Online vs. In-person Therapy

Online:

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Online mental health resources may seem more convenient than attending in-person sessions as you can access them from any place, such as the comfort of your own home

In-person:

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Therapists thoroughly examine the patient's situation through regular meetings. Using information from such sessions, they are able to accurately support the patient. On the other hand, mental health chatbots would respond based on the data they were trained on, oftentimes leading to bias.

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In-person:

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When attending in-person therapy sessions, the information you give your therapist is kept confidential between the two of you. The therapist is only legally required to disclose information when there is implied harm to yourself or others.

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In-person:

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You would receive more personalized care from in-person sessions, as you are able to express your concerns more comfortably when you know that the therapist is listening. Mental health chatbots, on the other hand, simply respond based on trained data and may provide vague responses in complex situations. 

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In-person:

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In in-person therapy, the therapist provides emotional support and responds empathetically to the patients' concerns. However, mental health chatbots are unable express empathy and thus understand the implications of their advice on people.

Online:

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Online resources are typically available 24/7, making them easier to access at anytime and anyplace. Conversely, in-person sessions require scheduling ahead of time, and also depend on the therapist's availability. 

 

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