IS ONLINE THERAPY ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE?

There has been a recent boom in online therapy services, no thanks to living in a time of great uncertainty.

“In 2020, we saw an uptick in patients asking our GPs about what they could do about stress and anxiety, and data showed that mental wellness via teleconsult was the most requested service by our users,” says Justin Chow, chief marketing and partnerships officer at homegrown telemedicine provider Whitecoat (whitecoat.com.sg).

Worried that online therapy might not be as effective? The opposite is true.

“For some people, being anonymous lends them confidence. And for others, being in a familiar space like their home can help them relax and open up,” says Lauren Wan, head of client experience at Singapore-based mental health app Lavica (lavica.io). She points out that therapy is also much more accessible when it’s as convenient as logging on from the comfort of your home.