Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Veterans Skype Therapy

Kristina Derro
Veterans Disability Lawyer

 
Unfortunately, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an all too common condition for soldiers returning home after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Many veterans choose to seek counseling to cope with this and other effects of their service overseas.

Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began a program by which these therapy sessions are conducted over the internet.  The veterans can see and interact with their counselor through a video-chat program such as Skype or Cisco Jabber.
 
In the long term, veterans using this “Skype therapy” progressed at the same rate as veterans receiving traditional face-to-face therapy.  Traditional therapy is never going away – but this new online therapy is only going to get bigger. 

Of course, there can be technical problems with online therapy such as pixilation, choppiness, and freezing.  If the internet connection is lost, that will end the session.  In one case, a study found that a therapist did not notice for three sessions that his patient was in a wheelchair.  Some also believe that this new approach will decrease empathy because the therapist is unable to shake the patient’s hand, hand tissue to a crying patient, or otherwise physically interact with the patient.

Even with the drawbacks, this new approach is certainly a blessing for veterans who do not live near a VA hospital or clinic.  These veterans will now have the ability to get the treatment they need from the comfort of their own home.

If you have questions about PTSD or benefits for veterans, contact Legal Help For Veterans, a practice group of Fausone Bohn, LLP, at 800-693-4800 or online at www.legalhelpforveterans.com. 

To learn more about the VA’s new online therapy program, please visit: http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/skype-therapy-it-s-working-for-veterans-1.229089#.Udg7dhg-uZk.gmail

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