A-Tension, holistic approach

Most psychologists and psychotherapists now offer their services online.

I have been part of it for years, but the movement has grown with the health crisis, the complications of travel, the insecurity for some, sometimes fear.

But can we really be treated via a webcam or a telephone call? Does this method of communication change the course of the consultation? What types of problems can it be used for?

On the strength of its success, online psychoanalysis attracts young patients (20-45 years old on average), men and women alike, who have mastered the tools of connection, but not only. It is useful in many situations: when one has moved and wishes to continue to consult the person with whom one is comfortable. When you are constantly on the move for work or when your schedule is so tight that you struggle to find time for yourself: scheduling a consultation during lunchtime, sometimes at the last minute, is useful. The same goes for stay-at-home mothers who cannot consult because they do not have someone to look after their children: thanks to teleconsultation, they can do so during the children's nap. Without this possibility, many people find it difficult to consult, simply because of organisational difficulties. But not only that.

This option also suits people who have difficulty moving around (disability, panic disorders such as agoraphobia), those for whom it is complicated to face the gaze of a shrink (e.g. perversions and sexual disorders), but also expats. In addition to the ease of access to the consultation, they appreciate being able to confide in their own language, which they might miss in their daily lives.

Online therapy has the merit of making the process easier and the consultation more accessible. Taking the plunge is less impressive. Going to the shrink" also seems less burdensome. Teleconsultation creates a kind of protection, as a bubble, especially for people who have already had a bad experience in a practice. The patient is at home, more at ease, or at a place of choice. They feel that if things go wrong, they can disconnect: a calming option. Often, it is this different setting, that of the intimate cocoon, which invites confidence. In a place where one feels comfortable, it is easier to open up.

Ease, speed and time saving are the winning trio of this new form of consultation. E-mail, telephone or video-appointment exchange, in one day, it is possible to reach your therapist! A considerable advantage when faced with an emergency or time difference. The therapy progresses all the faster because the exchange is easy and the patient feels that he is the actor of his treatment: it is he who decides when and where to consult, which reassures him considerably.

The therapist becomes more contactable, like a private confidant, and is thus desacralized: the patient, certainly having less of a feeling of being disturbed, is more likely to ask for help when needed. For his part, the therapist also benefits from this exercise: the time saved is valid for both the patient and the therapist, so...

Give it a try!