Up until quite recently many of us thought in person counselling always offered more benefits than other formats such as telehealth. We could not imagine switching to virtual platforms for many of our health needs. Is that still true? Does in person counselling in Winnipeg still offer benefits over telehealth therapies via video or phone? Let’s explore.
In Person Counselling Near You in Winnipeg
You want to look for some support from a therapist for a personal struggle, but everything in you tells you that you’d like to to meet with your therapist in person. With so many therapists now primarily seeing their clients online, you are wondering whether you should choose telehealth counselling even though you live in the same city where your therapist offers in person sessions. You find yourself undecided about which modality (in person vs. online) will work best for you. In this blog we will look at in person counselling in Winnipeg and explore some of the benefits of in person therapy near you in Manitoba.
In Person Counselling in Winnipeg
While online therapy can be highly effective for some people and is definitely a good alternative to in person therapy in Winnipeg, we have learned that telehealth isn’t beneficial for everyone.
Here are a few of the reasons our clients who prefer in person therapy have given for why they prefer in person therapy in Winnipeg:
In Person Counselling Therapy Near You in Winnipeg Can Help You Focus
Some people have an easier time focusing in their therapist’s office where they can eliminate work and home distractions.
External distractions, such has other household members talking, kids playing, partners being on work calls, etc. can impact the effectiveness of virtual therapy. If you don’t have a quiet space in your house where you can guarantee that you won’t be distracted by family members, children, your phone notifications, or things around the house, then it can be difficult to mentally get yourself into the therapeutic environment. Some people have likened online therapy to having a conversation on the phone while driving—you’re only half-listening and distracted by paying attention to the road and everything else that’s going on in your immediate surroundings.
No Reliance on Technology
In person therapy means you don’t have to worry about technology affecting your session.
If you are sitting in your therapist’s office, you don’t have to put up with another kind of disruption to your processing like internet drop-outs, speech delays, audio and video issues.
While these disruptions may seem minor as you are thinking about them, the lived experience of being mid-sentence or mid- thought and having your internet connection disrupted can significantly affect your therapeutic experience. Only half hearing what your therapist is saying, and vice versa, can prevent effective communication and can lead to misunderstandings. It also inhibits your therapist’s ability to understand the bigger picture as effectively.
In Person Counselling Therapy in Winnipeg Helps Your Therapist Understand Your Body Language
This is one your therapist may be more aware of than you have been. As therapists, we pay close attention to our clients’ non-verbal communication. Paying attention to your facial expressions, vocal signals, and body language helps us therapists gauge how accurate we are in understanding your feelings, thoughts, moods, and behaviors.
While some delivery methods such as video therapy can give us more access to your body language—as opposed to a phone therapy session—it is still somewhat limited and often lacks the intimacy and personal connection that in person sessions offer.
We have heard many clients talk about how important a visceral felt sense of their therapist is to their experience of therapy.
In Person Counselling Therapy in Winnipeg is More Effective for Certain Types of Therapy
There are a number of types of therapy, with some being better suited for in person therapy. For example, therapies that involve creativity like art or music therapy or those types of therapy that involve training your body’s response to stress and trauma like somatic based therapies or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). These therapies may work better if done in person.
Nearby In Person Counselling Therapy in Winnipeg Can Help Your Nervous System
At the end of the day, it is important to remember that we are social beings. Our nervous systems respond to each other. Just think of how you can feel soothed in the presence of a loved one, even if they don’t say a word.
While communicating virtually has been, and continues to be, an incredibly helpful tool and, for some people a wonderful alternative and for others perhaps the only option, in person therapy in Winnipeg continues to provide benefits that virtual therapy simply never can.
If you would like to explore in person therapy in Winnipeg, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would be more than happy to explore how we may be able to help.