Pilar Conde: "Online therapy is not different from any therapy, what changes is the access route"
New technologies have caused changes in multiple areas of our lives, and of course in the way we have to relate to others. Nowadays, we can buy online, study a career online and even go to psychological therapy without having to attend a clinic in person.
In this sense, Online therapy brings many benefits and it is just as useful as traditional therapy. Many people have improved their well-being and quality of life with this type of psychotherapy.
- Related article: "The 9 benefits of online psychological therapy"
Interview with Pilar Conde, director of Origen-alive
Knowing the above, we wanted to talk with Pilar Conde, health psychologist and technical director of the psychotherapy center, to tell us how online therapy works and explain what its advantages are.
Juan Armando Corbin: Good morning, Pilar. Tell us what Origin is. Why was he born?
Pilar Conde: Origin, born with the aim of allowing access to psychological treatments, coaching and pharmacological processes, at any time of the day and from anywhere. The contracted treatment can be either in person or online.
What exactly is the online therapy? What are the advantages compared to conventional therapy?
The online treatment procedure is the same as the face-to-face procedure. The treatments are divided into evaluation phase, hypothesis or psychoeducational phase, intervention phase and follow-up phase.
The difference is that the material between sessions will be given in digital format and through email, and the interaction between people and professionals will be through an electronic device. In our case it is not necessary to have a program installed, since we send the link to the mail, and accessing it opens the connection.
As for the advantages, it is not necessary to lose therapeutic sessions due to work or travel, nor is it necessary to waste time going and returning to the consultation, which facilitates the reconciliation with personal and work life. In addition, sessions can be made from any place where the patient is comfortable, such as the living room of your home or on your terrace and it is possible to have psychotherapy sessions with the professionals of Clínicas Origen even if the patient is not in the same city .
How does online therapy work? What steps should a patient interested in this type of therapy follow?
It is very simple, the interested person has to enter www.origen-alive.com and choose the treatment that he considers that fits his needs, among the existing treatments, which adjust to different profiles. In origin-alive we have online and face-to-face therapies in the clinic, both will be enhanced by specialists from Clínicas Origen.
The process of buying or booking online treatments is very simple, with a user and following the purchase steps in a few clicks the interested party will have the key to be happier.
Once contracted or having made the reservation, an advisor of our clinics contacts the interested party to inform you about our clinics, meet with the psychologist and assess their needs and treatment adequacy. After this assessment, which is completely free , the chosen treatment will be validated or modified so that it is really effective.
In online therapy, is the trust between the therapist and the patient less due to physical distance? And the adherence to the treatment?
Nowadays, technologies and people's way of relating have changed. Online therapy has many benefits as I said, and technology allows us to evolve and adapt to a greater number of needs and personal circumstances. If used in a creative and professional manner, it will benefit and enhance the therapeutic processes and the relationship of trust between the patient and the therapist.
Adherence to treatment can even be facilitated, given that it is easier to access from anywhere than the trips required by face-to-face sessions.
Do you think that online therapy is equally beneficial for any person or any type of problem?
Online therapy is not different from any therapy, what changes is the access route. If people have a predisposition and motivation, it should not be an inconvenience. There are certain symptoms that could be thought of as an inconvenience, for example in people who have agoraphobia, who tend not to leave the house.
In principle it could be seen as a difficulty, but if we are creative we will see how it can be used in their favor.For example, it may be that this type of access allows access to some people who, due to different reasons, are not willing at first to attend in person and can help them in that process. In other situations, you can perform online sessions on the street, accompanying you in the exhibition process.
What psychological problems do you most often treat from Source-alive?
We treat many problems, although anxiety disorders and mood disorders more frequently. We also work on coaching processes.
What skills do you think the psychologist should promote in online therapy sessions?
In any type of therapy the psychologist must have developed empathy, active listening, unconditional acceptance, training, experience. In online therapy, the ability to deal with the necessary applications, such as mail and a program to perform online sessions, would be added.
What differentiates Origen-alive from other online therapy clinics?
Origen-alive is a clinic specialized in online treatment, and we have a specific program for sessions that does not require the installation of any program on the computer. Our methodology facilitates the understanding of everything the patient works in the session, and the psychologist sends the material weekly to his mail.
One of our goals is to break the barriers about existing prejudices when going to a psychologist. For us, going to the psychologist is synonymous with intelligence, of being aware that in order to improve and grow psychologically, emotionally and socially, training is needed by a professional, in this case a psychologist.
Origen-alive patients belong to a network of clinics and their psychologists are part of a team of professionals, who receive continuous training. We also ensure that all our professionals have the sanitary accreditation to practice, as well as the mandatory requirements for the exercise of therapy.
The fact of belonging to a network of clinics such as Origen, makes our patients benefit from the discounts and promotions of our clinics. From Origen we care about the well-being of our patients, and for this reason we ensure that the treatments they receive are of the highest quality.
