Remote CBT therapy, Online CBT therapy or Virtual CBT therapy
Online CBT Therapist and EMDR Therapist
1.- Introduction to Remote, Online and Virtual CBT and Therapies
So, you may be reading this entry, as you are trying to search Remote CBT therapy or Online CBT therapy, or Remore EMDR or Virtual EMDR.
This entry discusses the difference between remote and online and virtual therapy, to some extend and in my professional view.
There are some websites, blogs and perhaps podcasts or videos that may refer to them in various forms.
This article is to try to clarify whether Remote CBT, Online CBT or Virtual CBT are 3 different things, or the same terms that can be used interchangeably.
However, I have recently found to be refered as a Virtual CBT or Virtual Therapy. I added this in the article recently, as it seemed important to explore.
2.- Online, Remote and Virtual CBT Definitions
Remote, in the context of place and as defined by the Collins Dictionary, could be understood by areas that are far from place where people are more likely to live. However, in the context of working or learning is done from somewhere away from the usual place of work or learning, especially using a device connected to the internet.
Online, in the context of a business and as defined by the Collins Dictionary, it is service that is available on the internet.
Virtual, is described by Collins Dictionary as “objects and activities are generated by a computer to simulate real objects and activities”.
So far seems that Remote is about being away from somewhere and using the internet to do things, and Online, in the context of business is a service that can be access in the internet. And virtual, could be argued that is the could be the enviroment where therapy happens, therefore virtual room.
However, there is a nuance on these terms.
Let’s say, I could technically be remote working, offline, and then connecting online for other parts of my job or for a remote online meeting. Or I could be remote learning by reading articles that I have downloaded from online, yet at the time of reading I am offline. At the same time, I could be writing in an online learning forum about these articles.
There are two variables on here that are not accounted for and those are synchronous and asynchronous. Now we need to define these.
Synchronous: occurring at the same time.
Asynchronous: lack of synchronism, haha (sorry for the laughing, but it could have read “the opposite of the above) so not occurring at the same time.
These terms, in the context of therapy, mean whether the interaction is happening at the same time, whether you call it Remote CBT therapy or Online CBT therapy. Let’s see the examples:
Texting, Emailing or Recorded Videos that deliver CBT content online are access by you remotely, while online. These are examples of asynchronous Online CBT.
Telephone, video conference, face to face therapy, or texting and emailing (as long as these are done live and happen at the same time) are examples of synchronous CBT therapy.
I am finding difficult to decribed what Virtual CBT would be. As, it is my understanding that it is something that happens through internet, but unsure if in a virtual world or online/remotely. Having, looked at the definition, I would say Online therapy happens in a virtual consultation room, through a video conference call.
3.- Summary of the Discussion about Virtual, Remote or Online CBT
Hopefully, you are still reading and willing to read this very last part.
Let’s use a further three examples:
Let say, I may be in my office delivering online CBT, I am not really working remotely or doing Remote CBT, because I am in my usual place of work. But I deliver a service online, in this case a psychotherapeutic service. Let say now I am going on holiday, and I am in a hotel working. Then I am working remotely, delivering online CBT. It could be argued that I am delivering Remote CBT Therapy, and this is Online.
Now, you may be accessing Online CBT Therapy, a service that I am providing, but you may be in your usual place of residence, AKA your home, or in a break room at work. Hence, you are not really accessing remotely, you are accessing an online service that is synchronous. However, you may be on holidays hence you are remotely accessing Online CBT therapy, which is a service delivered online.
Alternatively, you may be having face to face CBT therapy and decide to move away, or go on holidays, and continue with therapy. This would be technically Remote CBT, as you and or the therapist are away from the usual place where therapy takes place. This Remote CBT would be provided online, over the phone or by text. The difference is whether it would be synchronous or asynchronous.
If the therapy is delivered online, in a way that is happening at the same time and you are interacting with me synchronously, then in my view that is Online CBT. The remoteness of it, it is down on whether you or I are working away from our usual place of work or living.
I am open to conversation, and please leave a comment so we can explore this.
If you have found this page looking for Online Therapy, I deliver online cbt (or virtual cbt or remote cbt) for cbt for sports performance, ERP Therapy for OCD, EMDR for trauma, EMDR for childhood trauma, among other interventions.
Please click here for a 15 minutes free telephone or Video Conference.
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