Online therapists?

[StillStanding]

I live in a foreign country and therapy is just not an option with locals, they don't even speak English.


Has anyone any experience of online therapy sessions, through Skype or whatnot?

 

[Alex]

I've not tried it, but it's a possibility for those who are in remote areas or don't have access to them locally. Here is a link to look at: http://www.7cups.com/online-therapy/?ob=1


I don't know quite how it works and how much it is, but you could read up on it and see whether it's right for you. Most should offer trial sessions to see how you get on, and that maybe a better idea to try a couple first to see whether you are comfortable with them.

 

[amy88]

I've done online chat counselling and it was through my health insurance provider here in the States. I don't know if you have health insurance - not sure what country you are from - but it might be worth checking with them, to see if they have any affiliations with providers that offer the service. I do think it's becoming more common to have online counselling and things like that, so hopefully there will be something!

 

[Panic57]

I would be very careful about talking to a therapist online because it's so easy to fake that you might get bad advice from someone who is trying to make quick cash. If you have a trusted therapist though, you could probably ask if they would do Skype or Snapchat. You'll probably have to pay the Skype fee on top of the therapist fee. But that is probably the safest route. Make sure you do extensive background checks on your therapist so that they are real and will fit what you need. Good luck!

 

[hades_leae]

I've not tried it, but it's a possibility for those who are in remote areas or don't have access to them locally. Here is a link to look at: http://www.7cups.com/online-therapy/?ob=1
I don't know quite how it works and how much it is, but you could read up on it and see whether it's right for you. Most should offer trial sessions to see how you get on, and that maybe a better idea to try a couple first to see whether you are comfortable with them.

I'd like to think that it's fairly cheaper than going in person. A therapist could then work from home I'm assuming. I wonder if it would be something like an online chat, or skype type system. I don't think I would choose that option unless I had to.


Considering the fact that the OP said the were living in an area with no therapist, going online and doing it would then be the next option for me.


You just have to try things out to see if they work for you.

 

[Pandora]

I have never heard of online therapy. Does anyone know if its like one-on-one like a regular counselor? My issue is I have a heard time getting out to see a therapist in general. My social anxiety has me stuck in my home many days a week or many weeks at a time. This online therapy may do the trick for me. I do know that some AA meetings are now online which I thought was great for those that are trying to kick that bad habit.

 

[kgord]

There are online therapists. I would suggest using an agency that has licensed counselors. Some people have what is known as a QMHP which is someone who has the same education and training, but they may not have all the clinical hours in that a therapist would have. They might be alright to use also, However, the internet being essentially like the wild west, does not always verify credentials. I would check with the particular agency you want to use to see what sort of credentialing they employ for their therapists.

 

[John Snort]

There are some sites where you can get some free therapy but as anyone can pose as a therapist you should be careful when seeking therapy online else you'll stumble into "wolves in sheep's clothing." So only seek therapy on sites which are recommended by others who've found them [the sites] helpful.

 

[aimeepoo]

I have wanted to try online therapy before. I can not drive and barely leave the house so it would be ideal for me. I really think I'm going to try this but I am quite curious as to how much it costs. Surely it is a bit cheaper than traditional therapy.

 

[Tito24]

I had looked into this around two years ago when I lived in Central Asia. I never ended up finding a decent and reliable service, as I found lots of negative reviews about every service I looked into. As amy88 said, if you have health insurance from the country you originate from, check to see if you're covered for online therapy, or if they could at least recommend you to some more reputable professionals. BAck when I was interested in this, my health insurance was with a company based in the country I was living in, where mental health issues are heavily stigmatised. Their attitude towards me changed almost as soon as I made the request, and they began to regard me with much more suspicion than they had before.

 

[listener1987]

Hey! 7 Cups of Tea (link below) is kind of like a free therapy site. It's basically a place to talk to people who will listen. The people have to go through a little certification training course and be approved before they can become a listener.


I've been a listener on the site for about two years now, and find it very rewarding! Of course, if you chat with a listener you might find a bad apple, but with the requirement to take their little class, it screens out a lot of duds.


"Listeners" aren't really supposed to give advice, as we're not professional. But in my experience, just listening to people helps them a lot - and I can ask pointed questions that help them arrive at a solution.


I have been chatting with one particular member from Ireland for the last year and a half, so I know folks worldwide use the service!

 

[TayH]

7 cups of tea can be a great place to discuss things anonymously but it's not really therapy. You are also able to approach people you would like to talk to or you can just sign in to listen or be heard and be randomly assigned to someone. I think more online therapy options need to be introduced so that people from everywhere have the opportunity to seek therapy at their convenience. There are a few sites if you google you will find a few counselling online services however they are not free and it's important to check the security of the sites to make sure your financial and personal information is safe. That could be seen as off putting but I wanted to mention this for your own safety.

 

[Aree Wongwanlee]

Just curious. Does any medical advice given online really work? What I know is that whenever I was given any medication by my doctor, I would go online to find out more about it. However, I have never tried to find medication online after a bad experience. I was down with a high fever and very badly aching joints. So I went online and found what I thought was the right medicine. I wrote it down and asked my neighbor to help me get it. After I took it, my fever went down. My joints stopped aching. And I couldn't get up at all. In the end, I was hospitalized for many days. When I told the doctor about the medication which I had taken, he said it was a very potent drug which should be taken only under strict supervision.