Taking care of one’s physical health has gone from being a recommended necessity for improved lifestyle, to a craze of sorts, with apps, programs, gym memberships, boot camps, and meal prep cookbooks becoming more and more popular. While the world is compelling individuals to take care of their physical health to a whole new level, mental health is not acquiring nearly the same amount of media attention, general awareness, or availability. Realistically, mental health is just as vital to an individual’s overall quality of life (and happiness, for that matter) as physical health. Mental health issues are only increasing worldwide, and the time for increased awareness and action has never been more fitting. The reality is that the sheer volume of individuals that need treatment for mental health issues simply cannot be met solely by practices on site and therapists face to face. The world is increasingly finding itself evolving into a technologically driven space, and industries the world over are revamping to stay relevant and to give their client bases the appropriate products and care. Therapy is not immune to this global change – if anything, it is one of the industries that is being revolutionised most notably. Online therapy is making waves all over the world, and for very good reasons.
Built on traditional foundations of face to face human connection and contact, therapy is evolving to realign itself with the needs of the current world. Therapy is just one of the industries undergoing a completely digital takeover, but even so, it is one of the platforms that is benefiting the most from the revolution – both as an industry and for the sake of the client base – as opposed to merely making the change to stay relevant. Telepsychiatry was introduced years ago, and since the dawn of its inception it has only evolved to become not only more relevant, but more vital to the masses of individuals that need support in their darkest moments.
Sam Nabil, founder of Naya Clinics, says of the philosophers that crafted the philosophical work that has come to be converted to existential therapists, that, “most of the existential philosophers…were deeply depressed, and adversely affected by horrific circumstances in their personal life, or lived in very trouble times”. And the issues with the initial foundations of traditional therapies did not end there, as Nabil says, “when philosophical work was later transformed into a therapeutic approach, the physiotherapists who pioneered and taught existential psychotherapy were equally a product of harsh personal or situational circumstances…”. Traditional forms of therapy were cloaked in negativity, and therefore not entirely effective for either the patient nor the therapist. A new form of therapy emerged, exclusively developed and tested at Nabil’s Naya Clinics that is working harmoniously in alignment with online therapy, and changing the industry.
Nabil himself was unhappy with the various forms of therapy available, and so he developed what he calls Positive Existential Therapy (PET). Described as an intense reshaping of traditional methods of therapy, Nabil describes it simply as, “being designed to reinvent therapy for the 21st century”. With therapy, coaching, online therapy and coaching, and alternative healing available, Naya Clinics provides its clients with multiple platforms and formats of assistance, ensuring that everyone that needs their help can get it in an environment that they are comfortable in. Just as some individual thrive getting care in an up-close-and-personal environment, some individuals prefer a more laid back approach where they can control when, where, how, and why they go about organising sessions. Online therapy is effectively helping more people than strictly on-location therapy is possible able to – with varying time zones, therapeutic approaches, and stages of therapy available, clients can seek the help that they need at what can often be a far greater (and more convenient) opportunity.
Online therapy helps individuals to open up, as the virtual nature of the sessions provide individuals with the platform for them to use their voice without having to feel self-conscious or judged too harshly. One of the most intimidating aspects of seeing a therapist in the flesh is the accountability. When one is sitting in front of the person who is there to help them, it can be daunting, and even overwhelming, in a way that is difficult to understand for those outside of that individual’s scope of perspective. Online therapy companies – like Naya Clinics – operate on a more flexible basis, while efficiently maintaining the personal aspects that make therapy so effective. Clients are still seen by therapists – just online. Clients can still get all the tools to help them get the help that they need – but with more varying availability and timing accounted for. Under the right circumstances, online therapy can be not only as effective in treating clients, but sometimes even more so.
Therapy is one of the industries that was built on traditional foundations – such as face to face human contact – and is getting a digitized rebuild, so to speak. While the world as a whole is moving in a tech-driven direction, industries build on traditional modes and methods – like therapy – are having to shift their focus more than industries that are built on more modern facets – ecommerce being built on a foundation of internet connection across the globe, for example. Online therapy is shattering the mould and changing what it means to be privy to (and to utilise appropriately) the platforms available for individuals struggling with mental health issues. Companies like Naya Clinics are changing the game and ultimately allowing individuals to feel safe, connected, and well taken care of. The psyche is so incredibly important to the overall health and wellbeing of a person. Subsequently, having online counselling platforms that allow those seeking help to do it on their own time, in a place that feels most comfortable for them, and in a more comfortable circumstance (over camera as opposed to face to face) opens a world of opportunities – opportunities that simply cannot be met using only on-location therapists.