Friday, September 2, 2016

Is Online Therapy For You? Some Of The More Unusual Reasons People Opt For Online Services

When it comes to online services people tend to focus on the fact that it cuts out travel, and that’s it’s discrete - or that sitting down with someone tends to make for better communication than video conferencing. 
 
However, working online can offer some special benefits.  Here’s are three that I value.

#1 If you’ve been raped and your country will jail or punish you for it

You may have seen the cases in the news like that of Alicia Gali, the Australian woman who was raped by three men after they drugged her drink.  When Gali told the police, they arrested and jailed her - because United Arab Emirates law states that rape victims are guilty of illicit sex, which is illegal.  

The UAE isn’t the only country with that kind of law, so if you’re living in that situation, reaching out to someone overseas online can be a sensible idea.

#2 If you’re in a situation where you need little support boosts

With face-to-face sessions you may schedule two or three meetings a week, or even daily sessions. However, if you simply want to fire off a quick email here, or need a five minute Skype session bump there, then working online can give you that flexibility.

However, do discuss limits before you start so you both know where you stand.

Big chasm
When there's a massive cultural gap...

#3 When you are out of your culture

Twenty years ago when I moved to Malaysia, I went to see a therapist to say, “I’ve just moved here from Europe, I just got married, I’ve just changed careers, and that’s all been okay but now my parents are splitting up because my dad has a mistress. Help me!”  He said, “Your mum should accept your father having a second wife.”

Enough said, right? If you’re far away from home, reaching out to someone who understands you online is better than trying to bridge a huge cultural gap with someone in the same room.