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Hey everyone,
Welcome to We Are Neurodiverse 😀
I already have blogs talking about ‘What is ADHD’ in which I give a brief description of Neurodiversity and talk about what ADHD is, breaking it down into the 3 parts and their differences, check it out here!
This chat is going to be looking at the pros and cons in regard to online therapy as a way of assisting you with any issues such as Neurodiverse conditions through to issues like Addiction and Weight Loss.
Therapies aren’t only for people who have ‘mental health’ problems like Anxiety / Depression, often if people are receiving treatment for physical issues eg diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, a stroke or lower back pain, then these therapies can be used alongside other medical treatment as you may be more vulnerable to depression.
The NHS says: “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger than to relatives or friends. During talking therapy, a trained counsellor or therapist listens to you and helps you find your own answers to problems, without judging you.
The therapist will give you time to talk, cry, shout or just think. It’s an opportunity to look at your problems in a different way with someone who’ll respect you and your opinions.
Usually, you’ll talk one-to-one with the therapist. Sometimes talking treatments are held in groups or couples, such as relationship counselling. They’ll usually be done face-to-face, but you might be able to have talking therapy over the phone, via email or on Skype.
Although there are lots of different types of talking therapy, they all have a similar aim: to help you feel better. Some people say that talking therapies do not make their problems go away, but they find it easier to cope with them and feel happier“
Do Talking Therapies work?
‘Talk Therapy’ is used by psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists. According to the American Psychology Association, around 75% of people who participate in talk therapy experience some benefit.
This shows that this isn’t the perfect answer for everyone, for 1 in 4 people it may not work.
“Focused on communication, talk therapy allows you discuss concerns that range from stress management and relationship problems to depression and anxiety disorders
Psychotherapy is a tool that therapists also use to facilitate counselling sessions. They can use this technique for individual, group, couples, or family therapy“(1)
I always thought I was one of the 1 in 4 people who couldn’t benefit from talking therapies, until I was diagnosed and had regular meetings with my specialist. What I found was that this was great for me to be able to open up about troubling situations, most of which were founded in my delayed diagnosis and the affect this had on my life so far.
I also found it useful to discuss my current situation in regard to work life where Neurodiversities were mentioned quite a lot in e-mails, health workshops etc, but when it came down to my confiding in people I found the support just wasn’t there.
Having the time to discuss this outside of work was a good way for me to get my situation clear in my own head, as it gave me the opportunity to go through it all step-by-step. I did however find that once I was out of the therapy, although at the time I found the talking extremely therapeutic, overall my workplace situation hadn’t changed and this was something I was going to have to face alone.
What options are available?
From what I can see there are over 12000 therapists available for online consultations.
Do not be put off if your 1st therapist isn’t a perfect match, this can never be guaranteed but you should always have the option to change if you feel it isn’t working as you expect.
How much does this cost?
“The simple answer is: it varies.
The cost of seeing a clinical or counselling psychologist tends to be anywhere from £120 – £180 a session (50 – 60mins) in the UK. This can depend on a number of factors such as where you live, alongside what level of training and how many years experience your psychologist has“(3)
This information comes from one source, a lot of searches brought up U.S. sites and they appear to range from $50 – $300+, these can be for single 30minute sessions, through to monthly plans including video-calling.
Conclusion…
From being someone who was extremely pessimistic about the thought of Therapies, I have had (a bit of) a change of heart. I don’t always feel comfortable opening up about myself in front of strangers, but maybe online therapy may be the answer?
It comes with a number of options, text / e-mail / phone call / video call which opens up the opportunity for you to choose which you prefer, maybe start with e-mail, then move onto phone or video calls. Either way, it seems worth looking into if you feel it would help you 😀
Once again, thank you for reading and I hope you have found it informative. Please feel free to comment below.
Take care, Peter
(1) Benefits of Therapy for Yourself, Family, and Relationships (healthline.com)
(3) How Much Does it Cost to See a Psychologist in the UK? – My Online Therapy
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It will always be helpful to read content from other writers and practice a little something from other websites.