What are the benefits of online counseling for women in California?
One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic is the absolute explosion in the availability of online counseling for women. I, for one, hope that this trend is here to stay.
Well Woman Psychology has been passionate about offering telehealth for years. Additionally, I have helped healthcare facilities develop telehealth best practices for offering therapy via telehealth, but many people who are newer to this idea or who haven’t tried it may be wondering what the benefits are.
The truth is, there are so many benefits!
8 Benefits of Online Counseling for Women
Online therapy increases access to counseling in rural areas
Listen, I’m from a small town in a rural area of California- draped-in-redwoods-and-fog Humboldt County on the North Coast. Although I haven’t lived there in decades, I have family and friends who are still there and understand first hand the difficulty that folks in rural areas have in accessing healthcare providers, including therapists. Rural areas are generally underserved, meaning that compared to their urban or suburban counterparts, there aren’t nearly enough providers available. If someone lives rurally, they are limited to the providers in their area unless they are willing to travel a long distance, but with online therapy in California, they can access a therapy anywhere in the state of California! This exponentially increases the number of available Psychologists to choose from and goes a long way toward increasing access to needed care.
Online counseling for women increases access to specilaties
Not only does online therapy in California increase access for folks living in rural areas, it also increases access to speciality care for all Californians. For example, say you live in Sacramento but you are looking for a therapist who specializes in the Health at Every Size approach like I do. If there are no such providers in your area, you are out of luck. Or maybe there is one locally, but you don’t exactly click or aren’t compatible in terms of schedule. Out of luck again. However, with online therapy, you can have access to this niche speciality for providers all over the state, increasing the chances of finding someone who is the right fit for you.
You can do therapy from your safe space
When done right, therapy is a positive experience, but that doesn’t mean it’s always pleasant or easy. While there are definitely lighter sessions and moments of levity or celebration, often clients are connecting with really tough emotions in order to work through them. When clients are able to participate in therapy where they feel most comfortable and safe, it can help ease this process. Clients have access to things that help with self-soothing like pets or a favorite cozy blanket. They have space from others to ground themselves rather than having to immediately go out in public after crying their eyes out. Or if they want to take a shower or a nap afterwards to reset, they have that option. All in all, the comforts of home can make it feel less daunting.
On the flip side, if home isn’t private or safe, you can easily do online therapy from your car or office. In fact, you can do it anywhere you have an internet connection. And as a bonus, you don’t have to miss appointments when you have to take a business trip!
Online counseling for women saves time
Most Californians live in places with terrible traffic. From the Bay Area gridlock to rush hour in Southern California, driving to appointments can be a HUGE time suck, especially if it’s across town. Often, this additional time burden makes or breaks someone’s ability to attend appointments during the day, especially if it’s not at the beginning or end of the workday and you have to drive both there and back. But even if you have the world’s most flexible supervisor and this isn’t interfering with the ability to attend appointments, it is still a colossal waste of time and for the women I work with, time is definitely their most precious resource! With online therapy, you cut out all of that wasted time spent driving and finding parking.
Online therapy saves money
In addition to saving a ton of time, online therapy in California also saves money. While it does require internet access, which is a privilege and at a cost, it saves money spent on gas and parking, which can be significant depending on how far you have to drive.
It is environmentally friendly
No commuting to therapy means you aren’t generating car exhaust on your way to and from your appointment.
Online counseling for women is safer for immunocompromised folks
It is definitely a privilege to not have to consider your risk of illness every time you go somewhere, but for many Californians who are immunocompromised, or who live with someone who is, this is a risk that one has to calculate all the time. Online therapy allows people to attend in a way that reduces risk of illness and is safer.
You can still attend if you are running late or are sick
How many times have you been on your way to an appointment, only to get caught up in a task or traffic and realize you aren’t going to make it to the appointment? We have all been there. Or maybe you’re feeling a bit under the weather - not ill enough to want to skip your appointment, but you also don’t want to get your therapist sick. With online therapy, you are a click away from joining your appointment and can likely still make all or most of it. Whereas, with driving, you may miss all or most of it. In this way, online counseling for women is more flexible than in-person therapy.
Online Counseling for Women Works
Research shows that online counseling for women is just as effective as in-person therapy for most concerns. Certainly, it is not for everyone and there are circumstances where in-person therapy is what is clinically indicated or required, but for most things, the data is clear: it works!
Start Online Counseling For Women in California
Are you ready to start therapy in a way that is convenient to you? If you are then I can help support you as an online psychologist. Whether you are in Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, or rural California online counseling for women is available to you. To start therapy at Well Woman Psychology follow these steps:
Start receive specialize mental health support
Feel better while speaking with an online psychologist from home
Online Therapy Services I Offer in California
I offer a variety of mental health services for women including online sex therapy, EMDR, and trauma therapy. In addition to counseling for infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and miscarriage. As an online psychologist, I also offer support for women with relationship issues and body image issues. All of these services are available anywhere in California, Illinois, New York, and Washington.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for individual medical or mental health advice, and does not constitute a client-therapist relationship.