In a matter of just a decade, online psychology has become one of the most common ways of offering and receiving psychological assistance, a new way of establishing interaction between the psychologist and the patient or client.

Now… why has it become so popular? Basically, online psychology consists of the same services as always, although carried out through a different medium: the Internet, from which digital platforms can be used to communicate in real time. Is such a simple modification capable of making people start using this option massively in a few years, and seeing it as something normal?

In this article we will see what are the advantages of using online psychology , and how this new tool helps both clients and psychologists.

The advantages of using online psychology

As I said before, deep down the only difference between conventional psychology services and online psychology services is the channel. In one case, the client or patient goes to visit the psychologist in his office or the psychologist goes to the client’s home or business to work on site; in the other, both are one hour away and are connected to a communication system through the Internet.

This small differential fact, however, is much more . It creates a domino effect that affects many other aspects of the relationship between the practitioner and the client, and the many of these effects are positive, beneficial to both. Let’s see what they are.

Customer benefits

These are the different ways in which online psychology brings benefits to the client.

1. Allows you to save on travel

Although in theory psychologists can go to wherever the client is, in practice the standard services of most professionals in the sector do not include this option, and if they do, it would normally mean paying more than most people can afford.

For this reason, the sessions in which the psychologist and the client or patient meet are normally held in the psychologist’s workplace , whether it is a psychology office, a private practice or a clinic.

However, this is a barrier for some people who have a lot of problems getting around, such as those living in areas that are not very well connected, older people or those with motor disabilities.

Online psychology eliminates this obstacle and makes many more people able to access the services of a psychology professional by attending sessions on a regular basis.

2. Allows for better matching of schedules

Because of the advantage we have seen above, everyone can deduct from their schedule the time needed to travel to the psychologist’s work space, which can easily mean gaining an hour and a half a week, and find more easily spaces to do the sessions without them interfering with work or home responsibilities.

3. Allows you to choose the professional who really fits what you are looking for

As thanks to online psychology, the space between client and psychologist is practically irrelevant, anyone interested in these services can go to the professional who really offers what they are looking for , even if they live more than an hour away by car.

4. A good solution for people who have gone abroad

The possibility of having psychological assistance in the mother tongue is a positive point to take into account if you live abroad. Especially if in these sessions you have to talk about personal issues or express feelings in a direct and honest way.

5. It offers the guarantees of face-to-face psychological assistance

Currently, research indicates that the usefulness and effectiveness of online psychology are comparable to those of face-to-face sessions , and that in general there are no significant losses in the quality of the service offered.

This does not mean that you cannot pose a disadvantage to some people with specific needs, such as patients seeking therapy for phobias using technological tools that are available in a clinic but not at home or on your computer, but these requirements usually do not arise.

Benefits for the psychologist

On the other hand, online psychology also offers many interesting advantages to psychologists. These are the main ones.

1. Allows to work from any side

Regardless of whether we are travelling to another country to attend a congress or whether we have gone to another city for a few days to work on a special case on site (for example, in-company services for a multinational), online psychology allows us to continue to handle the case of many clients .

2. Helping to balance schedules

Online psychology provides a little more flexibility in distributing sessions throughout the week . For example, thanks to this it is possible to attend to clients even if at certain times there is no one at the reception desk, and even if due to scheduling issues in one phase of the day there is no time to prepare a room in which to meet.

3. Helps to have more clients

It should not be forgotten that online psychology can be accompanied by an expansive marketing strategy, that appeals to people who live relatively far from where we are but who may feel interested in our services . This means that the ceiling of the potential clientele goes up a lot, and is even potentially unlimited, if we do it well and work hard on the communication of what we offer.

Conclusion

The advantages of online psychology mean that this service is here to stay . As long as there are good communication networks and a widespread use of electronic devices connected to the Internet, there will be the possibility of taking advantage of the potential of this channel that keeps us together regardless of where we are. And this can only be good news.