Telehealth is nothing new. Ever since the invention of the telephone, doctors have been offering long-distance telehealth services to their clients.
However, telehealth has continued to develop over the last century. More and more varieties of telehealth services have become available in recent decades, and presently, online therapy is the leader in telehealth services.
The statistics about this leading telehealth service are mind boggling. And, there are already several major providers in this field.
Why Online Therapy Is Leading Telehealth
In the last few years, more and more people have begun discussing the realities of mental health.
Celebrities have begun openly speaking about mental health issues, schools have brought a new focus on maintaining the mental health of their students, and employers are bringing awareness to the importance of mental health.
This has led to a stark increase in the number of people seeking mental health treatments.
One of the recent developments in the mental health world is the advent of online therapy. Online therapy is a form of therapy that allows people to seek therapy from the comfort of their homes, by using their smartphones or their computers.
Given the current stigma against mental health, many individuals – especially youth – have taken to online therapy as a way to seek help for their mental health. This allows them to avoid the potential dangers of stigma and to find comfort from a fear of judgment.
It’s not just youth who are finding online therapy to be beneficial, though. People of all ages have sought solace in online therapy. It provides a unique opportunity for busy professionals, stay-at-home mothers, overworked students and other people to seek therapy without having to go through the timely process of finding a therapy in-person.
Many studies have proven that online therapy can be effective, especially when conducted along with traditional cognitive behavior therapy.
- Studies have revealed that people undergoing message-based online therapy can experience as much as a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms after 4 months, and a 57% decrease in anxiety symptoms after 4 months.
- As many as 98% of people have reported that they find online counseling is much more convenient than regular therapy.
- 88% of people have reported that online therapy is much more affordable than traditional counseling when done over a 4-month period.
These statistics alone are enough to prove that online therapy is a viable alternative to traditional counseling.
The Best Online Counseling Services
If you’re thinking about starting online therapy, it’s a good idea to make sure you know what the best services are. Here are 5 of the best services that you’ll find.
- BetterHelp, with an average rating of 9.6, is often considered the best online therapy service. They host more than 5,000 therapists and offer their services over phone, messaging, and video chat to both PC and mobile users.
- Regain Counseling is rated 9.1. They specialize in relationship counseling and offer services over phone, chat, video, and online forums.
- Teen Counseling, rated 8.9, specializes in youth counseling. They offer services via text, phone, chat, and video.
- Talkspace, rated 8.5, is another top-rated therapy service. They offer more than 3,000 therapists and are available over text, video, and audio.
- Breakthrough Therapy holds a rating of 8.4. They have more than 1,000therapists and offer chats over video and messaging.
There’s no doubt that online therapy is changing the world of therapy. Many people report that it’s more convenient and that it’s cheaper than traditional counseling. The 5 counseling services listed above are a great place to get started if you’re considering online therapy.