Can you receive online counseling for depression?

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Can you receive online counseling for depression?

By: Dr. Jennifer B. Baxt, DMFT, NCC, DCC

The idea of online counseling may still come as a surprise to many, especially older people who are not as familiar with the internet as younger people, but it is fast becoming the way for most people to get the help, therapy and counseling that they need. The availability of online therapy or counseling has been successful in tearing down the barriers that have kept many people from getting the help that they need. The barrier was the discomfort, mixed emotions and inability to physically go down to the therapist’s office and speak with them in person; these three reasons are what has prevented many people from seeking help for their depression, which has left many individuals suffering in silence.

Depression is a curious mental health problem that too many people are suffering. What makes it so curious is that depression is caused by different variables in different people. Some people suffer depression as a result of certain genes they have inherited from one or both of their parents, a poor social life or chemical imbalance in the brain; just to name a few. Study and research is still being done on the causes of depression as well as how to better treat it, but this does not mean that there isn’t help for people who are already suffering from some form of depression. Many people are unaware that they have depression, others are aware that there is something wrong but are unable to ask for help for any number of reasons and there are still others who know they are depressed and want help, but are not comfortable with speaking to someone in person; this could also be due to any number of different reasons. Online therapy is an option that is yet another way for depressed people to find help. Online therapy and counseling is just like the regular therapy, but it is more confidential, because there is less of a chance that others will see the patient going to see the therapist, and it gives the patient the chance to speak to someone in their own comfort zone.

The online therapists that people would go to for help for their depression are fully trained professionals who can help people find their way out of the depression they are experiencing. By the therapist exchanging messages with their patient online, they can work with the patient to first find out what the cause of their depression might be. Once a possible cause is found, the therapist can then help the patient learn to deal with these issues and help them get out of the resulting depression. Many people are still a little skeptical of online depression, but it has been around for a while, been proven to work just as well as regular therapy and is something that will probably be around for a very long time. More and more people are seeking help for their depression through online therapy because they feel more comfortable messaging someone in the privacy and comfort of their own home. Many people have been successfully treated for their depression through online therapy; people who would not have normally sought help if online therapy was not an option for them.

The availability of online therapy or counseling has been successful in tearing down the barriers that have kept many people from getting the help that they need. The barrier was the discomfort, mixed emotions and inability to physically go down to the therapist’s office and speak with them in person

Jennifer Baxt, LMHC, LMFT, NCC, DCC offers online audio/video counseling as well as works with children, individuals, couples, geriatric patients, depression, bipolar, anxiety and substance abuse. Please contact Complete Counseling Solutions via email jennifer@completecounselingsolutions.com or visit our website http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com for any further information.

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