If you're aware of the current mental health trends, then you might already know a bit about virtual therapy. While the term can be a bit misleading, virtual therapy has been proven to be effective and helpful in all of the same ways that traditional counseling can be. In fact, it's already being considered the 'new normal' .
In this article we're going to go into detail describing the nature of virtual therapy. After reading, you'll be able to decide for yourself whether or not this particular form of therapy will be effective for you or your loved ones.
Not as New as You'd ThinkCertain forms of virtual therapy have actually been available for quite some time : when the Internet was still being developed, and existed only as a network of connected computers at a university, therapists were offering their services by text to students and faculty members.
Technology has improved a lot since then, and so has virtual therapy. Therapy began to be available as telehealth in the early 90s, where people would connect with therapists and medical professionals over the phone or the internet. When webcams became popular, therapists could then offer video chats to their clients.
However, it wasn't until the last decade or so that virtual therapy became a practical reality for huge numbers of people. This is because of the now-ubiquitous nature of smartphones, tablets, and laptops. People can access the internet anywhere now - which means that they're also able to access virtual therapy.
Why Virtual Therapy Is the FutureThe way things are going, people are becoming more and more busy with less and less free time on their hands. As sad as it is, this means that a lot of people - such as busy workers, single mothers, and students attending school - don't have time to take an hour or two out of their day to go see a therapist.
Fortunately, thanks to virtual therapy, they can now see a therapist anywhere that they can bring their smart device.
This form of counseling is a bit of a misnomer, conjuring ideas of talking to a 'digital, pre-programmed' therapist. This isn't the case. Virtual therapy simply connects you to a counselor who is on the other end of your webcam. This provides lots of benefits.
 · You can save a lot of time.
 · People who previously couldn't access therapy, like the physically disabled or people living in rural areas, are now able to
 · You can save money by using virtual therapy
 · You can seek therapy while you're on a walk, while you're at home, or even while you're on vacation
Digital therapy fills in a lot of the gaps that our modern society is creating for people who are interested in maintaining their mental health.
As technology continues to improve and grow, there's no doubt that more and more additions will be made to the world of virtual therapy. More therapists will become available, and new tools and opportunity will become available.
Is it possible that one day we will experience a true virtual therapy, in which an automated 'therapist' communicates with patients and understands how to answer their questions by using artificial intelligence? With the development of so many 'intelligent' robots and models these days, this isn't out of reach - but for now, it seems like people are best off seeking therapy from fellow humans (online or otherwise) who can understand and utilize emotional empathy.
