Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Online CBT)
Online CBT (Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and Online Therapy have been shown to be as effective as in person CBT Therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) meetings. I’ll repeat that – Online CBT or Video CBT or Telehealth is absolutely as effective as traditional in office Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when working with Anxiety and / or Depression. This is especially helpful news in light of Covid-19.
You can be rest assured that CBT, so long as provided by an appropriately trained and qualified CBT Therapist, with additional training and experience working online is likely to be very helpful and hopefully life changing for you. Research supports the idea that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is helpful. In this post, I will do my best to answer the questions which are most frequently asked about Online CBT. Please feel free to contact me at my London or Honolulu clinics with any additional questions.
1. Can I try an Online CBT Session to see if it can help me without having to spend any money or use any of my private insurance sessions?
Any CBT Therapist worth working with (in my opinion) should be willing to have an initial chat (via email, phone or video) at your request, to see if working together, as well as the medium of Video or phone is a good fit for you before you commit to multiple sessions. Sometimes this is called an initial consultation or a CBT Test Drive.
2. How does Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Online CBT) work?
Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Online CBT) takes place using video teleconferencing apps such as Zoom, Web-Ex, or Doxy.me. Please let any provider know if you hav a preference of app. FB Messenger, What’s App Messenger and Face-time should never be used because of concerns regarding the level of safety of user data.
3. How long do Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Online CBT) sessions last?
Just like face to face sessions, Online CBT sessions last between 50 and 60 minutes.
4. Is Online CBT as effective as Traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which takes place in an office?
Absolutely Yes. Evidence has clearly shown that Online CBT is as effective as Office Based CBT. In my own clinical experience, I have found Online CBT to be far more effective.
5. Are there any advantages to Online CBT (Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) over Traditional CBT?
Yes. Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Online CBT) allows you to have sessions wherever you are in the world. This allows you greater flexibility to continue with sessions regardless of where you happen to be. Another key advantage is that at the end of a session you are not thrown into ‘commuting mode’ with a rapid adjustment from a tranquil therapy space to real life. This extra time allows for further reflection which will help you to consolidate any gains made.
6. What should I look for when searching for an Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (Online CBT Therapist)?
First it is important that any Cognitive Behavioral Therapist is fully accredited with the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) in the UK and Licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in the USA with a specialization in CBT.
Full Accreditation by the BABCP is the only therapy organization in the UK specifically dedicated to the promotion of safe and effective CBT practice and in my opinion represents one of the highest standards of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy certification in the world.
Technically anyone can say that they practice CBT but only BABCP Fully Accredited CBT Therapists are considered to have achieved the necessary knowledge and experience to practice independently as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist. It is for this reason that the National Health Service in the UK will only hire CBT Therapists that are BABCP Accredited.
Second, it is vital that any therapist you work with has received specific training in providing therapy online and working through video. You would want to know where he/she/they received specialist training in online / video working.
Third, you should ask how many years a potential Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT Therapist) has worked through Video.
Someone who has only just started to work through video because of the Covid-19 outbreak is not likely to be as effective (through video) as someone who has been delivering Online CBT for many years. Click to learn more about Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Online CBT).
The last thing you want is a stressed out therapist who isn’t comfortable with the technology trying to help you. The focus needs to be all on you and helping you get what you need as soon as possible. Please feel free to reach out to me at my Honolulu clinic or London clinic with any questions or to set up a CBT Test Drive.
