If your life has been flipped upside down with the many limitations brought about during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re not alone. This is something a majority of the world is going through right now and there doesn’t seem to be anyway around it — as much as we’d like one.
Some people have lost their jobs, some people have had to give up certain hobbies, some people have lost people they love, and other people have just had a hard time coping with what’s going on in the world right now. We’re all struggling to get through this together.
In fact, more and more people are starting to learn the many benefits available today with online therapy. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when meeting face-to-face is extremely difficult for some, online therapy has given many people a fresh breath of air in a crazy world.
So, what can online therapy do for you?
When most people hear the term ‘therapy,’ they aren’t always overcome with positive emotions. Many people associate therapy with someone who’s mentally ill or someone who’s viewed as a danger to society. While those people are out there, it’s not the only thing therapy is meant for.
Therapy can help just about everyone and there are hundreds of different types of therapy. They each come with their own unique benefits and they’re all designed to help different people cope with different emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. There’s truly a therapy for just about anyone.
With the current state of the pandemic, online therapy is a great way to cope with lost loved ones, reduce the amount of stress and anxiety in your life, increase the amount of motivation you have, find a sense of meaning in your life, and change your negative behaviors in life.
Effective Online Therapies During the Pandemic
Whether you’re overly stressed and anxious, have just been diagnosed with a mental disorder, or simply need a little guidance in life to help you get back on the right track to success, online therapy is ready and available to do exactly that. This pandemic doesn’t have to keep you down.
Instead, you can learn to thrive in the ever-changing world we live in today. You can start to take better control of your life and reach your true potential on a daily basis. There are a variety of different types of therapy that can help, so we’ll detail some of the most prominent ones for you!
01. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Also known as CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy is a popular therapy that can be administered in an online setting. It’s founded on the principles that psychological issues are not only caused by abnormal thoughts and behavior patterns, but that these patterns can be changed over time.
The therapist has two main goals in CBT. The first is changing the individual’s thinking patterns, which involves improving the individual’s level of self-confidence, bettering their problem-solving skills, identifying their abnormal thoughts, and opening them up to the reality we’re all living in.
The second goal behind cognitive behavioral therapy is changing the individual’s behavioral patterns, which involves the use of role playing and exposure to help them face their fears, prepare them for specific encounters, and teach them how to cope with their daily anxiety.
02. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Also known as DBT, dialectical behavior therapy is a form of therapy that was originally founded for those with borderline personality disorder. It was created as a solution to those that weren’t seeing any improvement through other forms of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
Today, DBT is a common type of therapy for everything from depression, substance abuse disorders, eating disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other mental illnesses. It’s a rather new type of therapy when compared to some of the other therapy options used today.
Dialectical behavior therapy is founded on the opposing principles that involve accepting the individual for who they are, while also pushing for positive change in that individual. It’s based on self-acceptance, validation, and change — which is where the therapy gets its name.
03. Family or Group Therapy
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families are forced to spend more time with one another than ever before. While this is good for most households, it can quickly turn into a nightmare for other families — especially the ones that were already experiencing conflicts pre-pandemic.
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that’s designed to help find a solution for these family conflicts inside the home. It usually involves every member of the family that are currently experiencing conflict, disagreements, or any other form of negativity between one another.
By helping these family members better communicate with another, family therapy can help resolve these conflicts in a positive manner. It’s normally more of a short-term therapy that looks for a permanent solution, but some forms of family therapy are long-term if conflicts persist.
04. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Also known as ACT, acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on self-acceptance in the individual. It’s largely recommended for those that have a hard time accepting who they are and struggle to embrace the thoughts and feelings that overcome them.
With a strong commitment towards mindfulness, self-acceptance, and solutions, ACT helps an individual learn to live with and accept their imperfections. This is important because most people choose to run away from them and never give themselves a chance to overcome them.
Acceptance and commitment therapy can help a wide range of people and is used to help treat a wide range of different mental illnesses — including depression, substance abuse disorders, eating disorders, chronic pain, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
05. Psychoanalytic & Psychodynamic Therapy
Often used interchangeably, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy are extremely similar to one another. The main difference between the two is that psychoanalytic therapy is generally more of a long-term treatment option, while psychodynamic therapy is more of a brief treatment.
Psychoanalytic therapy was originally developed by none other than Sigmund Freud. His theory behind this therapy option was that psychological issues occur when an individual experiences tension between their ID, their ego, and their superego — among other parts of their mind.
Psychoanalysis was one of the first known therapy options for people with mental disorders. While it’s still used today, it has mostly been replaced by psychodynamic therapy, which is a much shorter and quicker form of therapy. They’re both founded on the same principles.
Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out for Help Today!
We’re all battling a different fight in the world today. While we all need help in different ways, there’s no shame in admitting that you need help. It’s what’s needed in order to build a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life — for both yourself and for those you surround yourself with.
With that being said, we should never hesitate to reach out for help when we need it most. If the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a wide amount of strain in your life, feel free to reach out to our good friends over at BetterHelp. They’ll help you find a qualified therapist in your local area.
If you’re interested in reading more useful information about the world we live in today and how humanity is constantly evolving, follow our Citi I/O blog. There’s nothing we love more than covering the scope of the world today through the lens of city, people, and technology.
