The roots of online counseling, which has gained value in this period of quarantine and social distance measures, date back to the use of letters in therapy in the early 1900s. The distance therapy process has diversified until today with the invention of the letter, the telephone and the development of the internet.
Therapy; It is a process that is expected to be relationship-oriented, dynamic and preferably face-to-face. However, some changes can be made in the current conditions to protect our own health, those in need of support, and the society. Although online counseling is an alternative option for psychological support and therapy, this practice, like every subject, has some pros and cons.
During the pandemic, sessions that started face to face and continued online, sessions that started online and completed online, and therapies were interrupted. One of the advantages of online counseling is that it does not require any treatment.
On the other hand, research shows that the effectiveness of online counseling is less optimal, but generally has similar effects to traditional therapy; Some of the disadvantages of online counseling are that it is not suitable for some individuals, some diagnostic groups, or some age groups such as very young children. The basic ethical principles determined for mental health professionals also apply to online therapies.
One of the questions we hear frequently during the pandemic is 'Does he show symptoms?' Shortness of breath, high fever, pain in the joints, loss of sensations such as taste or smell... If these symptoms are present, it is highly likely to have contracted the Covid - 19 virus.
These symptoms, which help experts in physical diseases, are also for us mental health professionals. very valuable. Sometimes these symptoms may not occur for an organic reason. Sometimes, these symptoms can even be seen as external behavioral disorders instead of introverted physical symptoms. Mental health professionals do not view situations like this as behavior that needs to be extinguished; They consider it as a need that needs to be met.
A child whose only father and son spend time together is when his father gives advice in the evening after a fight at school, may continue to fight for his father to take care of him or may not want to study. A child with attention deficit may pick his nose and make it bleed, saving himself from doing homework.
The white spots on our nails say 'We need more vitamins.' Symptoms tell us about our needs. Really, what do you need?
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