How does online therapy differ from in-person therapy?
In today’s hyper-connected world, we can get anything we want through our phones. Pizza, video games, movies, and even therapy! So does that mean the days of driving to your therapist and sitting in their office are over? Far from it, actually! Most therapists use a combination of both to help their clients.
What’s in a medium?
While I could break down telehealth vs. in-person as if they are two separate things, they aren’t. The distinction exists mainly for the client and not the therapist. Sometimes it’s hard to commute to your therapist, or maybe you can’t get out of bed that day. While some activities are better suited for one medium over the other, I utilize all my therapist tools regardless of how I’m talking to my client.
How sessions look in telehealth vs. in-person
Regardless of how I reach my clients, each session starts the same: I check in with them and see how they’re feeling at that moment. From there, it’ll branch off depending on whether or not we’re in person, online, and the general mood of the day. Online sessions tend to focus on the more passive aspects of music therapy: lyric analysis, active song listening, and, more recently, playlist creation! Songs resonate with us for a reason, and sometimes it’s hard to find the precise reason why. Processing music with my clients gives them greater clarity of their favorite tunes and greater insight into themselves!
In-person sessions start the same, but it’s easier to break into more active aspects of music therapy: Song creation or improv exercises. In addition, being with the person physically lends to an element of emotional depth that can’t be replicated online. Some people prefer it if that depth isn’t there, as it can be overwhelming, so they opt for online sessions instead!
Whether the session is URL or IRL, they share the most crucial element: having a therapist listen to you and help process your emotions. You can be on the other side of the world by calling your therapist, and they will help you as if you were sitting ten feet from them. The words you speak to us and the words we speak to you don’t change through the phone, computer, or physically. Therapy is therapy is therapy is therapy; it doesn’t matter how it’s relayed!
The most significant distinction is how clients react to either medium of therapy. If they feel like they can be most vulnerable over a computer, then great! That allows me to help them work on internal growth. On the other hand, if they feel like they need the emotional connection that comes with talking to me in person, that’s also good! My role as a therapist is to help you grow and overcome any mental health obstacles you may face.
In my experience, offering either to clients help both them and me stay flexible when it comes to therapy. Some in-person clients sometimes feel too sad to get out of bed, and on those days it’s perfectly fine just to call instead! It’s important to remember that the therapist is here for you, to help you, and make your life easier. If you’re looking for any in-person or online therapy services, feel free to contact me for a free consultation!