written by: Lauren Kinchen

Todd Essig, writer for Forbes magazine, drafts an article arguing that the use of electronic counseling makes authentic communication unachievable and that Skype therapy is a loophole out of face to face interaction in our society.

. w r o n g .

Telemedicine is an upcoming trend encompassing the United States medical community. Telemedicine allows doctors to provide treatment without actually being with their patients.

One way this is possible is the use of the previously stated electronic video messaging like SKYPE! Skype has been helpful in the growth of this electronic expansion in the medical profession.

It is incredibly useful for those who are in remote areas or those people suffering with mental health that they may feel uncomfortable meeting with their psychiatrist or doctor face to face.

The progression of counseling to achieve interaction electronically is exceptional.  

Essig addresses his first argument early in the reading. His first argument is that it is impossible to an authentic experience… He pulls research to back his claim from Gillian Russel who believes that reflected introspection gets narrowed when you allow the screen to be the only connection between patient and provider. Essig and Russel are proposing that it is impossible to receive an authentic healing experience if you are not in the same room as your counselor… 

The“narrowed reflection” that Russel argues in the passage is incorrect. Allowing patients to receive treatment somewhere they are more comfortable will allow the patient to open up even more than if they were forced to sit in a cold, uncomfortable room with a shrink eyeing them down. It is a beautiful thing that the treatment process is available to those suffering with mental issues from the comfort of their homes. When a person feels comfortable, naturally he or she feels better about opening up to someone.  For many people dealing with mental illness, this is achieved at a safe place for them, on their own time, when they feel necessary.

Skype counseling creates an atmosphere that encourages them to expand on their issues and feel at ease to provide information to their counselor.

It is easier for the patient to share their emotions over the phone than have to confront their issues in person to their shrink; this is the new age we live in. As a whole, our society is becoming less and less socially interactive and has been focusing more on integrating technology into everything. 

The issue of not receiving authentic treatment because a person is not physically present with a counselor is out of date for the society we now live in.

We live in a world that is driven by technology and is advancing more and more in that direction each day. Skype has been a remarkable achievement that allows you the connection to anyone, at any point in the world, at any moment in time, to not take advantage of this fact is ignorant. I feel that it is wise for Americans to acknowledge they have the opportunity to save themselves time and resources and to act on that and choose online therapy. Suffering Americans should not read this article and feel shame for seeking shortcuts to their routine. Todd Essig is grouping everyone suffering into one category and pushing a biased opinion on a population of people who are complex and who handle emotions and stress differently. With this being said, each person would respond to online treatment differently from the next, so it is unfair to group everyone into a blanket no for electronic counseling.

Skype is a resource for simple, quick, and authentic communication and it should be pushed into the medical profession as soon as possible. The days of having to be face-to-face with your mental health professional are no more, authentic healing is achievable easily through electronic counseling methods. 

Also, Essig argues that this is just an additional way that our society has created a loophole out of face to face interaction in the busy schedule of the everyday human.

“Skype therapy is now a routine choice, nothing more than a preference, a convenience”

okkkk.. 

In making this point, the author’s argument is directed towards the busy American who may not have time to drive to their mental health counselor office and sit in for an hour session, and he tries to get the reader to feel that they are being selfish in this way which is not right. Essig is using metaphors and hyperbole to make it seem astounding that there are people in this world who would do the unimaginable and use skype to meet with their counselor.

All these people are trying to do is find an easier, more efficient way to receive help for their mental illnesses and they should be praised for starting that process. In reality, there are people who genuinely do not have the resources or time to drive over to their doctor.

Electronic counseling is no loophole, it is a saving grace to the working single mother, the deeply introverted, and the citizens whose day to day is rigorous and demanding and forcing them to look for some type of help. 

Skype counseling methods are necessary in this day in age and are necessary to keep up with the technological advances that are inevitable.

Counseling online should not be stigmatized as a lesser treatment option and should be encouraged to those looking for a different counseling experience. There is nothing wrong with the technological advancements that our country is making and people need to take advantage at the resources that come with this progression. In particular, people suffering with mental illness should not be shamed for finding quicker ways for treatment as Essig attempted in this article.

I want to encourage those suffering to find a treatment that works for you and run with it, at the end of the day there is one goal and that is the well being of everyone and I wish it were that simple of a case to all authors sending out mass messages.