Research Compares Telephone Therapy with Face-to-Face Therapy: More Suprising Results
September 24th, 2008 |A GoodTherapy.org News Update Presented by Daniel Brezenoff, LCSW
How many people have found solace by calling a friend on the telephone in a difficult time?
Northwestern University is reporting research indicating that telephone psychotherapy seems not only to be effective, it may be an even better treatment for depression than face to face meetings. The new study was small and more research is needed to draw any certain conclusions, but the initial data are compelling. In this study, only 7.6 percent of patients ended therapy, compared to the well-established attrition rate of nearly half in traditional therapy.
And before you ask: The researchers found no indication that telephone therapy is any less effective in improving mood.
There may be other benefits, as well. Time management is less of an issue if client can get therapy anywhere they happen to be at appointment time.
Perhaps more controversially, clients who are depressed or anxious may be unmotivated, agoraphobic, or otherwise experience barriers to showing up for appointments. Phone therapy may help overcome these obstacles.
Or will it enable them? Could such an approach inhibit growth in important areas of social functioning? This study did not address the point. A skilled therapist would ideally recognize such a circumstance as distinct from those times when phone therapy is the only way to engage a client.
Past research on phone therapy has shown similar results, especially in the treatment of depression.
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Therapist Seattle
September 25th, 2008 at 12:10 am
I am going through a very messy divorce and personally I think phone therapy is a great idea. I dont have the time to go to a therapist as I am juggling 3 jobs. life is hard somethims.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:03 am
This is great. I think that for a lot of people the idea of going to therapy embarasses them so they would never consider doing that face to face. However over the phone that takes away some of those feelings of embarassment that someone may have and they may be more likely to open up about what is going on. I do have some concerns that I would want to urge anyone doing phone or internet counseling to make sure you are working with a licensed professional, but other than that I wish anyone the very best who is using this method in an effort to improve their lives.
September 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
This is a great idea for a lot of reasons. If the patient is physically challenged, it makes it a whole lot easier to speak to a therapist from home. Also moms with severe post partum depression who dont like to leave home will find this great news. Old people in homes and patients with terminal illness too.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Psychiatry by phone. . . who would have ever thought that would really catch on?
September 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
really does make perfect sense though. Less time and probably less money to spend for most folks. That is a good thing. maybe this is not conventional but it does make therapy a little more accessible to the masses and I find nothing wrong with that in the least
September 28th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I guess I will be the voice of dissent. There is no way that a good therapist or counselor can get to know a client over the phone. I find this idea to be so disrespectful to the whole field of therapy and I think that there are a lot of others out there like me who feel exactly the same way. This just lends itself to quacks and poor treatment practices. There has to be a better way than THIS to get people to resolve the mental health issues in their lives. I find this kind of thing completely irresponsible and I beg you, if you are hving problems there are better treatment options available to you. Consult community services, a counselor in your area, but do not resort to things like this over the phone!
September 28th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I think there are certain situations suitable for therapy over the phone and can actually be very convenient for those with time issues. Stress management, life adjustments, some anxiety and other issues impacting the ability to get into a therapist’s office.
However, I think there are many situations that are NOT appropriate for phone therapy such as serious trauma, depression (I know that study cited otherwise but I still don’t see it), family of origin wounds and more serious clinical conditions. Not only can we not be there in the room to better “be with” intense expressions of emotion but so much is lost without the benefit of body language and other nuances. In addition, I can’t imagine doing couples work over the phone - but that’s just me - I know therapists out there do it.
I offer phone sessions but I carefully screen for issues that I would feel more comfortable (and responsible) being present in the room with the client. I know some people offer couples therapy over the phone and I personally can’t imagine how that would work…
Clearly an interesting - and controversial - topic.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:26 am
I will admit that I have actually sought therapy this way before because my work schedule did not allow otherwise and it really did help me out a lot. I was just going through some tough personal times, nothing too severe, and my counselor had a lot of good advice for me. I followed through and eventually could begin to see that light at the end of the proverbial tunnel again. Will this work for everyone? No I doubt that. But for me it was exactly what I needed to weather some tough emotional times and I would certainly recommend it.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Carolyn - this is great to hear. I’ve been suspecting that there is a place for phone work, particularly when it comes to people having time contraints - which these days is such an issue for many of us! At the end of the day, I believe the needs of the client should be at the top of the list. I’ve seen several people on this thread say they’ve benefitted from it - which is validating for phone therapy as a good option for some.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:59 am
Lisa- do you have any suggestions or pointers that could get someone moving in the right direction if he or she is considering using phone therapy? Perhaps a list of resources or a link that one could check out? I am intrigued.
September 30th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Thank you for your informative synopsis of the recent publication in “Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.” In the face of an ever-increasing need for mental health services to be available and accessible to the community at large, I was excited to learn of a form of therapy that can potentially transcend some of the traditional logistical and emotional barriers to seeking treatment . I find it truly amazing and very much promising that this form of treatment can boast an impressive 7.6% attrition rate. I do agree with you in your opinion that even though the results of this study are promising, they do need to be viewed with a certain degree of skepticism. As you point out, phone therapy could be an easy out for clients who are too anxious or too depressed to meet their therapist face-to-face. Often, one of the first step in treating depression is to get the client up off the couch or out of the house. Phone therapy seems like it might skip this important step. However, I do believe phone therapy might show some promise as a tool in the treatment of severe anxiety. For example, anxiety often inhibits the individual’s ability to properly describe their feelings to another person, especially in the initial stages of therapy. The client might be embarrassed or feel as though they are being judged. Is it possible that phone therapy could be successfully used for the first couple of sessions to make the client feel more secure through the added element of perceived anonymity? I liken phone therapy to hotline counseling. Millions of people each year call local hotlines during a time of crisis, depression, or confusion. The hotline often serves as a way of “testing the waters.” That is, realizing the problem by speaking it and having the counselor validate while still having this element of anonymity that allows for a quick hang-up should the need arise. I do however recognize that one of the best predictors of positive outcome in longer-term (as in more than one call to a hotline) therapy is the rapport between client and therapist. It might be difficult for many client-therapist pairs to build a secure and trusting relationship over the phone. Clearly this is an area of therapy that needs more research. Thank you again for carefully pointing out the controversies surrounding the recent publication of the findings related to phone psychotherapy.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Deidre - Gosh, I wish I could be more helpful but what I do know is that this is an arena that one really needs to do their due dilegence when searching for phone therapy services. There seem to be so many “phone therapists” who advertise online and have mysterious credentials, or are ignoring their state licensing requirements (for example, as a California Marriage and Family Therapist, we’re not supposed to be providing therapy across state lines). These laws are in place to protect the consumer so that the therapist can be held accountable if there’s negligence or some other problem. It’s definately a very fuzzy area. I offer this service but I’m very clear on my website that the client needs to be in my state.
My only suggestion is to search for licensed therapists in your state, look at their websites and see if the ones that resonate with you offer phone therapy. As you’ve probably noticed on this thread, a lot of therapists have very strong feelings against the idea. Look for people that have a section discussing their phone therapy policies.
If anyone else can provide any insight to Deidre - please chime in!
September 30th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
for someone like me who suffers from severe anxiety when I meet someone new this is a great option!!! I cant stomach meeting someone new!! this is definitely an option that will work for me. how do u find out if phone therapists are available in your city?? are there any websites that list phone therapists??
October 6th, 2008 at 3:36 am
Thanks for your guidance Lisa. I really do think this is something worth pursuing and I am getitng ready to do some research as we speak. I will keep you posted. Thanks to everyone for their comments- I look forward to my reading here everyday! :-)
October 27th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Call me naive but I really had no idea that something like phone therapy was becoming so universally accepted as a resource for therapy. It always seemed to be a crock to me, something that only quacks would do and I am here to say that I have been proven wrong. It seems there are people out there practicing phone therapy who are legit as well as patients who are getting great help by undergoing this treatment. I hope now that this continues to grow as an option for those who need help and can otherwise find no other way for getting it. Thanks for shedding some light on this issue for me.