Allison Crotwell, LICSW

What is Online Therapy?

Whether at home, work, or simply too busy to commute to the therapy office, you can get the help and care you deserve through online therapy. Online therapy, also known as e-therapy, teletherapy, and remote therapy, is like regular in-person therapy. As the name suggests, the only difference is that I work the clients online or over the phone. In addition, I use fully HIPAA-compliant, confidential technology to meet conveniently, confidentially, and privately.

Why Choose Online Therapy?

Online therapy is all about accessibility, convenience, and privacy. Working with a therapist online may be better than in-person therapy for people who:

Live in rural or remote communities
Are home-bound or have health issues
Have a busy schedule and want to save driving time
Travel frequently for work
Need to be home with children
Feel more comfortable meeting on video (e.g., social anxiety)

Some people choose to do a combination of in-person and online therapy, and sometimes sessions are best done remotely (if you have a cold or another illness, it’s best to stay home, right?).

How can online therapy help?

Online therapy can help with many of the same issues and goals as in-person therapy. Some things are even easier to address through the online format. Some common examples of why people seek help through online therapy include:

Feeling alone or isolated
Low self-worth or self-esteem
Loss of productivity, drive, and motivation
Difficulty concentrating or focusing
Social anxieties or awkwardness
Relationship issues
Gender and sexuality processing
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Challenges at school or work
Parenting and childrearing issues
Feeling “stuck” in life

Therapeutic Modalities

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used therapeutic approach that has demonstrated effectiveness for working with many conditions, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. In addition, CBT approaches can be modified to address several physiological conditions, including insomnia and chronic pain. At the center of a CBT approach is the idea that one's behaviors and thoughts are connected and can influence one another. Therefore, someone receiving CBT can expect to spend time in therapy identifying and relearning thought processes and behavior patterns that are unhelpful in one's life.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a skill-based therapeutic approach that focuses on improving an individual's ability to implement skills in difficult situations or address problematic behaviors that impact building a life worth living. DBT approaches include dialectics (synthesis between opposites), acceptance, validation, and problem-solving to improve quality of life. DBT often focuses on four skill areas: emotional regulation, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance skills.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness skills aim to improve one's ability to be present in their life from one moment to the next. This can be achieved by practicing mindfulness exercises and adopting an open, accepting, and non-judgmental mindset toward your current experience.

Mindfulness skills can be practiced in many ways, ranging from lengthy formal meditation practices to short breathing exercises used periodically throughout the day. Mindfulness-based skills can increase awareness of your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and how these components resonate in your body. In addition, improving your ability to pay attention to various sensations, thoughts, and emotions that you experience can also improve reactivity to these same sensations, thoughts, and feelings allowing one to feel more emotionally regulated.

Acceptance Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them.

ACT develops psychological flexibility and is a form of behavioral therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance. Commitment plays a key role when aiming to be more accepting of your thoughts and feelings.

In the case of ACT, you commit to facing the problem head-on rather than avoiding your stresses. Imagine committing to actions that help you facilitate your experience and embrace any challenge.

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