TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Mental health has been a huge topic over the last year, so we wanted to know what therapists are seeing in their offices.
"A lot of anxiety, a lot of depression, a lot of trauma," says Amy Cirbus, Director of Clinical Content, Talkspace.
E-therapy, teletherapy, whatever you want to call it, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, many in-person therapy sessions have transitioned to online. And good thing, because the need to talk is greater than ever.
"More people are actually coming in that wouldn't have come in face-to-face," says Cirbus. "They wouldn't have sat in a waiting room, they wouldn't have necessarily felt comfortable sitting across from somebody in person, this is a much lower risk."
Talkspace is just one of many online platforms that connect clients to a licensed therapist through a website or app.
"You can send written messages, you can send audio messages, video messages and you can also have a live video session," says Cirbus.
But let’s say you’re not a big of using something like a laptop or maybe an iPad. Turns out, it’s much easier than you think. Plus, sitting on your couch at home is probably a bit more comfortable than the one in the therapist's office.
"Our therapists are really sensitive to that as well," says Cirbus. "Because we have such a range of ages and clients that come in, they will help also be able to walk through should there be any questions."
Sharing deep emotions is the whole point of therapy, but I wanted to know: When you’re doing something like that entirely online, what about privacy?
"You know, early on, if there was a tech problem for some reason, and we couldn't get on a video call, people would want to say 'Oh, let's just jump on Facetime or let's jump on something else.' Well, we can't do that because it is not within that HIPPA secure platform," says Cirbus.
So if you’re looking to dump your bucket, but you don’t think in-person therapy is right for you, consider trading the big leather couch for a screen and some WiFi and get in touch with someone who can help.
Online Therapy Resources:
Talkspace
SonderMind
ReGain