Our Premium Selection of Best Online Therapy for Teens

Getting a teenager to attend therapy sessions is usually a very difficult thing to do. Most teens are not very comfortable sitting in a therapist’s office and talking about their issues. But when introduced to the idea of online therapy, many teens are willing to at least “give it a go”. Teenagers are much more comfortable with the internet and enjoy chatting online, making even the most affordable online therapy much more effective. The best online therapy for teens involves greater convenience and less stigma, as well. But there are some potential disadvantages, too. Before you sign your teen for therapy sessions, you may want to know more about what online therapy involves. Consumer Opinion Guide is there to provide you with all the necessary information!

What is online therapy, exactly?

You may have heard the term under a different name, such as teletherapy, internet counseling, or even e-therapy. All these terms suggest that this therapy modality allows the patients to attend their sessions online. This means that the patients communicate with their therapist over a video chat, through messaging and mobile apps, specific websites, etc. The best online therapy for teens may also be combined with in-person therapy or as an alternative to it.

Effectiveness of online therapy for teens

When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of online therapy, there have been numerous studies over the years. Most of them agree that online therapy is as effective in treating mental health issues as traditional, in-person, therapy. When it comes to teens, specifically, an Australian study that looked at adolescents’ perceptions of online therapies found that as many as 72% of adolescents would access online therapy if they needed help with their mental issues. Other studies, such as one that researched online counseling in secondary schools, demonstrated that teens prefer online therapy when it comes to discussing sensitive issues (sexuality, for example). However, the same study also showed that when faced with some issues such as bullying, conflict among peers, general guidance, etc., teens would prefer in-person therapy.

Online therapy is not the “new and improved” version of traditional therapy. It is there to complement other therapy options, and to provide a way for patients to attend therapy sessions in a much more convenient and comfortable manner. And that are just a few of the benefits that online therapy offers.

Benefits

Teenagers these days grow up with the internet being a large part of their lives. Needless to say, teens can be much more comfortable communicating through their smartphones, tablet, or computer screen. Thus, online therapy presents something that teens actually might enjoy doing, and is one of the prime advantages of online counseling. While teenagers might feel “forced” to attend in-person therapy sessions, this feeling is usually significantly lessened when it comes to the online environment.

Convenient

Then there’s the added convenience that the best online therapy for teens brings. There’s no need to visit the therapist’s office in person. The patient is attending sessions from the comfort of their own home. Teenagers that live in rural areas benefit from this fact the most, as attending online sessions saves a lot of time on travel. In most cases, online therapy is the only viable option for mental health support in rural areas.

Here are some of the most notable benefits that online therapy brings:

• Less stigma
• Greater affordability
• More convenient
• Unparalleled accessibility

Less stigma

Even in this day and age, mental health issues are still being ridiculed by some. This is especially prevalent in teenagers, as they may mock their peers that are undergoing treatment. Many teens dread being on the receiving end of this and hide the fact that they are attending therapy sessions. And this brings the feelings of fear of being found out, which may lead to an anxiety disorder.

With online therapy, all these problems “go away”. No one can find out that you are attending therapy sessions when you do not leave your home to attend them, after all. The possibility of having the stigma of attending therapy is all but eliminated. For some teens, this may be the deciding factor.

More affordable

The fact of the matter is that therapy can be very expensive, even prohibitively so in some cases. A single, in-person, therapy session costs anywhere between $100 and $200! Even the best online therapy for teens costs quite a bit less than that, over the course of a month. Most online therapy networks offer a subscription-based model, with a set number of sessions and therapist correspondences. The networks that offer a similar price model to traditional sessions usually charge from $60 to $90 per session, making online therapy a lot more affordable. The most affordable online therapy goes even below $60 per session!

Of course, it all depends on the exact needs and requirements that a patient may have. Some online therapy options may be more expensive than traditional therapy sessions. But they usually come with a range of additional benefits and conveniences. As with everything else in life, it is well worth your time to “shop around“. Finding the best therapy network for your needs may require a considerable time investment but it is worth it in the end.

Unrivaled accessibility

Online therapy is accessible to anyone that has internet access. This makes it possible for patients in remote locations to connect to a therapist and get the help they need. Furthermore, if a teen has physical limitations that prevent them from attending in-person therapy sessions, online therapy may be their only recourse. Not every therapist’s office has the means to accommodate clients with special requirements, after all. This is one of the main differences between online therapy and in-person therapy, and one of the prime reasons why some patients strongly prefer the former.

Potential issues with online therapy for teens

Online therapy for teens is not the “next best thing”. While this treatment modality has numerous benefits, it also comes with a unique set of challenges. For example, if the power or internet goes down at any point in the therapy session, the session is over. To make matters worse, the software that runs in the background and keeps all the information confidential may also be compromised. Chances for that happening are very slim, though, but they are not non-existent. But there are other potential issues with online therapy for teens, including:

• Insurance
• Absence of face-to-face contact
• Written communication
• Blurred boundaries
• Referrals

Insurance

Then there’s the fact that telehealth is a “touchy” subject when it comes to insurance. Many insurance companies choose not to offer coverage for even the best online therapy for teens. That is why you need to make sure that your insurance provider offers the option to pay for online therapy. Verify with them whether they provide coverage for both online and in-person therapy treatments. You can also try to find affordable online counseling and forgo insurance altogether. In fact, some online therapy networks flat-out refuse insurance payments but compensate for them with lower prices.

Absence of face-to-face contact

Even though teens may prefer not to be in the same room with their therapist, the fact of the matter is that body language can be a significant factor in therapy sessions. While video calls might transfer some body language to the patient, therapy through voice or email is completely devoid of it. And even video communication is not always a substitute for in-person interaction. Most therapists learn a lot from the patient’s body language, after all.

Written communication

Even though teens spend much of their time expressing themselves in a written form, that does not necessarily mean they are good at reading and retaining information. Many teens have issues expressing themselves through text. A large portion of online therapy is conducted through text messages and teens that struggle with that form of communication may not be great candidates for this treatment modality.

Blurred boundaries

Another potential issue is the fact that teens may perceive their therapist as a friend, instead of mental health professional. The blurring of boundaries can cause a great deal of confusion in teens that are attending online therapy sessions.

Referrals may be more difficult

Mental health therapy usually has at least some dependence on local services in the patient’s area. The problem occurs when your therapist is not familiar with these services, as they may be located in another state. An example of this is the therapist recommending a local support group. If a therapist does not have any personal experience with the group, they are unable to provide quality recommendations.

Should you sign your teen for online therapy?

Even if your teenager is amicable to the idea of online therapy, that does not necessarily mean it is the best option for them. There are several questions you may want to ask yourself before signing them up for online therapy, such as:

• Is online therapy the best option for my teen?
• Is the therapist in question licensed and certified?
• How is the information being kept confidential?
• How does the therapy handle emergencies?
• What are the payment terms?
• How can I support the therapy efforts?
• How are the therapy records kept?

It is always good to ask questions and demand answers before you sign your teen for online therapy sessions. Feel free to include any questions of your own and to research the available therapist networks in greater detail. You may also want to know how to recognize a bad therapist, as you will have the opportunity of changing them easily.

For example, online therapy is not ideal for all mental health issues. Any instances of risky behavior (substance use, suicidal or self-harm thoughts, etc.) will be better served with in-person therapy. Furthermore, online therapy professionals are not required to be medical health professionals. It is in your best interest to find professionals with sufficient experience and training, as they are the ones that can help your teen the most. That being said, don’t discount other successful therapists even if they don’t have any certificates or degrees. Research is key.

How to start?

The first thing to do after you start suspecting that your teen has a mental illness is to talk to your teen’s doctor. Underlying health issues can sometimes contribute to mental illnesses and fixing the former will fix the latter. Furthermore, their doctor will be able to provide recommendations on whether your teen will benefit from online therapy in the first place. If there are any safety risks, for example, the online approach might not be the best one.

After consulting with the doctor, you will also want to talk to your health insurance company. Most insurance providers offer limited coverage for online therapy, and many of them have preferred providers. This means that you need to figure out whether those preferred providers are the best match for your teen. Or you may want to change your insurance provider in some cases.

But the most important thing to do is talk to your teenager about the prospect of online therapy. See what they think about it and whether they are ready for it. Your teen’s opinion is extremely important when it comes to any sort of psychotherapy, after all. Regardless of the treatment modality, the interest and investment of your teen will “make or break” the process.

To get the best online therapy for teens, you will need to “juggle” several factors. Every therapy network is different, and they all offer somewhat unique options. Knowing what your options are is instrumental in choosing the best therapy for your teen. At Consumer Opinion Guide, we make it our business to provide this information for you. Explore our website at your leisure and you will soon discover all the top therapy networks, as well as their pros and cons.