Why Seek In-Person Counseling?
Photo courtesy of Magnific.
In the past decade—and even more so since the Covid-19 pandemic—counseling services have significantly expanded the ways a person can meet for therapy. Telehealth models gained enormous usage throughout the pandemic and were soon expanded into other distance meeting options, such as text counseling, over the phone counseling, or even counseling via email. Even more recently there has been a rise in people seeking support from Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots. Today, to search for counseling services often results in what can feel like an overwhelming amount of options.
At CCCRD, we make the argument that the best counseling comes from in-person, relationally-driven treatment. This is for both clinical and practical reasons. Though some research has shown similar success in both in-person and telehealth treatment for symptom reduction, we believe that in-person meetings are the most helpful approach for true heart change. This stems from our emphasis on relational healing via the client and counselor relationship. Psychological researchers conclude that “a good relationship…is essential to helping the client connect with, remain in, and get the most from therapy” (DeAngelis 2019). To that end, we believe meeting with a counselor in person allows for greater safety, investment, and presence in the counseling room, all of which lead to greater therapeutic outcomes. When you come in for your session it may appear on the surface to be just talking. But there is so much more to the healing process that counselors work hard to uphold in every session, much of which is reinforced through the relationship fostered in an in-person setting.
Safety
As you enter the counseling room there are many ways your counselor has worked hard to make the space emotionally and physically safe. This is first established through consistency. The room does not change from week to week, your environment stays the same. Clients can expect a controlled, carefully constructed environment specifically designed for therapeutic work. The client and the counselor decide who is allowed in the counseling room at any given time; interruptions from outside the room are rare. Should a crisis situation arise for the client during a session, the client is already in a secure and calm environment. The counselor can assist and use safety measures in the moment to help keep the client safe, something that is much more difficult to ensure when counseling remotely.
Safety also comes from privacy. What is shared in the room stays in the room, both through literal noise-cancelling efforts and your counselor’s commitment to keeping your story private. By meeting in person, we remove the possibility of family members listening at the door, pets demanding attention, or the most dreaded loss of Wi-Fi connection. Instead, meetings are predictable, leaving you—the client—free to experiment, risk, and tread into deeper waters, knowing that the environment is not going to be disrupted in the process. A client can be fully present and fully focused on the difficult task of counseling.
Investment
Meeting in person for sessions requires the client and the clinician to intentionally choose inconvenience and discomfort. It might seem like a baffling preference, but why might we choose to be uncomfortable and inconvenienced? It’s because that first decision to choose challenge over ease can set the tone for the rest of the therapeutic journey. When we decide something is worth our being inconvenienced, we show that it is important, something worth our investment and commitment. Whether it is for therapy or other things, where we invest our time and money reveals what is important to us. Doing something only as it is convenient doesn’t communicate value. Increasingly the rationale for telehealth or distance models is based upon convenience factors and increased access. While accessibility is important and a worthy end, by and large when discussing the benefits of distance counseling, convenience seems to be the critical driving factor. Ultimately, growth requires investment.
Presence
As you sit in the counseling room facing your counselor, you likely experience a myriad of responses. For some there is the anxiety over being analyzed, the uncertainty of where to tread next, the warmth of being seen and valued, or even the disdain that someone is daring to peer into your depths. All of these intense experiences are normal and valuable parts of the counseling process. They reveal your “stuff,” so to speak: the thoughts, emotions, and experiences that come up for you as you connect to another person. Recognizing that and tuning into the feelings in the room is critical for making change. Yet even beyond therapeutic change there is power in presence. The feeling of facing another human who fully sees you, who understands your story and does not balk or judge but regards you as valued and stays completely present through your suffering, is one that simply demands to be experienced in person.
Beginning
There are many ways you can begin the counseling journey, and ultimately that decision is one that only you can make. Choosing to invest in in-person counseling is a big step, one that we believe creates the biggest opportunities for connection and change. Practically, we counselors spend a lot of time creating a controlled and predictable environment week after week that protects each client who comes into our office. We set the frame for how the counseling will commence and the frame does not change. In doing so we provide early opportunities to prioritize your healing journey, privacy, and pace. The journey begins on that note and each step of the way your counselor is present and attuned, feeling along with you in the room as you endeavor to go deep into your soul, and never losing sight of the tremendous privilege it is to witness the growth of another human being.
References:DeAngelis, T. (2019, November 1). CE corner: Better relationships with patients lead to better outcomes. Monitor on Psychology, 50(10).