For many years, therapy meant one thing: sitting knee-to-knee with a therapist in an office. Week by week and month to month, it meant travel time, parking fees, and waiting rooms. As a therapist with 30 plus years of working with people in person, I know the drill only too well.
Thankfully, today, in person therapy isn’t the only option.
In Nova Scotia, and all across Canada, more people are choosing online therapy. Not because it’s a second-best alternative or just more convenient than face-to-face, but because it better fits their lives and their needs.
Many people are surprised to discover that virtual therapy feels just as connected, and in some ways, even more accessible than face-to-face counselling. I know this because I’ve been delivering online therapy for over six years. I’ve watched people heal, grow and finish therapy all on the screen of my MacBook Air. Let’s talk about how and why online therapy can work for you.
Life is hard. Life is busy. Work schedules move, childcare is complex, weather can be unpredictable, and when it comes to therapy, travel time adds pressure to our already packed schedule
Online therapy removes many of these barriers. Without the commute, bridges, traffic, parking, or waiting room, therapy becomes easier to integrate into your life.
You can meet your therapist from your living room couch, office desk, or any other quiet space at home. If you live in rural or remote areas of Nova Scotia, online therapy opens access to specialized care that may not be available to you locally. When therapy is easier to attend, it becomes easier to continue.
Some clients initially worry that online therapy may feel less personal. In my practice, many clients experience the opposite.
Meeting from your own space can create a greater sense of comfort and safety. Being at home allows you to settle into the work more naturally. You may feel less self-conscious and more grounded in a familiar setting. For those of you whose nervous systems regulate around your pets, having them close is an added bonus. I love meeting family pets, birds and fish. As a therapist, having this added view into your life can add depth and richness to the work.
For those who feel hesitant about being seen entering a therapy office, online sessions can offer added privacy. When you feel more at ease outside, deeper work inside becomes possible.
When I think of the interactions of people on telehealth, I think of that old Hollywood line, “I’m ready for my close-up.” That’s what online therapy can be like. The screen brings us incredibly close to each other. Yes, we can’t see every motion and gesture, or a tapping foot off-screen, but remember; 7% of our communication is in our words, 35% is in our vocal tone and 55% is in our body language. Of that 55% most of our non-verbal communication is expressed in our face. A screen brings faces incredibly close.
Therapy only works when we feel present and seen by the other. Virtual therapy focusses our attention powerfully into a closeness that fosters presence.
I happen to be travelling in Costa Rica right now, and while speaking with my father on FaceTime we were both amazed how instantaneous the connection was across such a vast distance. If I was in the room with him, I don’t think I would have been as near. The magic of working by screen is the unique intimacy of closeness and the presence it brings.
Therapy is not about where you are sitting. It is about the quality of the relationship, the experience of presence, and the closeness that can be built between two or more people.
At Become Therapy, all services are offered online to ensure accessibility across Nova Scotia. Whether you are seeking individual, couples, or group therapy, our goal is to provide stable accessible presence and closeness so that you feel psychologically safe and supported wherever you find yourself..
If you are curious about beginning therapy, I invite you to explore our services and learn more about how online therapy works. Visit becometherapy.ca to get started.
Support does not have to require a commute. It begins right where you are. 🤍