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Online Therapy Research Paper

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I too began to consider ways online methods of therapy may be a better fit than face to face meetings for individuals in real life situations. It turns out there are many examples of people in my life who would benefit from online therapy versus traditional face to face sessions. For instance, my husband is moderately to profoundly deaf and found counseling after the death of his first wife to be uncomfortable and a “communication nightmare.” Under normal circumstances, he is able to read lips and communicate effectively, however when he is stressed or upset he is unable to process what is being said. Another example is my son who has high functioning autism. Face to face conversations with him are difficult, but when he texts he is able to “talk” about his emotions in a way that is unimaginable in a typical conversation. The final example I have is a friend who is prominent in our community. He is deeply troubled and desperately needs the support of a counselor right now however he is uncomfortable getting help near home and is driving to another town almost an hour away for counseling and is still terrified someone locally will find out. …show more content…

However, I still think it is important to remember the method may not be for everyone. While researching the benefits and limitations of digital therapy, Haberstroh et al. (2007) found that “interacting online alleviated pressures to respond quickly and served as a less threatening outlet for sharing embarrassing topics. However, some participants found that the missing interpersonal cues limited their self-expression and level of trust” (p.276). While there is a great need for alternative methods of counseling, I still wonder if someone who is really desperate for a human connection engages in counseling online is it possible there is a fundamental human element missing that may in itself

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