How to Find a Therapist Online?

Are you planning to go for therapy? But unsure to proceed? Well…you are certainly not the only one to feel that way. There are thousands of others who are going through the same confusion. In a country like India where the majority of the population is still denying the existence of mental health, it is common to have so many doubts.

If you are facing difficulties in finding your therapist, let us help you find an online therapist through this article.

Know What (and Who) You Want in an Online Therapy Experience

It is an important task to be done before you talk to a therapist online. Asking yourself questions will help you clarify your needs and narrow down your search for an online therapist.

Knowing What You Want to Work on With Your Therapist

What is the concern that you would want to address with your therapist? You might not know the specifics until a few sessions. However, just like we choose a doctor based on our understanding of what is happening to us, we choose an online therapist. “But what if I do not know what is happening?” Sure, you might not be aware of what is causing you the issues that it is causing but we do understand that something is wrong, and that is enough for us to find an online therapist to work with some of the specifics can be relationship counsellors, clinical psychologists, family therapists, etc.

Length and frequency of sessions

The best part of online counselling is that the duration is flexible. You might prefer a one-hour session which is usual or less than that as it can be exhausting as well. BetterLYF Online Counseling provides you with 40 minutes during the first session and later, a quick 20-minutes follow-up session as well to briefly check in regarding the concerns or get a rough idea of how your sessions might look going forward. 

How much online therapy costs

Financial management is also an important aspect of seeking help from an online therapist. While we might see expensive session packages at many places, there are affordable and reasonable rates as well. You can expect anything ranging from 499₹ to 999₹ for a 40-minute to a 60- minute session.

The Most Common Forms of Psychotherapy

Another good filter can be knowing about the different types of therapy. This will serve as a point of view for what you are comfortable with.

CBT

A therapeutic technique that helps in identifying thoughts, and cognitive distortions. It trains you to challenge these situations and deal with them in an effective way.

ACT

“Acceptance and Commitment therapy” helps in understanding your thoughts, and feelings and inspires you to embrace them. Dr. Russell Harris (2011) has defined ACT as “a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy that challenges the ground rules of most Western psychology.” The goal is to develop mindfulness skills with the existence of painful suffering to create a meaningful life.

Psychodynamic Therapy

This is an approach that involves understanding the deeper connection between emotion and other mental processes. It helps you to get an insight into the choices you make, the way you feel and think in a certain situation, and the reason behind it.

Choosing Therapist by Gender

Most therapy networks help you choose a therapist by allowing you to filter gender. However, it wouldn’t be wise to think that a therapist of the same gender will be a good fit.

Mode of therapy

Are you looking for a video chat, an audio call, or an online therapist who takes sessions on chats as well? What will be your comfortable fit to interact with your counselor? Whenever we hear about online therapy, video sessions are the first thing that clicks our minds. However, you would be amazed to know that there is much more. Most of the online platforms, now provide you with options to have an audio call or a chat session as well.

BetterLYF is an online counselling platform that is flexible in letting you choose your mode of online therapy by providing you with either chat, call, or video sessions. Added benefits are that you can change the mode of sessions discussing with your therapist.

Confidentiality

The importance of confidentiality is extremely valuable as the client has a right to choose how their information will be accessed. Generally, the counsellors agree not to disclose any information prior to the therapy. Sometimes, a signed agreement is made with the  aim of not sharing information with any person and moreover, the client and the counsellor to contain a formal understanding of one another

Finding a therapist

1. Ask an experienced person- You can start by asking a friend or family member who has already had an experience with therapy. If you do get any recommendations that would obviously save a lot of time and energy.
2. A planned and elaborative search-

• Try out the online therapy network with keywords such as an online therapist, an Indian therapist near me, how to find an online therapist, et cetera 
• If you read an article on mental health and connect with it, you can check for the author. Online therapists write blogs on mental health. You can check online to know more about them and can connect accordingly.
• When you find an online network or an app providing therapeutic service, you can look up the reviews provided by clients on Google. These reviews will also help you to find a suitable therapist in that network. Accordingly, you can request to connect with them.

3. A long-term relationship- Do not expect a quick fix in your therapy. It takes time, energy, and effort from both parties. Hence choosing the right match diligently will help you commit for a long time, focus on your goal and build a happier life.

Online counselling therapy or Online depression counselling are a go-to option if you are trying it out for the first time. This will give you a wide range of options to choose from and you can explore according to your necessity.

Seeking help is a sign of courage. Don't let self-limiting beliefs hold you back from a life you deserve. Avail online therapy to become happier and better. Learn how