Online therapy has earned some much deserved praise in the past decade, with numerous articles touting its many benefits for those who grapple with mental challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and addiction.
Typically more affordable than in-office therapy and extremely convenient thanks to its online model that puts you in control of the time and place in which sessions are conducted, online therapy continues to evolve in ways that are designed to meet the individual’s unique needs.
Whether you prefer the traditional one-on-one counseling dichotomy or more relaxed group support structure, online therapy can provide the professional help you need in the manner that you need it.
You don’t have to struggle with a clinical condition to reap the aforementioned benefits of online counseling, however; in fact, there are many surprising bonuses to pursuing the platform. From alleviating day-to-day feelings of isolation and anxiety to acquiring the confidence to go after your goals, online therapy can assist with a number of things you may have previously dismissed.
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1. Improve Your Relationships
Our relationships, both professional and especially personal, are the building blocks upon which the quality of our lives depend. Without the care and support of cherished friends, partners, and family members, the challenges we are faced with can feel twice as daunting, if not insurmountable.
When we’re unable to commit to the people who care about us, or communicate our needs in healthy ways, we inevitably put a strain on the relationships that matter most, which can often lead to their demise.
An online therapist works with you to build better methods of communication and acts of commitment. Additionally, they can help you determine and resolve any underlying (and often subconscious) issues that may be sabotaging your most important relationships.
2. Excel At Your Goals
Self-doubt is the mother of unrealized potential. If you struggle to recognize and work towards finite goals due to low self-esteem, fear of failure, or anxiety-induced procrastination, you’re hardly alone; approximately 85% of Americans report feeling stalled in their careers or unable to achieve their goals due to intense feelings of self-doubt.
Your online therapist can guide you through and eradicate these blocks, regardless of whether they’re mental, emotional, or both, and help you adopt confidence-boosting practices that highlight your strengths, rather than your perceived weaknesses.
3. Better Manage Conflicts
Let’s be honest, it’s impossible to avoid conflict altogether, nor is that an entirely reasonable goal. In some instances conflicts provide us with an opportunity to address our issues with others and work towards constructive solutions.
If you struggle with keeping your anger in check or, conversely, speaking up when you feel you’re being undermined or taken advantage of, an online therapist can offer proven solutions to working through personal and work-related conflicts.
We may not always get along with one another, but it’s important that we treat differences of opinion and practice with due respect, rather than unchecked vitriol. And, in keeping with what we discussed #1, part of building healthy, sustainable relationships is learning to work through those aforementioned differences, no matter how difficult.
4. Overcome Destructive Patterns
We seldom realize just how much our thoughts control our actions and thus, their inevitable consequences. For example, if you repeatedly tell yourself you’ll never meet a loving partner or be deserving of that longed-for promotion at work, chances are you’ll remain in the same set of circumstances your inner dialogue is determined to keep you.
While the power of positive thinking may be something of a tired trend, there’s a great deal of truth in breaking certain toxic thought patterns which can induce similarly destructive behavior.
Serious mental health conditions such as trauma, anxiety, depression, and addiction can all lead to harmful acts against ourselves and one another. Online therapy, just like in-office therapy, aims to address those underlying mental causes, and ultimately transform negative habits into healthier, deliberate choices.
5. Overcome Everyday Anxiety
Whether it’s generalized stress related to work, money, personal problems, or just keeping your head above the proverbial water, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and worse still, perpetually on the brink of disaster when life’s challenges start to pile up.
While clinical anxiety refers to a perpetual or regularly occurring state of intense fear, unease, or nervousness, day-to-day anxieties are only too real as well, and worth tending to.
While an online therapist won’t be able to solve all your worldly problems, they can definitely help break down the more stressful factions of your life into more manageable parts.
Additionally, an online therapist can help you shift your perspective and adopt practical problem-solving measures to see you through those demanding times.
6. Alleviate Loneliness
We often isolate ourselves in times of mental duress, either out of fear of alienating others or compromising the outward personas we’ve so carefully crafted for ourselves. While mental health is no longer a taboo topic in western culture, there are still a number of misconceptions that can keep us at arm’s length from those we need the most.
Chatting with an online therapist, trained listener, or in a mediated group will not only provide the professional help you need, but ensure that you are not alone in your struggles. Whether it’s an objective perspective via your therapist or collective show of support through a cyber support setting, knowing that there is someone (or many) you can speak with in times of intense mental strain can go a long way towards personal wellness and wider connectivity.