About online

Relationship & Intimacy Coaching

& Sex Therapy 

ONLINE THERAPY & COACHING SERVICES: 

WHEREVER YOU ARE, SUPPORTIVE PROFESSIONAL HELP IS NEAR. OUR LICENSED CLINICAL THERAPISTS CAN DO ONLINE SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. OUR COACHES ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT ANYWHERE IN THE WOLRD.

Online therapy is a great alternative to face-to-face therapy for people who frequently are out of the area due to travel commitments.  For others, it can be a good option for folks who might otherwise not seek out therapy and counseling services. It also allows specific types of therapy, such as attachment-based modalities like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) to be available to people living in remote areas where there are limited clinicians with highly specialized training in trauma, relationship or attachment couples and individual therapies.

In today's world, teletherapy simply makes sense. It's definitely the direction therapy seems to be heading, and there are many reasons why. Teletherapy is just easier to fit into our messy, busy lives.

• No wasting time sitting in traffic or in waiting rooms. 

• If you're feeling a little under the weather, no need to cancel appointments for fear of spreading germs. It's an ideal solution for people who are medically fragile or have access issues.

• It's often more comfortable for people to open up when they are in the familiar comfort of their own homes. Some people feel less inhibited talking to a therapist about vulnerable issues online rather than face to face. 

• Clients in their own homes have access to family members they may want to involve in treatment. 

So what about the concerns?

Some common concerns of people considering teletherapy and coaching are that the therapy will feel "impersonal" or somehow won't be as effective as in-person therapy. My online therapy clients express that while therapy over the internet may feel a little strange at first, they do get used to it quickly. Research shows that internet-based therapy is comparable to in-person therapy in satisfaction and effectiveness across diverse populations.

“The purpose of Internet-based treatment is not to replace traditional therapy, face to face, for those who need it. But for many people it is an equally good, even better, alternative, since they can choose their own time and place

-Dr. Fredrik Holländare, School of Health and Medical Science at Örebro University.

Recent research supports video and phone therapy as having an equally effective outcomes as in-person counseling. In 2011, Dr. Fredrik Holländare, School of Health and Medical Science at Örebro University. published his findings of studyingthe effects of Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat ongoing depression and for relapse prevention.  The 2013 study at the University of Zurich found that treating depression via online psychotherapy is just as efficient as conventional in-person therapy. Research shows that online therapy may also be an efficient way to provide PTSD treatment to a large group of individuals. 

“A pilot study compared the effectiveness of online cognitive behavioral therapy and in-person supportive therapy in 45 Defense service members suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the September 11th attack. After eight weeks those receiving online therapy showed greater improvement. Six months after their first meeting those who had received online therapy continued to show improvement, in direct contrast to the in-person group.

-American Journal of Psychiatry, November 2007

So what are the benefits?

While online therapy and coaching cannot always offer the same nuanced experience as sitting face-to-face with your therapist, it  is an excellent option for many people to have support they might not otherwise be able to access.

Some people that benefit from online therapy with the San Francisco Intimacy & Sex Therapy Center's individual psychotherapists, sex therapists and marriage counselors include:

• People who travel often due to work commitments

• Professionals who commute and struggle to make it to an in office therapy session.

• Couples in long distance relationships

• Individuals who want to meet more often than scheduling permits

• People who were face-to-face therapy clients but have moved away

• People who live in rural areas with limited access to therapists

• Anyone who is interested in trying online therapy as a supplement to in person counseling or on its own.

Is online video counseling confidential and private?

Yes!

Our psychotherapists and sexologists at San Francisco Intimacy & Sex Therapy Centers conduct online video sessions on secure, password protected computers, using a video conferencing software that is a highly recommended, safe, trusted, HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform. We do everything we can to comply with data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding your medical information.

We also ask that our clients take their online video sessions in a closed, private room and to wear headphones. in order to protect confidentiality.

PLEASE NOTE THAT CALIFORNIA LAW ONLY PERMITS CA LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS AND THERAPISTS TO OFFER DISTANCE THERAPY FOR FOLKS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

Sexologists, Intimacy Coaches and LIFE & Relationship COACHES HOWEVER, MAY OFFER DISTANCE SERVICES TO THOSE IN OTHER LOCATIONS.