Right off the bat, I would like to pat you on the back (figuratively) for taking the first step towards getting the help you need. I also have to say: no, you are not crazy or abnormal and it is certainly not all in your head.
That being said, you can definitely get psychological help online. With fast and affordable internet becoming the norm, there is very little that cannot be accomplished online, including online counselling. However, it is natural that you have questions like– do I really need online counselling, can online counselling work and the cost of online counselling.
So let’s jump right into answering these questions!
Do I need therapy?
Before you spend your time and money on a psychologist, it is very important to ask yourself this question– do you really need therapy?
Well, the very fact that you are taking the time to read this article means that you know that something is not right. So that makes the real question– can you deal with it alone?
Needing somebody’s help does not make you weak, it makes you mature. Mature people identify their problems and then the solutions. They go through with these solutions even if it requires someone else’s help.
Nevertheless, there are a few signs that you should talk to a psychologist:
- Your problem is affecting your work life or your occupational life: your problems keep you from working or concentrating on your work, your productivity at work has declined or you are feeling extremely anxious or dreading work.
- Your problem is affecting your social life: you do not talk to your closest friends enough, you feel like an outsider in your friend circle, you don’t feel like there is anyone who has your back.
- Your problem is affecting your personal life: your moods and diet have been inconsistent, your sleeping pattern is disturbed, you are not interested in things that you used to like doing, you have regular energy slumps.
Online versus face-to-face counselling
Right now I’m writing this as the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on, so the safest (and possibly only) option is online counselling. However, in a perfect world, you would have two options:
- Face-to-face counselling
- Online counselling
Each type of counselling has its own pros and cons. At the end of the day, it is always about what suits your lifestyle. But to help you with your decision, I have made a list of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of counselling:
| Face-to-face counselling | Online counselling |
| ✅ It feels more real due to physical proximity. | ✅ It is much more convenient and flexible. |
| ✅ You may feel more comfortable talking to a person face-to-face rather than on a screen. | ✅ It saves time (no commuting time) and money (saves fuel). |
| ✅ It will be easier to trust a person when you meet them physically rather than e-meet them. | ✅ You have no geographical constraints so you can connect with your therapist wherever you go. |
| ❌ You cannot always talk to your therapist. For example, if you were on a work trip or travelling. | ❌ You may have a problem opening up to the psychologist online |
| ❌ You may want the separation of your therapy and real life. Online counselling helps you do that while remaining completely anonymous. | ❌ Your internet connection may be poor. |
| ❌ You can’t just send a long text or email venting to your therapist at any time that you really need help. | ❌ You may not be familiar or comfortable with electronic gadgets. |
Online counselling has two or three types that you can choose from as well:
1. Webcam counselling
2. Instant message counselling
3. Email counselling
However, I would personally recommend web-cam counselling because you will feel like you are talking to a real person. Additionally, your therapist will be able to study your body language as well, which can help him/her evaluate your personality, mentality and problems better.
What is online therapy?
Although the name is pretty self-explanatory, there is more to online counselling than chatting away to your therapist on Skype (or worse– Zoom). A common misconception is that counselling only includes talking about your problems. In reality, counselling has many components like psychometric tests, different types of therapy, activities, evaluations and some homework even.
In general, however, you will follow this course of action:
Of course, this is an extremely simplified version of the counselling process. Now that you know the general outline of the therapy, let’s get down to the burning question that you no doubt have– can online counselling really work?
Can online counselling work?
A doctor is only as good as his patient. Have you heard that one before?
It is important to keep in mind that your counsellor is much like a doctor. They will provide you with the hypothetical ‘prescription’ which includes certain activities and thought processes. After that, it is up to you whether you will take the ‘medication’ regularly and get well.
Remember that no one can force you to get well. You have to want to get well in order to be able to actually do so. And yes, that will require some effort on your part.
That being said, there are loads of researches that talk about the merits of online psychological help. Studies show that for many people, especially young adults and teenagers prefer online counselling over face-to-face counselling. Other studies show that online counselling has actually helped people more than face-to-face counselling! It also showed that it made people more likely to seek the help they need due the obvious anonymity of the internet.
In conclusion, although it could be a highly individual decision, online counselling is being accepted more widely and has produced excellent results. Therefore, you should most definitely give it a shot.
Where can I find help?
Today there are hundreds of thousands of options on the internet. And as with any other service or product, not all of them are legitimate. Contrary to popular belief, it is not everyone who can provide therapy. Becoming a certified psychologist takes a minimum of seven years of study, quite similar to a medical degree. Therefore, there are only a handful of people with the knowledge and means to help you.
Good counselling always comes at a price. However, to help you (and your bank account) out, PsychOWLogist has a number of extremely affordable psychometric tests like:
- The Depression and Anxiety Scale test
- The Big Five Personality Test
- Open Hemispheric Brain Dominance Scale
- Attention Assessment
You will receive a full individual evaluation of the results of these psychometric tests conducted by a certified psychologist in TWO business days. After this, you can decide whether to proceed with the counselling sessions or not.
If you do decide to proceed, PsychOWLogist has a team of accredited psychologists who have had extensive experience in counselling and psychotherapy. Along with a long and varied client list, they are also one of the friendliest and warmest people you will meet.
Ethics like confidentiality, privacy and professionalism are taken extremely seriously by every member of the PsychOWLogist team. So you can rest assured that you and your mental health are in safe hands.
Main problems we help with:
- Depression
- Anxiety/ Stress
- Addiction
- Parents and family
- Psychological disabilities
- And much much more
Hopefully, by now you have a good idea of how you can get psychological help online. Online counselling is available in numerous shapes and forms today. It is an easy, convenient and flexible way to get the help you need without cutting a hole in your pocket.
Remember Dumbledore’s wise words– “Help will always be given to those who ask for it”. SO what are you waiting for? Type in ‘online counselling India’ (or wherever you live) in your search bar or simply contact PsyOWLogist today!
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