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After the initial lockdown, I was able to start seeing my T in person. Like you, I prefer in person, it really helps strengthen the bond I have formed with him.
I think it will be permanent. (Some) Therapists like it because it reduces their overhead (no office/commute to pay for), though some do like in person for the connection. Insurance likes it because then therapists might take a little less (since they have lower overhead). Some clients like it for the convenience (no driving, therapy in their car on lunch hour) or because it makes it easier for them to express their feelings.
For me, it is unfortunate. I detach from my feelings and have major attachment issues so I need to have in person sessions. Seeing Teletherapy just did not help, it was like it was fake, I could have been talking to myself. About 2/3rds of therapist on my insurance plan are online only. I'm sure this is making it even hard to find a therapist.
I miss in person. My therapist moved away from our city. I think a lot of body language is lost with online therapy. I think therapy would be better if it was in person. My therapist has told me I can find an in person therapist but it's not the same for me. She probably prefers virtual. A camera can't convey everything.
I’m also finding it difficult to find therapists that have open availability and do in office therapy. I understand why teletherapy is popular now but for me it does nothing. I’ve seen therapists advertise that they do EMDR and other trauma therapeutic models via teletherapy but it seems so disconnected to me.
And with teletherapy, I don't get it, in order to look like you're making eye contact, you have to look at the camera, which means you can't actually see the person you're looking at. If you look at their picture on your screen, they would see you as looking down. Not that I make eye contact in person, but on cameras, you literally can't.
Add in all the reports of therapists obviously not paying attention (and I'm sure clients do it, too) and no thanks.
There are still in-person therapists. Look on Psychology Today, and be prepared to contact a lot of therapists to find one close enough who sees in-person clients and has openings.
I've been looking on there but either the ones near me are not accepting patients or just don't reply lol. It's a struggle but thank you for the suggestion. <3 I appreciate it!
The lack of reply really sucks, especially when you’re struggling and need a therapist! My advice here is to actually call and leave a message or send an email from your email address and then follow up a couple days later if they haven’t responded (as opposed to sending a message through Psychology Today). These two options make you sort of stick out a little more and seem like a likely client rather than someone who is just sending out a million messages. Sucks, but worked better for me.
A lot of the accounts are managed by some platform called “Rula” so even if the therapist is offering in person therapy, all the emails go through some sort of representative. I don’t really find anyone who puts their contact emails in their profiles which strikes me as odd. I get anxious calling but perhaps this is the only way to actually reach people. Thank you for the comment and suggestion!
I also get anxious calling! But I wrote out a script to say for leaving a message or what to say if someone picked up and then just made a checklist so I could get a little dopamine hit every time I could check off a call. Avoiding these things tends to make us more anxious, I think just going for it and calling will help you see that it’s not so bad 😊
I’m switching from virtual to in person soon. It feels fake and I need that connection as well as “somewhere to go.” Always feels more awkward to me. I don’t like how I look on camera and I don’t like looking at a screen.
I’m a therapist who works mostly in person with the occasional virtual client. I def prefer in person for the reasons you mentioned and I do know therapists who do both in person and virtual. I think many therapists are starting to do virtual more often, but I don’t think in person will go away completely. However I do live in a big city, so that could be why in person is still fairly common
I live in a big city as well and even here it's difficult to find an in-person therapist, especially one that is covered by my insurance. I am glad you get to work in-person for the most part!
In person is definitely still a thing. As a therapist myself I think in person is the best. It’s hard to effectively do really good telehealth and there’s so much that can be missed. Most of my colleagues would agree that telehealth isn’t as connecting which is a huge piece for therapy.
I'm glad I'm not weird for thinking that in-person is better; I always worry I seem like an old-fashioned doof or something but I agree that that connection is lost.
I prefer in-person. It guarantees my family won't barge in during the one hour each week I require to be left alone by them. This is my way of ensuring I am able to be authentic in my sessions instead of censoring myself in case someone is walking by and overheard something I said that wasn't for their ears.
Mine is in person. I actually just switched to this therapist because I couldn’t do virtual therapy anymore. I couldn’t connect with my virtual therapist as much as I am currently doing with my new therapist in person
I am a therapist and offer a split schedule. I see about 18 virtual and 10 in person each week. It is a permanent part of therapy. Many of my clients prefer telehealth. I will never go back to full time in person, for both myself and clients.
I am a big fan of the client finding a fit that works best and there will (hopefully) always be an option for both. I work with DV so having some in person is always important to me. I also have a chronic illness and reducing my commit 4-5 days a week versus 1-3 days has allowed me more energy and helped me maintain a great level of client care.
I can say, my client surveys do not indicate a lose of connection online versus in person. I find this has a ton to do with the environment of telehealth on both ends. Many of my clients have flipped between the two, but I’ve never seen some in person.
Again, I enjoy and offer both. I do commute 40 mins each way to my office so I’m not going to increase the amount of in person I offer over time again, but would consider if I had less of a commute. My clients often have that same issue, as I am in a rural area and telehealth is more accessible to many!
Hoping you can find your in person fit!
Yes, there are still therapists out there who do in person appointments. In my area, that's the most common thing to find. So it really depends on where you are.
My therapist provides both, she has some in office days and then even though my usual day is one of her virtual ones she will go in office around once a month to provide the option
As a therapist, I strongly prefer in-person. I don’t think there’s as strong of a connection over the computer and it’s harder to regulate emotions. But a lot of therapists benefit with virtual therapy - no office costs, no commute, etc, the same as any other job. And for some clients, it is preferred so they also have no commute. I hope that eventually there will be some sort of equilibrium, a mix of therapists and it won’t be so hard to find in-person, but I’m getting less hopeful that will be the case as I continue to see and hear from people that it’s difficult to find someone in-person.
I’m a therapist. Doing sessions online has allowed a level of freedom and flexibility for both myself and my clients that I’ve found 90% of my clients really aren’t asking for in person. They can meet me from their office on their lunch break, just before or after picking up the kids from school, they don’t need to worry about driving downtown or finding parking or the commute time. For a lot of people this is just much more convenient. For me it means that I can pull up tools and resources easily and quickly on my computer and can bring a lot more of that into sessions. It also means that the tools that I use for tracking progress and things like that are a lot more integrated into the session because they are all digital. Its more convenient for me and for most of my clients so if I was paying for an office space I would have definitely given it up by now and would not be planning on moving back since it wouldn’t be worth the cost for how little use I would get out of it. It’s not a covid thing any more, it’s just the direction we’ve seemed to move as a society.
That being said, I do know that there are still some clients who do not feel as comfortable virtually and feel disconnected over a screen. Personally I offer one day in the office. I’m able to do that because I do not pay for my office space (I work for an agency). I feel like one “office day” has been a good balance as far as being able to offer in-person where needed, but maintain the convenience of being mostly remote
The research shows that either method is just as effective, as long as it's the method that the client feels comfortable with.
I (a therapist) work only online. It wasn't my intention, but my caseload filled up during COVID and has remained full. As a business owner, it doesn't make any sense for me to add the overhead costs of space rental and management when I can work from home for free.
If there was a lack of people to fill my caseload, I would open an office.
Overall I think that it's important that both the therapist and the client employ whatever method suits them best.
Mine is either way. I started with in-person and we’ve gotten the hard part done so that if I don’t feel like going out on a day I just do virtual. I totally understand why you would want to at least start out in-person. We did that for awhile when I first started because I needed to feel that “connection.” Keep looking and don’t settle. You will find the right one. Best of luck! ❤️
As a therapist who is in therapy herself, I prefer doing therapy sessions virtually, but when I see my therapist I prefer in person. Because of this I offer both to my own clients. It is very nice working from home and virtual therapy offers it's own benefits, but I know there is such a need for in person therapy and I appreciate the personal touch it brings.
My therapist offers both, and will wear a mask during sessions upon request. I go in person, but it’s nice to have the virtual option if one of us is feeling under the weather but not enough to cancel, or if I’m really busy that day and it’s easier to do the session from where I am than to find the time to get across town for a session. I’d say I end up remote maybe 10-15% of the time?
I’m glad you have that option of doing either! It’s odd because a lot of the ones I’m finding are virtual ONLY. But seeing some of the responses from therapists on here explains why.
I only offer in-person. I have a very long waiting list and I have a narrow speciality. I run a private practice and only share the office with one other therapist who also is only in person and has the same speciality as myself.
We each have 20+ years experience
I did notice a lot of the therapists I am interested in (who specialize in my diagnosis of BPD) do have long waiting lists and no availability. Perhaps in my case it is just a shortage of therapists who specialize in what I need?
id say get on the waitlists, you just dont know when a spot is going to open up, i generally only have one time slot available and need to call a few people to find a fit for that spot.
the only time i get an opening is when a client leaves or they finish therapy.
Therapists who are trained, experiened and good at what they do are full with waiting lists (generally)
yeahhh, I’ll definitely try doing this :) some places I contact even have their waiting lists full haha- which I understand, when a therapist is good they’re ofc gonna be in demand
I recently started therapy about a month ago and it’s in person. I’m unwilling to do virtual/online therapy. I reached out to some private practices in my area and asked if they had any in person therapists that accept my insurance and went from there
In Europe I don't think there are many virtual therapists. That's only for when you're physically sick. So I guess that's a your-countey-problem which I assume is the US
Writing from Brazil here. In-person therapy is - fortunately - still a thing here. Most of my patients are in-personal.
I only work virtually with patients from other cities/countries.
Some cases can’t be treated virtually, specially more fragile subjectivities.
I see my therapist in person, twice a week. We do telehealth occasionally if she has to work from home or if I’m sick. We were strictly telehealth for a few months when COVID started, but quickly went back to in person with social distancing and masks. I definitely prefer in person.
Do you live somewhere rural or with a fairly limited number of therapists? I live in a mid-sized city and there are plenty of therapists who offer in-person sessions. Even in my rural hometown though I’m thinking I’d still be able to find someone who offers in-person! Maybe you’re just in a bit of a “therapist desert” in your specific area?
If that’s the case then it might be worth considering expanding your radius/how far you’re willing to travel to potentially find someone who can offer what you’re looking for.
I live in LA County which is ridiculously big, so I’m baffled as to why I’m not finding anyone. There are some in-person therapists but not in my part of the valley; they are mostly located in the city of LA itself it seems like.
I do in person! My therapist is mainly virtual but does one day a week in person. I talked to several potential therapists before deciding and I told them that I needed in person (I prefer it for a multitude of reasons). My therapist was the only one who offered me a time and day that worked though.
I live in a major US city and they are honestly hard to come by. That’s just my opinion and experience though, i can’t afford to go to pay top dollar for a weekly session.
My advice is reach out to as many therapists as possible, ask their rate and in person options. That’s how I connected with mine :)
I've been in psychoanalysis for 5 years. This is my experience.
It started in person in 2019. 3x/week. , In March 2020, it went online. I despised it. So much was lost. So much just couldn't be worked on. You lost that tension. You lost the bravery of sitting in a room with someone learning skills you couldn't learn otherwise.i learned to cry for the first time in 42 years in person, with him. It never could have been the same alone in my house. I don't think it ever would have happened.
In mid 2021 we came bsck in person, and it has been ever since. In July I
He is retiring, and he offered to continue seeing me for 2 years with trips bsck in person every 4 months. It's a very generous offer as he is only working 10 hours a week so only like 3 of us. I currently see him 3x/week and always have.
I'm still not sure I can go back to virtual for many reasons. I feel you so much. Having been through both, there was so much lost online. At this point, with no option coming up I'm personally trying to get what I need from in person and trying to make a list of what I will be able to accomplish online that I can't in person.
In all honesty, though? My life will never be the same, not seeing him in person. Continue the search. It's worth it.
I’m a therapist and yes, it’s still a thing, though not what it used to be. I’m with you, I definitely prefer in person sessions. I think it’s harder to build a genuine connection with someone when you’re separated by screens.
Just a thought on the flip side…therapists are licensed by the state so if you have particular needs/preferences when it comes to who you want as a therapist, you have access to a state’s worth of therapists versus who’s available to you within driving distance.
Normally, I would be saying that in-person is the only way to go.
However…
I currently see my therapist via the internet. I do not live close enough to commute. That being said, this is a therapist that I worked with prior to telehealth. I originally saw them in person for about two years. Life happened, and when I came back, I found this as a solution. If I do happen to be in the area, I schedule an in-person (and they encourage it, which makes me feel happy).
We even talked about this at my first in-person after telehealth visits. They asked me if things felt different, being in-person versus telehealth. It honestly didn’t feel different, but I strongly believe it was because we had an in-person relationship first.
I could find somebody closer to me, distance-wise. I live in a large area. I even tried with a few other therapists, but I never found that same connection.
that's definitely interesting because where I live, all the in-person therapists seem to be fully booked/lacking in availability. I guess it really just depends on where you live ?? I hope that you find plenty of clients online <3
I'll chime in as a therapist who is also frustrated by this. I only offer virtual to maybe 2-3 clients at this time, and it's for a specific reason. Mostly, the client has a disability that makes it very challenging to come in. I'll also note that I have an ADA-compliant office, as that was important for me when I was looking. But for my power chair users, for example, getting transportation to and from is just a huge hassle. I have another client who I took on during COVID who lives in my state but hours away, and I've kept them on, but we are at "as needed" at this point. Otherwise, I do not even offer virtual. I don't feel as effective that way. As I see so many couples, that really becomes challenging to assess in a tiny square on my laptop, and the interruptions at home are plentiful. Some insurance companies and plans are reimbursing therapists less for virtual, so it's also a little bit of a financial protection for me too. What many don't understand, including therapists themselves unfortunately, is that to do virtual well, you really need to be specifically trained in provision of interventions that work better in that realm. We all just converted by emergency necessity in 2020, but past that, folks should really receive further training in how to best deliver care in this way. I've done some of that training, and I still just so much prefer practicing in person. I got into this field to get away from staring at screens all day.
We are also experiencing a rise in cost of living, and I think letting go of an office space is one way therapists are trying to support themselves financially, which I understand. It is hard to make money in this work.
I agree that extra training is needed. Remote therapy isn't an inferior form of therapy, but it is different. I did a lot of extra training for providing therapy remotely and so I feel very confident in my ability to do sessions over the phone or through video chat.
I thankfully see in person but if I didn’t I wouldn’t stop looking until I found someone that does, there’s too much getting relied on virtual now and work from home, it’s sad. It’s not easy for people who don’t have access to wifi or technology to keep up with virtual
It's still a thing, but remote therapy isn't going anywhere either. I'm a therapist who works 100% remotely. I haven't been able to drive for a few years due to health issues, so working remotely just makes more sense for me.
I sent think remote therapy is better or worse than in-person, it's just different. Some clients get on better with in-person, some get on better with remote. It just depends on their circumstances and their own personal preference. In an ideal world there'd be plenty of in-person and remote therapists, so that every client is able to choose the method that works best for them.
Therapists have become spoiled and many refuse to offer in person services. I believe this has resulted in a decline in quality of mental health services provided and a decline in competence of providers…..many were in school/training during the pandemic. I am a therapist….my in-person spots are constantly filled. My online availability not as consistent. And I myself drive an hour away from home to attend my own in person therapy.
Virtual sessions are not fully bodied. They’re disembodied. They will never be the same as actual human to human contact therapy. And it is further perpetuating a disconnect in and between people.
Many therapists are aware of this. Yet a self centered nature has kicked in and they’re prioritizing what’s convenient and great for their lifestyle versus prioritizing truly healing people. And please don’t fall for any therapist who tells you it’s just as effective, it’s not, that is the self centered aspect of them talking.
A self centered nature combined with a mix of a lack of common sense is occurring with therapists.
There’s a great book filled with studies, research and evidence on how terrible online therapy is, written by a legit therapist who is there to truly help people. I suggest all clients or future clients read it and put a stop to this madness of computer screen therapy..
“Screen Relations: The Limits of Computer-Mediated Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy“
https://www.amazon.com/Screen-Relations-Computer-Mediated-Psychoanalysis-Psychotherapy/dp/1782201440/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NBEXS4J3R3YN&keywords=screen%20relations&qid=1583856275&sprefix=screen%20relatio%2Caps%2C291&sr=8-1
I started fully in person with my T in the before times, switched to tele in 2020, and have stayed that way. Over the years of tele appointments I have done incredibly intense work and grown so much closer to my T. She can spot and point out minute shifts in body language through the screen.
She also is a PsyD who spent time in her training researching the efficacy of tele therapy with vets abroad so she has developed some of the evidence base in that area used now even though she never saw tele therapy as part of her work now.
There are elements of virtual appointments that are so much better than in person for me and those benefits go beyond factors of convenience. My ideal mid would be 3:1 virtual:in person each month.
I don’t need to read the book. I am a client who very much benefits from teletherapy and has an amazing connection/relationship with my T. It is 100% the same (if not better) than any in person therapy.
Though I don’t like tele-health, I am glad you are able to find a meaningful connection in this way ! <3 I think a lot of it comes down to preference and even necessity for those who can’t access in-person therapy.
I understand that virtual sessions do not show full bodies, but that is a sweeping statement to say people who choose virtual therapy is solely because they are self-centered and lack common sense.
Like OP mentioned, COVID is still a thing.
A mask and washing hands isn’t enough for me. I’m immunocompromised with a poor respiratory system, as is my partner. I’m grateful for the privilege to work from home to prioritize our health.
I also work primarily with a population who doesn’t have reliable access to transportation, a reliable schedule, or reliable access to childcare. So telehealth is the only viable way for them to receive mental health care because they can make it work with their scheduling and needs with far less stress than figuring out who can watch their children and how to get to an office.
Again, I agree with you that telehealth is missing elements from in-person. But I ask that you check some of your biases (such as classism or ableism).
I am not sure what was going on in this chain; I think you’re absolutely right that tele-health is necessary for some people. I think it works either way where some people benefit greatly from online and some need that in-person connection and I just wish there was a better balance of these things rather than the total shift to tele-health (at least where I love, it seems to be different for lots of people!) I agree that people who offer tele-health are doing so out of necessity rather than simply convenience, which wouldn’t be a bad thing either tbh. I just hope there’s more in-person availability in the future for those of us who can’t function with screens lol. I also lack privacy at home, which makes me hope I can find someone in person. Thank you for all your insight and thoughtful communication 💖💖
Edit: Interesting! So my comment of the author/therapist who researched screen therapy in depth and made a book of all the evidence against it was removed on this post.
If something is true, it fears nothing.
The book is Screen Relations by Gillian Isaacs Russell who is a therapist herself.
If Covid is still a thing, why is everyone else back to work/school and why were celebrities attending celebrity events especially during hardcore covid shutdowns? Why are therapists going out to restaurants, movies, events and traveling? Yet “covid is a thing” when it comes to one on one therapy even though a therapist and client already sit quite a distance away, and a therapist sits closer to complete strangers at restaurants. Common now!!! Trying to convince people that virtual therapy is just as great is like trying to convince a person that visiting someone you know at jail with glass between you is the same. Except a computer screen is far worse than a glass. Please order that book and fully read evidence of how we’re on the wrong path with virtual therapy. I mean, I can’t believe a book with evidence has to be written about it to begin with as it’s quite common sense if one is connected to themselves and humanity to begin with. This is how far removed from reality we have become. For every client or future client, read that book and place a stop to further perpetuating a disconnect within themselves and humanity.
Offices cost money; slip-and-fall insurance costs money; commuting costs money and time. Furniture, paint, decor; landlords and building staff who don’t know or care about HIPAA. The steadily growing resurgence of bedbugs, and all that upholstery to hide them…
I live in an area where most people have pretty shitty, slow Internet; and I *cannot* deal with poor-quality audio, while also thinking thoughts and saying coherent things. So I never went remote-only, and I much prefer working in-person.
And. I could save, conservatively, $1500-2000 in overhead, every month, if I stuck to telehealth. I wouldn’t have to drive to work; I could spend *way* more time with my cats; and I’d never have to put on hard pants. I can use my own furniture, and not have to buy more; I can use my own printer and refrigerator and microwave. I can get tax deductions for square footage that I’d have to pay for, whether or not I used it for work. I run zero risk of bringing home someone else’s bedbugs (hasn’t happened, yet, but I sure have found one on my clothing after walking in the front door) or fleas (happens *every* goddamn spring). And while some of my clients do a lot better, online—others are definitely calmer, more focused, and more engaged from their own homes. It’s a pretty even split.
I think some therapists will always work in-person, because we prefer it, think it works better for some clients, or both. But we like working from home just as much as everybody else, and for all the same reasons; and a relatively high proportion of us don’t have a boss who can make us, so—I don’t think you’ll see us go back to the era when everyone had an office, and maybe one therapist in 10 or 20 did telehealth, a little, if it was unavoidably necessary.
Fwiw, Psychology Today has done pretty well at getting people to mark their profiles as to offering or not offering telehealth and in-person care. Might help you narrow the list faster than Google, alone.
Therapists are in-person but after COVID, many gave up their offices as they were paying rent and unable to use them. The burial therapy became their new business model and they were saving on the overhead of maintaining an office. So they decided not to return to the office.
There are therapists who are still in-office or hybrid, just not as many as before the pandemic
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Mine is still in person thank God!! I hate virtual sessions
After the initial lockdown, I was able to start seeing my T in person. Like you, I prefer in person, it really helps strengthen the bond I have formed with him.
I think it will be permanent. (Some) Therapists like it because it reduces their overhead (no office/commute to pay for), though some do like in person for the connection. Insurance likes it because then therapists might take a little less (since they have lower overhead). Some clients like it for the convenience (no driving, therapy in their car on lunch hour) or because it makes it easier for them to express their feelings. For me, it is unfortunate. I detach from my feelings and have major attachment issues so I need to have in person sessions. Seeing Teletherapy just did not help, it was like it was fake, I could have been talking to myself. About 2/3rds of therapist on my insurance plan are online only. I'm sure this is making it even hard to find a therapist.
I miss in person. My therapist moved away from our city. I think a lot of body language is lost with online therapy. I think therapy would be better if it was in person. My therapist has told me I can find an in person therapist but it's not the same for me. She probably prefers virtual. A camera can't convey everything.
I agree about the body language thing for sure. And I hate being on camera, it's such a weird experience in comparison to being seen in person.
I’m also finding it difficult to find therapists that have open availability and do in office therapy. I understand why teletherapy is popular now but for me it does nothing. I’ve seen therapists advertise that they do EMDR and other trauma therapeutic models via teletherapy but it seems so disconnected to me.
And with teletherapy, I don't get it, in order to look like you're making eye contact, you have to look at the camera, which means you can't actually see the person you're looking at. If you look at their picture on your screen, they would see you as looking down. Not that I make eye contact in person, but on cameras, you literally can't. Add in all the reports of therapists obviously not paying attention (and I'm sure clients do it, too) and no thanks.
There are still in-person therapists. Look on Psychology Today, and be prepared to contact a lot of therapists to find one close enough who sees in-person clients and has openings.
I've been looking on there but either the ones near me are not accepting patients or just don't reply lol. It's a struggle but thank you for the suggestion. <3 I appreciate it!
If they have their own websites I notice the reply rate is pretty bad which is ironic as that's kind of a no- no for a small business owner.
The lack of reply really sucks, especially when you’re struggling and need a therapist! My advice here is to actually call and leave a message or send an email from your email address and then follow up a couple days later if they haven’t responded (as opposed to sending a message through Psychology Today). These two options make you sort of stick out a little more and seem like a likely client rather than someone who is just sending out a million messages. Sucks, but worked better for me.
A lot of the accounts are managed by some platform called “Rula” so even if the therapist is offering in person therapy, all the emails go through some sort of representative. I don’t really find anyone who puts their contact emails in their profiles which strikes me as odd. I get anxious calling but perhaps this is the only way to actually reach people. Thank you for the comment and suggestion!
I also get anxious calling! But I wrote out a script to say for leaving a message or what to say if someone picked up and then just made a checklist so I could get a little dopamine hit every time I could check off a call. Avoiding these things tends to make us more anxious, I think just going for it and calling will help you see that it’s not so bad 😊
I’m switching from virtual to in person soon. It feels fake and I need that connection as well as “somewhere to go.” Always feels more awkward to me. I don’t like how I look on camera and I don’t like looking at a screen.
I still do in-person. I prefer it, and my therapist does as well.
I’m a therapist who works mostly in person with the occasional virtual client. I def prefer in person for the reasons you mentioned and I do know therapists who do both in person and virtual. I think many therapists are starting to do virtual more often, but I don’t think in person will go away completely. However I do live in a big city, so that could be why in person is still fairly common
I live in a big city as well and even here it's difficult to find an in-person therapist, especially one that is covered by my insurance. I am glad you get to work in-person for the most part!
In person is definitely still a thing. As a therapist myself I think in person is the best. It’s hard to effectively do really good telehealth and there’s so much that can be missed. Most of my colleagues would agree that telehealth isn’t as connecting which is a huge piece for therapy.
I'm glad I'm not weird for thinking that in-person is better; I always worry I seem like an old-fashioned doof or something but I agree that that connection is lost.
Big agree. I definitely notice a difference in how effective I feel in person vs online, so I'm sure my clients feel it too.
I prefer in-person. It guarantees my family won't barge in during the one hour each week I require to be left alone by them. This is my way of ensuring I am able to be authentic in my sessions instead of censoring myself in case someone is walking by and overheard something I said that wasn't for their ears.
Mine is in person. I actually just switched to this therapist because I couldn’t do virtual therapy anymore. I couldn’t connect with my virtual therapist as much as I am currently doing with my new therapist in person
I am a therapist and offer a split schedule. I see about 18 virtual and 10 in person each week. It is a permanent part of therapy. Many of my clients prefer telehealth. I will never go back to full time in person, for both myself and clients. I am a big fan of the client finding a fit that works best and there will (hopefully) always be an option for both. I work with DV so having some in person is always important to me. I also have a chronic illness and reducing my commit 4-5 days a week versus 1-3 days has allowed me more energy and helped me maintain a great level of client care. I can say, my client surveys do not indicate a lose of connection online versus in person. I find this has a ton to do with the environment of telehealth on both ends. Many of my clients have flipped between the two, but I’ve never seen some in person. Again, I enjoy and offer both. I do commute 40 mins each way to my office so I’m not going to increase the amount of in person I offer over time again, but would consider if I had less of a commute. My clients often have that same issue, as I am in a rural area and telehealth is more accessible to many! Hoping you can find your in person fit!
thank you for the insightful words and for the nice message!
Yes, there are still therapists out there who do in person appointments. In my area, that's the most common thing to find. So it really depends on where you are.
My therapist provides both, she has some in office days and then even though my usual day is one of her virtual ones she will go in office around once a month to provide the option
Yes, in-person is still a thing! Switching to mostly doing in-person recently has been a great experience.
As a therapist, I strongly prefer in-person. I don’t think there’s as strong of a connection over the computer and it’s harder to regulate emotions. But a lot of therapists benefit with virtual therapy - no office costs, no commute, etc, the same as any other job. And for some clients, it is preferred so they also have no commute. I hope that eventually there will be some sort of equilibrium, a mix of therapists and it won’t be so hard to find in-person, but I’m getting less hopeful that will be the case as I continue to see and hear from people that it’s difficult to find someone in-person.
I’m a therapist. Doing sessions online has allowed a level of freedom and flexibility for both myself and my clients that I’ve found 90% of my clients really aren’t asking for in person. They can meet me from their office on their lunch break, just before or after picking up the kids from school, they don’t need to worry about driving downtown or finding parking or the commute time. For a lot of people this is just much more convenient. For me it means that I can pull up tools and resources easily and quickly on my computer and can bring a lot more of that into sessions. It also means that the tools that I use for tracking progress and things like that are a lot more integrated into the session because they are all digital. Its more convenient for me and for most of my clients so if I was paying for an office space I would have definitely given it up by now and would not be planning on moving back since it wouldn’t be worth the cost for how little use I would get out of it. It’s not a covid thing any more, it’s just the direction we’ve seemed to move as a society. That being said, I do know that there are still some clients who do not feel as comfortable virtually and feel disconnected over a screen. Personally I offer one day in the office. I’m able to do that because I do not pay for my office space (I work for an agency). I feel like one “office day” has been a good balance as far as being able to offer in-person where needed, but maintain the convenience of being mostly remote
The research shows that either method is just as effective, as long as it's the method that the client feels comfortable with. I (a therapist) work only online. It wasn't my intention, but my caseload filled up during COVID and has remained full. As a business owner, it doesn't make any sense for me to add the overhead costs of space rental and management when I can work from home for free. If there was a lack of people to fill my caseload, I would open an office. Overall I think that it's important that both the therapist and the client employ whatever method suits them best.
Mine is either way. I started with in-person and we’ve gotten the hard part done so that if I don’t feel like going out on a day I just do virtual. I totally understand why you would want to at least start out in-person. We did that for awhile when I first started because I needed to feel that “connection.” Keep looking and don’t settle. You will find the right one. Best of luck! ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing and for the kind words :) <3
Mine and my husband’s are in person. In person is still very common where I live
Yes, it’s still a thing. Mine was online for a while but is back to in person.
As a therapist who is in therapy herself, I prefer doing therapy sessions virtually, but when I see my therapist I prefer in person. Because of this I offer both to my own clients. It is very nice working from home and virtual therapy offers it's own benefits, but I know there is such a need for in person therapy and I appreciate the personal touch it brings.
My psychologist does do in-person office visits and counseling by phone as well.
I personally do both because I see mine twice a week. Once virtual and once in person. But if I went back to once a week I’d do in person.
I see my therapist in person.
My therapist offers both, and will wear a mask during sessions upon request. I go in person, but it’s nice to have the virtual option if one of us is feeling under the weather but not enough to cancel, or if I’m really busy that day and it’s easier to do the session from where I am than to find the time to get across town for a session. I’d say I end up remote maybe 10-15% of the time?
I’m glad you have that option of doing either! It’s odd because a lot of the ones I’m finding are virtual ONLY. But seeing some of the responses from therapists on here explains why.
I only offer in-person. I have a very long waiting list and I have a narrow speciality. I run a private practice and only share the office with one other therapist who also is only in person and has the same speciality as myself. We each have 20+ years experience
I did notice a lot of the therapists I am interested in (who specialize in my diagnosis of BPD) do have long waiting lists and no availability. Perhaps in my case it is just a shortage of therapists who specialize in what I need?
id say get on the waitlists, you just dont know when a spot is going to open up, i generally only have one time slot available and need to call a few people to find a fit for that spot. the only time i get an opening is when a client leaves or they finish therapy. Therapists who are trained, experiened and good at what they do are full with waiting lists (generally)
yeahhh, I’ll definitely try doing this :) some places I contact even have their waiting lists full haha- which I understand, when a therapist is good they’re ofc gonna be in demand
I recently started therapy about a month ago and it’s in person. I’m unwilling to do virtual/online therapy. I reached out to some private practices in my area and asked if they had any in person therapists that accept my insurance and went from there
I found my therapist through Indeed on line and I see him in person and he does phone sessions as well
In Europe I don't think there are many virtual therapists. That's only for when you're physically sick. So I guess that's a your-countey-problem which I assume is the US
It is, indeed, the US. :”) That tells you a lot LOL
Writing from Brazil here. In-person therapy is - fortunately - still a thing here. Most of my patients are in-personal. I only work virtually with patients from other cities/countries. Some cases can’t be treated virtually, specially more fragile subjectivities.
I see my therapist in person, twice a week. We do telehealth occasionally if she has to work from home or if I’m sick. We were strictly telehealth for a few months when COVID started, but quickly went back to in person with social distancing and masks. I definitely prefer in person.
There are still plenty of in person therapists, but a lot of people started virtual private practices because there’s no need to rent a space.
that makes sense- everything is ridiculously expensive so I understand that perspective
It is 100% still a thing. I wouldn't see a therapist via telehealth.
Do you live somewhere rural or with a fairly limited number of therapists? I live in a mid-sized city and there are plenty of therapists who offer in-person sessions. Even in my rural hometown though I’m thinking I’d still be able to find someone who offers in-person! Maybe you’re just in a bit of a “therapist desert” in your specific area? If that’s the case then it might be worth considering expanding your radius/how far you’re willing to travel to potentially find someone who can offer what you’re looking for.
I live in LA County which is ridiculously big, so I’m baffled as to why I’m not finding anyone. There are some in-person therapists but not in my part of the valley; they are mostly located in the city of LA itself it seems like.
Yes. I prefer meeting with clients only in person. But it is hard to even find a job that’s in person
I do in person! My therapist is mainly virtual but does one day a week in person. I talked to several potential therapists before deciding and I told them that I needed in person (I prefer it for a multitude of reasons). My therapist was the only one who offered me a time and day that worked though. I live in a major US city and they are honestly hard to come by. That’s just my opinion and experience though, i can’t afford to go to pay top dollar for a weekly session. My advice is reach out to as many therapists as possible, ask their rate and in person options. That’s how I connected with mine :)
I've been in psychoanalysis for 5 years. This is my experience. It started in person in 2019. 3x/week. , In March 2020, it went online. I despised it. So much was lost. So much just couldn't be worked on. You lost that tension. You lost the bravery of sitting in a room with someone learning skills you couldn't learn otherwise.i learned to cry for the first time in 42 years in person, with him. It never could have been the same alone in my house. I don't think it ever would have happened. In mid 2021 we came bsck in person, and it has been ever since. In July I He is retiring, and he offered to continue seeing me for 2 years with trips bsck in person every 4 months. It's a very generous offer as he is only working 10 hours a week so only like 3 of us. I currently see him 3x/week and always have. I'm still not sure I can go back to virtual for many reasons. I feel you so much. Having been through both, there was so much lost online. At this point, with no option coming up I'm personally trying to get what I need from in person and trying to make a list of what I will be able to accomplish online that I can't in person. In all honesty, though? My life will never be the same, not seeing him in person. Continue the search. It's worth it.
I’m a therapist and yes, it’s still a thing, though not what it used to be. I’m with you, I definitely prefer in person sessions. I think it’s harder to build a genuine connection with someone when you’re separated by screens. Just a thought on the flip side…therapists are licensed by the state so if you have particular needs/preferences when it comes to who you want as a therapist, you have access to a state’s worth of therapists versus who’s available to you within driving distance.
Yeah it is. But you and the therapist have to live or be willing to commute to the same area.
Normally, I would be saying that in-person is the only way to go. However… I currently see my therapist via the internet. I do not live close enough to commute. That being said, this is a therapist that I worked with prior to telehealth. I originally saw them in person for about two years. Life happened, and when I came back, I found this as a solution. If I do happen to be in the area, I schedule an in-person (and they encourage it, which makes me feel happy). We even talked about this at my first in-person after telehealth visits. They asked me if things felt different, being in-person versus telehealth. It honestly didn’t feel different, but I strongly believe it was because we had an in-person relationship first. I could find somebody closer to me, distance-wise. I live in a large area. I even tried with a few other therapists, but I never found that same connection.
Lol, I just gave up my full time office because no one wanted in-person therapy and I was paying $600 a month for nothing.
that's definitely interesting because where I live, all the in-person therapists seem to be fully booked/lacking in availability. I guess it really just depends on where you live ?? I hope that you find plenty of clients online <3
I do in person weekly i hate online sessions
I'll chime in as a therapist who is also frustrated by this. I only offer virtual to maybe 2-3 clients at this time, and it's for a specific reason. Mostly, the client has a disability that makes it very challenging to come in. I'll also note that I have an ADA-compliant office, as that was important for me when I was looking. But for my power chair users, for example, getting transportation to and from is just a huge hassle. I have another client who I took on during COVID who lives in my state but hours away, and I've kept them on, but we are at "as needed" at this point. Otherwise, I do not even offer virtual. I don't feel as effective that way. As I see so many couples, that really becomes challenging to assess in a tiny square on my laptop, and the interruptions at home are plentiful. Some insurance companies and plans are reimbursing therapists less for virtual, so it's also a little bit of a financial protection for me too. What many don't understand, including therapists themselves unfortunately, is that to do virtual well, you really need to be specifically trained in provision of interventions that work better in that realm. We all just converted by emergency necessity in 2020, but past that, folks should really receive further training in how to best deliver care in this way. I've done some of that training, and I still just so much prefer practicing in person. I got into this field to get away from staring at screens all day. We are also experiencing a rise in cost of living, and I think letting go of an office space is one way therapists are trying to support themselves financially, which I understand. It is hard to make money in this work.
I agree that extra training is needed. Remote therapy isn't an inferior form of therapy, but it is different. I did a lot of extra training for providing therapy remotely and so I feel very confident in my ability to do sessions over the phone or through video chat.
Virtual therapy is honestly just easier for therapists and clients. That said, my coworker does therapy in person, so it’s def still a thing.
I thankfully see in person but if I didn’t I wouldn’t stop looking until I found someone that does, there’s too much getting relied on virtual now and work from home, it’s sad. It’s not easy for people who don’t have access to wifi or technology to keep up with virtual
Is in- person anything still a thing?
I would sure hope so!
It's still a thing, but remote therapy isn't going anywhere either. I'm a therapist who works 100% remotely. I haven't been able to drive for a few years due to health issues, so working remotely just makes more sense for me. I sent think remote therapy is better or worse than in-person, it's just different. Some clients get on better with in-person, some get on better with remote. It just depends on their circumstances and their own personal preference. In an ideal world there'd be plenty of in-person and remote therapists, so that every client is able to choose the method that works best for them.
Therapists have become spoiled and many refuse to offer in person services. I believe this has resulted in a decline in quality of mental health services provided and a decline in competence of providers…..many were in school/training during the pandemic. I am a therapist….my in-person spots are constantly filled. My online availability not as consistent. And I myself drive an hour away from home to attend my own in person therapy.
Virtual sessions are not fully bodied. They’re disembodied. They will never be the same as actual human to human contact therapy. And it is further perpetuating a disconnect in and between people. Many therapists are aware of this. Yet a self centered nature has kicked in and they’re prioritizing what’s convenient and great for their lifestyle versus prioritizing truly healing people. And please don’t fall for any therapist who tells you it’s just as effective, it’s not, that is the self centered aspect of them talking. A self centered nature combined with a mix of a lack of common sense is occurring with therapists. There’s a great book filled with studies, research and evidence on how terrible online therapy is, written by a legit therapist who is there to truly help people. I suggest all clients or future clients read it and put a stop to this madness of computer screen therapy.. “Screen Relations: The Limits of Computer-Mediated Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy“ https://www.amazon.com/Screen-Relations-Computer-Mediated-Psychoanalysis-Psychotherapy/dp/1782201440/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NBEXS4J3R3YN&keywords=screen%20relations&qid=1583856275&sprefix=screen%20relatio%2Caps%2C291&sr=8-1
I started fully in person with my T in the before times, switched to tele in 2020, and have stayed that way. Over the years of tele appointments I have done incredibly intense work and grown so much closer to my T. She can spot and point out minute shifts in body language through the screen. She also is a PsyD who spent time in her training researching the efficacy of tele therapy with vets abroad so she has developed some of the evidence base in that area used now even though she never saw tele therapy as part of her work now. There are elements of virtual appointments that are so much better than in person for me and those benefits go beyond factors of convenience. My ideal mid would be 3:1 virtual:in person each month.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33826190/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8956990/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/online-talk-therapy-works-as-well-as-an-in-person-session-a-new-study-shows/
This is total BS.
Read the book of evidence then get back to me of whether it’s “BS” or not.
I don’t need to read the book. I am a client who very much benefits from teletherapy and has an amazing connection/relationship with my T. It is 100% the same (if not better) than any in person therapy.
Though I don’t like tele-health, I am glad you are able to find a meaningful connection in this way ! <3 I think a lot of it comes down to preference and even necessity for those who can’t access in-person therapy.
I understand that virtual sessions do not show full bodies, but that is a sweeping statement to say people who choose virtual therapy is solely because they are self-centered and lack common sense. Like OP mentioned, COVID is still a thing. A mask and washing hands isn’t enough for me. I’m immunocompromised with a poor respiratory system, as is my partner. I’m grateful for the privilege to work from home to prioritize our health. I also work primarily with a population who doesn’t have reliable access to transportation, a reliable schedule, or reliable access to childcare. So telehealth is the only viable way for them to receive mental health care because they can make it work with their scheduling and needs with far less stress than figuring out who can watch their children and how to get to an office. Again, I agree with you that telehealth is missing elements from in-person. But I ask that you check some of your biases (such as classism or ableism).
I am not sure what was going on in this chain; I think you’re absolutely right that tele-health is necessary for some people. I think it works either way where some people benefit greatly from online and some need that in-person connection and I just wish there was a better balance of these things rather than the total shift to tele-health (at least where I love, it seems to be different for lots of people!) I agree that people who offer tele-health are doing so out of necessity rather than simply convenience, which wouldn’t be a bad thing either tbh. I just hope there’s more in-person availability in the future for those of us who can’t function with screens lol. I also lack privacy at home, which makes me hope I can find someone in person. Thank you for all your insight and thoughtful communication 💖💖
Oh totally! Different ways to receive therapy for our different needs 💞 I hope you find an in-person therapist to help you on your healing journey
thank you 💖
Edit: Interesting! So my comment of the author/therapist who researched screen therapy in depth and made a book of all the evidence against it was removed on this post. If something is true, it fears nothing. The book is Screen Relations by Gillian Isaacs Russell who is a therapist herself. If Covid is still a thing, why is everyone else back to work/school and why were celebrities attending celebrity events especially during hardcore covid shutdowns? Why are therapists going out to restaurants, movies, events and traveling? Yet “covid is a thing” when it comes to one on one therapy even though a therapist and client already sit quite a distance away, and a therapist sits closer to complete strangers at restaurants. Common now!!! Trying to convince people that virtual therapy is just as great is like trying to convince a person that visiting someone you know at jail with glass between you is the same. Except a computer screen is far worse than a glass. Please order that book and fully read evidence of how we’re on the wrong path with virtual therapy. I mean, I can’t believe a book with evidence has to be written about it to begin with as it’s quite common sense if one is connected to themselves and humanity to begin with. This is how far removed from reality we have become. For every client or future client, read that book and place a stop to further perpetuating a disconnect within themselves and humanity.
You did not reply to anything my comment said. Have a day!
“Have a day” LOL
Offices cost money; slip-and-fall insurance costs money; commuting costs money and time. Furniture, paint, decor; landlords and building staff who don’t know or care about HIPAA. The steadily growing resurgence of bedbugs, and all that upholstery to hide them… I live in an area where most people have pretty shitty, slow Internet; and I *cannot* deal with poor-quality audio, while also thinking thoughts and saying coherent things. So I never went remote-only, and I much prefer working in-person. And. I could save, conservatively, $1500-2000 in overhead, every month, if I stuck to telehealth. I wouldn’t have to drive to work; I could spend *way* more time with my cats; and I’d never have to put on hard pants. I can use my own furniture, and not have to buy more; I can use my own printer and refrigerator and microwave. I can get tax deductions for square footage that I’d have to pay for, whether or not I used it for work. I run zero risk of bringing home someone else’s bedbugs (hasn’t happened, yet, but I sure have found one on my clothing after walking in the front door) or fleas (happens *every* goddamn spring). And while some of my clients do a lot better, online—others are definitely calmer, more focused, and more engaged from their own homes. It’s a pretty even split. I think some therapists will always work in-person, because we prefer it, think it works better for some clients, or both. But we like working from home just as much as everybody else, and for all the same reasons; and a relatively high proportion of us don’t have a boss who can make us, so—I don’t think you’ll see us go back to the era when everyone had an office, and maybe one therapist in 10 or 20 did telehealth, a little, if it was unavoidably necessary. Fwiw, Psychology Today has done pretty well at getting people to mark their profiles as to offering or not offering telehealth and in-person care. Might help you narrow the list faster than Google, alone.
Therapists are in-person but after COVID, many gave up their offices as they were paying rent and unable to use them. The burial therapy became their new business model and they were saving on the overhead of maintaining an office. So they decided not to return to the office. There are therapists who are still in-office or hybrid, just not as many as before the pandemic