Many parents, who had children in therapy, decided to postpone therapy sessions until they could see the therapist in-person. While their hesitation to have online therapy for their child is absolutely comprehendible, this article tends to provide some clarification on the general believes that online therapy may not be as effective for children.
Let’s remind ourselves that the new generation were introduced to technology at a very young age, probably when they started watching “baby shark” or “Family Finger” videos on Youtube! Their encounter with technology became even closer at daycare and school, when they watch informational videos, do projects, and submit homework online. Did we, as adults, hesitated when teachers asked our children to do homework online or submit projects via classroom profiles? There is a high chance that the answer to this question is a solid “No”! We trusted the process and convinced ourselves that technology was going to be part of the learning process for children of this generation.
The change of space for therapy, from an office to an online platform, is also a process that many of us, adults/parents, have to start getting comfortable with as it will be part of the therapeutic process for an uncertain amount of time. While keeping an open mind, read about these five common myths about online therapy for children.
- Children can’t be engaged or they get distracted: this is only true in the case where the therapist doesn’t have enough experience or doesn’t have the skills to adjust her approach to an online platform. With the use of the right tools and activities, children remain engage and can use their creativity into place via an online session.
- They can wait for an in-person session: let’s be realistic. Nobody knows how long the self-isolation will last. Use this as an opportunity to introduce an alternative way of getting help for your child. Also, while it’s true that you can wait for an in-person session, it’s not recommended to wait too long as the symptoms can aggravate and the conditions can become more serious.
- My child won’t accept online therapy: We say, let’s give it a try. Keep an open mind and introduce online therapy as a new way of doing things rather than an uncomfortable interruption to their routine. Help them in finding a comfortable private space in the house, setting up the video, and ending the session. Often, children’s hesitation in trying online therapy is due to the lack of knowledge of how it would work.
- Online therapy is not as effective: we would argue that online therapy could be at times be even more effective than an in-person session. Picture this: your child gets to talk about their emotional/behavioral difficulty in the same space they are experiencing it; while they learn tools and techniques on how to better manage situations while being in the real space. Compared to an office session, where the child expresses and learns techniques that need to be extended to the home environment afterwards.
- Parents won’t be involved: the structure of an online session for children is very similar to the structure of an in-person sessions. The therapist will meet with the parent separately first to get an update of events, then meet with the child separately, and finally meet with the parent again to provide a summary of the session, interventions and recommendations.
Our therapists in Montreal are ready to provide professional online sessions to children, teenagers, and adults. There is a lot more flexibility around scheduling an online session in Montreal and it could be done from the comfort of your coach.
The online therapy sessions at Montreal Art Therapy Centre are affordable and flexible. We also offer a 30 minutes long free consultation session to help you decide whether our approach and style of work suit your needs. Call us today to book your online session or schedule your free consultation session.
By:Reyhane Namdari
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