Are you skeptical about whether online therapy could be helpful for you? Do you think that meeting with a therapist online seems somehow fake? If you answered yes to either of these questions then today’s blog should be an excellent read for you.
Attunement as a Remedy for Remote Therapy
After coming into the fore during the Covid pandemic, online therapy is becoming less desirable for a number of reasons. One is that people just like to be in the presence of the person they’re meeting with physically to help increase a sense of connection that has largely been absent since 2020 in many ways. This is a very fair argument in favor of in-person therapy, but it doesn’t take into account how people can still connect deeply and meaningfully over long distances all around the globe.
Attunement Isn't a Matter of Proximity
One of the things that modern physics has contributed to the field of psychology is how people can be closely attuned to each other even over vast distances. While there are some things that a Zoom interface can’t show, there is a vast capacity of humans to tie in very significantly on an emotional and intellectual wavelength across vast distances. This characteristic is known as attunement and is something that is unique to many living things. It is, however, something that an AI bot is not really able to do, because it isn’t a living thing.
Attunement Is What Allows Therapy to Work
You may think that you can’t be helped psychologically if you’re not in the physical presence of your clinician, however nothing could be further from the truth. Proximity does help, but the essential thing is to establish a connection of trust and emotional resonance with whoever is working with you. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a therapist, medical doctor, or even an energy healer. The bottom line is this capacity for total resonance with what you’re going through as an entry point for the healing process and recovery process to proceed. That doesn’t require you being within the immediate vicinity of whoever it is you’re working with. This is an established scientific principle.
“Attunement in human relationships is…where deep listening and presence allow us to connect…(and) truly truly see and understand one another” Deepak Chopra.ai
Attunement Isn’t the Same for Everyone
Regardless of what the science says, you need to feel and recognize that your therapist is attuned to your particular situation. If you don’t get the sense that they are, then something is not right. It may be that they’re not the right therapist for you, but only you can say for sure. What is important is to get a sense of whether your therapist is able to connect and resonate with your lived experience. That's why doing the free consult before booking an appointment can be such an important way of determining whether you can work with this person on an online or virtual platform. If not, then you may need to either meet in person or find someone else who can resonate with your situation.
How to Get a Better Sense of Whether You're Attuned for Online Therapy
As I mentioned above, having a free 15 to 20 minutes phone or online consultation with your therapist is an important way to get started. I’ve been offering these since I started doing therapy individually over 12 years ago. I encourage you to click the button at the top or middle of the page to schedule one with me, or simply to call my number or fill out the inquiry form below, so you can get a better idea about whether you could experience that sense of attunement that I’m talking about above and in therapy sessions with me. I offer free phone consults for individual clients, as well as virtual consults for my couples clients and would be happy to meet with you to discuss this or the prospect of working together virtually in the future. While I only serve clients in Maryland or Virginia now, there is the possibility that in the near future there will be much more ability to do virtual therapy across state boundaries. You owe it to yourself to take advantage of the ability to do online therapy with clinicians who can help you most significantly. I encourage you to look into this valuable option today.
Visit our page on online therapy to find out how Scott can help. You have a greater experience of attunement in therapy.
About the author: Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland. He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin, Texas. He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His most recent book is titled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.