“They have someone to talk and communicate and go through what they are struggling with.”
Depending on what your heart desires, one can do pretty much anything with a wi-fi connection and a computer. Order 10 Domino’s pizzas for your friends and family during the Super Bowl? Check. Send chain emails to your friends wondering how and when the New England Patriots became this insufferable? Check. Berate Roger Goodell on Twitter while simultaneously watching a live feed of him trying to hide in a press box at NRG Stadium? Check. Now, I could go on listing the possibilities forever which is exactly the point. With wi-fi and computers, the things we do from the comfort of our homes is near limitless.
Joe Gorton is the founder of E-counseling Essentials, a company that wants to make noise in a fairly untapped marketplace, one that leans heavily on the wi-fi/computer combination: online therapy.
“I feel like the platform can help therapists find what their specific niche is and also pursue that dream of going into private practice,” said Gorton. “They can use the platform to reach a lot of different people, people in rural areas that don’t have access to counseling, or people with certain disorders that prevent them from leaving, or professionals whose lives are just too busy to take hours out of their day to go and meet with a therapist.”
The idea behind E-counseling Essentials is simple: flexibility. By offering online therapy as an option, both patients and therapists can interact without having to meet face-to-face. This not only saves time, but can be a source of comfort for patients who would rather attend appointments from the comfort of their own home. Both sides connect via a confidential video line, which can be used for either individual or group therapy sessions.
“We set up an appointment time, I send an email that has the login information,” said Gorton. “It’s a simple link that you click on, it brings up the video window and your therapist is on the other end. There’s very little that is different from the face-to-face experience. You’re in front of the therapist and they’re in front of you.”
Gorton said his initial test subject was hesitant to try online therapy, afraid they weren’t tech savvy enough and worried the experience wouldn’t be as impactful as face-to-face — after trying out e-counseling, they quickly changed their mind. As Gorton continues to onboard patients, more people are beginning to see the benefits.
“It allows clients to pick where they want to meet with me,” said Gorton. “One of my clients has a little room that is her space that we get to go into, I think that adds to her comfort level. It also allows me to see their space and what’s going on with them, it’s not just them driving to me and presenting in a certain way. I get to see them in a much more real environment.”
The online world has played an enormous role in opening avenues we never thought possible. One of those avenues is online therapy, where patients can meet their therapist without ever leaving home. Gorton is helping to explore this new line of therapy through E-counseling Essentials, and he’s convinced that it provides what patients need.
“They have someone to talk and communicate and go through what they are struggling with,” said Gorton.
