Why does online therapy work?

Online therapy offers a number of significant benefits that make it a viable and accessible option for many people (Wootton, BM, 2016). It allows people to access mental health services from anywhere, removing geographic barriers. This is especially helpful for people who live in isolated areas or who don't have access to traditional therapy services. With online therapy, there is no need to travel to the therapist's office. This means saving time and money, as well as greater flexibility to schedule sessions to suit your needs.  

Sessions can be scheduled at unusual times, for example evenings or weekends, to best accommodate patients' personal and professional commitments. 

Some patients feel more comfortable dealing with their personal issues from home, rather than traveling to an unfamiliar location, such as a psychotherapist's office. Online therapy provides a more familiar and comfortable environment, which can promote greater openness and sharing (Mallen et al 2005). The distance afforded by being behind a screen reduces emotional involvement, which can give the patient a greater sense of protection, making exposure easier.  

Online therapy provides access to a wide range of therapists. The patient can search for and contact the practitioner who best meets their needs and preferences. The person may have access to specialists, even if they are not local, because in some geographic areas it may be difficult to find specialist therapists.

Online therapy can reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health issues (Goh et al, 2021), as it eliminates the need to physically meet with a therapist in a clinical setting. As online therapy sessions can be conducted via video or telephone call, they offer flexible communication options that can be tailored to individual preferences and, as reported by the WHO (12/12/2023), this contributes to the development of health care and reduces financial constraints.  

For people with OCD in particular, there may be several benefits. 

Indeed, it is sometimes extremely difficult for them to leave their home to attend therapy appointments because of their obsessions and compulsions. Online therapy then allows them to receive help without having to travel, making treatment more accessible.

People with OCD may feel more comfortable and safe in their own environment. In this regard, online therapy offers these patients the opportunity to treat their symptoms in a familiar context, which may reduce anxiety associated with travel and unfamiliar environments.

Additionally, online therapy can be scheduled at flexible times, allowing treatment to be arranged at different times without having to worry about travel or work commitments.

Through online therapy, people with OCD can access therapists who specialize in treating the disorder, even if they are not available locally. This expands treatment options and increases the likelihood of finding a professional with experience treating OCD .

Consistent with the findings of Perini et al. (2009), who argue that expert-led online interventions enable clinically relevant changes in patients, OCD Clinic , who have a rigorous and scientifically validated treatment protocol, flexibly applied to the case by case, allow their patients to quickly achieve the desired results, even with online therapy. Indeed, recent research has shown that online treatment is particularly effective (Vitry et al, 2021); today it can be said that in some cases, such as depression (Karyotaki et al. 2018), anxiety disorders and OCD, the level of effectiveness of online therapy is even higher than in cases treated by traditional modalities (Giovanetti et al. 2022).

In summary, as well as being a versatile and convenient option for many people seeking support for mental health issues, online therapy offers a number of significant benefits for people with OCD, including accessibility , cost reduction, comfort, confidentiality, flexibility and access to experienced specialists. 

Training in brief systemic and strategic therapy 

LACT offers several live certified web training courses with 50 international trainers:

• Generalist systemic training
• DU relationship clinic with the University of Paris 8
• Clinical Master of Giorgio Nardone LACT/CTS
• Systemic Coach Training

LACT, supporting you in your retraining journey

LACT training courses are particularly suited to retraining situations with 100% distance learning and follow-up towards professional installation. 

See testimonials from former students. 

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