About Online Therapy
What is online therapy?
Online therapy is a form of video conferencing to provide counseling services outside of an office setting. With online therapy in North Carolina or South Carolina, you won’t have to leave the comfort of your home. In fact, online counseling can be beneficial if getting to a traditional in-person appointment is a bother for you. Plus, online therapy often results in success rates that are higher than or equal to that of in-person therapy.
With teletherapy, an online therapist can meet you virtually wherever you are (as long as you are physically located in North Carolina or South Carolina). This means that you will have the freedom to travel for work, or for fun, without disrupting your treatment or compromising your progress. In your first session, you will talk more with your counselor about the convenience of online therapy. We want to help you understand and feel comfortable with this new online format.
What does online therapy require?
For your appointment, you’ll need a private place and a computer, tablet, or smartphone with a camera and high-speed internet. Your online therapist will provide you with access to secure video conferencing software free of charge. All you have to do is be on your device and logged on at the time of your appointment. Your interactions will be completely secure and confidential, as our teleconferencing software encrypts all forms of data, including video and audio.
What will you gain from therapy?
What are the benefits of online therapy?
Accessibility
You can see an online therapist from the comfort of your own space! You may live in a rural area of North Carolina or South Carolina with limited options, or you may not drive, or perhaps have a physical disability that makes it challenging to attend in-person appointments. Anxiety or depression may be so overwhelming that it’s hard to leave the house and go somewhere new. With online therapy sessions, you can access care on your time under your ideal conditions.
Flexible Scheduling
Because online therapy can be done conveniently from anywhere, you no longer have to sacrifice family, personal, or work hours to attend in-person appointments. This leaves more time to do the things you love.
In our busy lives, we are often juggling multiple roles. Perhaps you are a busy professional or parent, with limited extra time in the evenings. Online therapy makes it easy to have a session during your lunch break or in the evening after you get the kids to bed. It also means no gaps in care when you travel for vacation or work. You can keep up the progress you’ve been making with minimal interruptions.
More Options
With online therapy, you have more choices of providers that meet your specific needs. No matter where you are in North Carolina or South Carolina, we can help find the best fit for you. That way, you can find someone who really “gets you.” This is such an important part of the therapy process and is vital to your progress.
Unique Experience
This may sound crazy, but your online therapist learns a lot about you from your surroundings. Whether it be at work, in your car, or at your home. Your therapist may use some of these insights during the therapy process. Interruptions of pets, walking in nature…doing anything in real-time in your own space allows the therapist to see a glimpse inside your daily life.
Privacy
Online therapy is confidential and secure. Our video platform is encrypted and HIPAA compliant. With online therapy, there’s no need to worry about bumping into an old friend or colleague walking out of the office, or asking your boss for time off for an appointment. Online therapy can be as discrete as you’d like it to be.
Comforts
We work with a lot of people with chronic illnesses. As someone with chronic illness, you never know what you’ll feel like the next day or even later the same day. Online therapy allows you to attend appointments even if you aren’t feeling optimal. You can sit on the couch with a heating pad, slippers, and with your pet beside you. This is also true for busy professionals who just don’t have enough “me” time. We want therapy to be a comfortable and unintimidating experience!
Is Online Therapy Effective?
Online therapy has been around for years but became more popular during the Coronavirus pandemic when in-person options were limited, leading people to seek other avenues for mental health counseling. With the internet at our fingertips, it was a natural transition to online therapy. The good news is that online therapy has been studied and found to be just as effective as in-person therapy.
Another 2014 study from Behavior Research and Therapy concluded that online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was effective in treating anxiety disorders. Additionally, improvements were sustained at the one-year follow-up.
Another study from 2018 published in the Journal of Psychological Disorders found that online therapy was equally as effective as face-to-face treatment for major depression, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
What is the first virtual session like?
Think of the first session as a “getting to know you” session. Your counselor will ask you some in-depth questions about your particular situation, background, and support system. This will help them determine how they can best help. It’s also an opportunity for you to learn more about your counselor to make sure they are a good fit for you.
The relationship between you and your therapist is most important to the therapeutic process, so we will take all the time we need to establish trust and rapport. You are in charge of your therapy and our online therapists are here to guide and support you throughout your way. Feel free to ask your counselor any questions about the therapy process!
What is Brainspotting? Does it work via online therapy?
Brainspotting is a brain-based processing method that uses the body’s natural ability to heal itself from overwhelming, traumatic, or stressful experiences that generate symptoms like anxiety, depression, and over-reactivity. And, yes! We can definitely work with this technique in online therapy sessions.
Often, Brainspotting allows your body to process associated memories and feelings more deeply and rapidly than traditional talk therapy. Have you ever noticed where your eyes rest when you’re thinking about a sad, painful, or even joyful memory? Science shows that our experiences and memories are stored in corresponding eye positions. Your Brainspotting practitioner will use specialized techniques to find the specific eye positions to help relieve unprocessed stressful experiences stored in your brain.
Do you prescribe medication via online therapy?
We are not medication prescribers. If you need medication, our counselors can help you find a physician, either your family practitioner or psychiatrist. Additionally, it is important that you continue to take your medication as prescribed throughout the course of therapy unless discontinued by your doctor.
Do you only see people with the issues you discuss on your website?
No. People come to therapy for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, it is never only one thing that needs to be addressed, as emotions and experiences are intertwined. For instance, if you feel anxious, there may be underlying depression as well. Feel free to reach out if you think Renewed Wellness Counseling might be a good fit!
Begin online therapy in North Carolina or South Carolina to start your journey toward hope and healing.
Working with an online therapist can be an essential piece of your wellness plan. The expert therapist team at our counseling practice located in New Bern, NC can work with anyone in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina via online therapy. Get started by following the steps below.
- Reach out to schedule a FREE consultation or go ahead and request an appointment.
- Get matched with a compassionate online therapist near you.
- Find support in leading a life authentic to you and your needs.
Other Services at Renewed Wellness
At our New Bern, NC-based therapy practice, we offer all of our services via online therapy. Our online therapists specialize specifically in chronic illness counseling, addiction counseling, and therapy for anxiety and stress. For those going through a life change, we also offer life transitions counseling. We want to meet you where you are. Contact us today.
