types of treatment, the individual will learn to identify negative thoughts or even work with the patient’s entire family to help change behaviors.

In addition to online therapy services, the individual struggling with an eating disorder may also receive nutritional counseling where they work with a professional who specializes in nutrition. These sessions can also be online and can either be with a therapist or done with just a nutritionist and client.

Regardless of therapy forms, individuals with feeding disorders can benefit from online therapy because they can begin to cope with their eating disorder symptoms and can learn healthier outlets for managing anxiety over food and body image.

Relationship Troubles

An online therapist can absolutely help with relationship troubles and interpersonal problems. You can either choose to talk to just a therapist about your relationship problems, or you can even participate in group counseling sessions online.

When working with an online therapist to help improve relationships, the licensed therapist can help facilitate conversations between partners so that they can not only resolve conflicts, but also identify any dysfunctional dynamics and improve a couple’s level of trust, intimacy, empathy, and more.

If you run into the problem of trying to motivate your partner to attend therapy, your online therapist can even help give you tactics that can potentially convince your partner to attend therapy with you. Or, you can talk to your therapist alone about the frustrations you experience in a relationship and the two of you can come up with potential solutions to any problems you experience. However, sometimes these things take time, and relationship problems may not be resolved instantly. Yet, if a couple is committed to online therapy and the programs, they may be able to learn more about each other and improve their relationships.

That said, online therapy can be a great choice for couples who are looking to improve their relationships or solve potential relationship problems. By talking to a counselor, you and your partner have an unbiased listener in the room who can help you reflect and identify themes and problems that you may not have acknowledged before. Listen itself can be incredibly useful to improving your relationship.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know everything that can be treated with online therapy, it’s time to find the right online therapy service for you. While you could spend hours online researching online third platforms or trying to find the right therapist that specializes in your area of need, you should instead check out our editor’s reviews. Our professionals have reviewed the best online therapy platforms so that you don’t have to.

All information in this article is based on web research and none medical professional opinion. The information in this article should not be taken as medical advice and readers are advised to contact their medical doctors for further advice.

*THE ABOVE IS NOT AND SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PROFESSIONAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.