Online Therapist in South Africa

Online Therapy By  A Registered Psychologist

*   Easily Accessable

*  Effective

 

Now… in the safety

and privacy

of your own home

or your office

Why would you ask for help
from an Online Therapist?

Well, everybody sometimes gets stuck. And when it happens, you may need somebody to collaborate with in order for you to take a step in a preferred direction. In situations like these I can assist you to negotiate…

  • Stuck states you experience as a result of your circumstances;
  • Pain, trauma and loss
  • Inner experiences that causes discomfort e.g. stress, anxiety,  fear, anger and other challenges;
  • Specific issues that impact your life negatively; and
  • Emotional scars left by past experiences.

Collaborating with me in Online Therapy sessions may empower you…

  • To make important life choices;
  • To find new balance and coherence in your life;
  • To progress on your journey of personal growth,
  • To unleash your potential;
  • To create a fulfilling life, and to
  • To build or rebuild personal relationships.

All of this is done either through a voice or a video call. Even though it might sound a little unusual, there are overwhelming evidence that Online Therapy (also known as Online Counseling, Internet Therapy, e-counseling, Telehealth Services, etc.) is as effective as face to face therapy.

From people’s experience we have  learnt the different

Advantages of online therapy.

They say:

Z

“You’re at home and it just feels like you have permission to be yourself…. your real self. It therefore feels easier and more natural to chat with your Online Therapist from the privacy of your home.”

Z

” For people who live in a remote area, as well as for people who have limited mobility or limited access to transportation, it is just better to use online therapy as their preferred mode of therapy.”

Z

“When I work with my Online Therapist it seems like Online Therapy provides more intense therapy. We focus on and stick to the problem… and then sort of accelerate the progress we make.”

Z

“I am a very private person. I don’t want other people to know when I am visiting a Psychologist. Online therapy help with eliminating the social stigma related to receiving mental counseling or other therapy.”

Z

” What’s nice about Online therapy is that I don’t have to miss my sessions when we have bad weather or when I’m not feeling so good. I just have to get on the internet and connect with my Online therapist. From home.”

Z

“Online Therapy definitly makes it possible for indivuduals in remote areas to get help from specialists who may not be available in their own geographic location. By utlizing Online Therapy I got specialized help.”

Z

“Online Therapy provides the flexibility that I need. It provides me with access to more specialists and can select the specialists who is the best possibility when it comes to helping me with my specific problem.”

Z

“In the beginning I thought that the technology (Zoom, Skype, etc.) might be a problem (too difficult!). Once I mastered the basics it became second nature en made Online Therapy a smooth experience.”

Z

“It might be a little cheaper to utilize Online Therapy as I don’t have travel expenses. At the same time it is less time consuming as I don’t have te travel to my therapist’s rooms. And time is money!”

Dr. Johan Cloete

Online Therapy Counseling Psychologist south africa

I am a qualified Psychologist, registered as a Psychology Practitioner with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (category: Registered Counselor).

I specialize in Online Therapy. i.e. doing the same therapy I would usually do in a face-to-face practice… just online. In this capacity I render primary psychological interventions and counselling to individuals and couples.

For more information about me (my qualifications, registration, specialized fields of therapy, etc.), please select the following link:

 More about me

For more information about the style in which I do Online Therapy, selecet the following link:

My style of therapy

My Fees:

My fees are according to the National Health Pricelist. Most medical aid funds adhere to these fees. If you want your medical aid fund to pay for my services, make sure that there are sufficient funds prior to making an appointment.

My cash fee for a counselling session is R550.00 per session of about 61-70 minutes (negotiable under certain circumstances)

Payment options:

Medical aid schemes

Cash

Card facilities

Short term accounts

Online Therapy (counseling) and Research

Just in case you were wondering…
Research has shown repeatedly
that Online Therapy is
as effective as face-to-face therapy…
and might even be better
than face-to-face therapy.

Teletherapy Online Therapy and counseling video call

For example…

More than 7 years ago (i.e. when Online Therapy was still in it’s infancy) a group of clinical researchers at the University of Zurich conducted clinical experiments to compare the difference in effectiveness between online psychotherapy and conventional face-to-face therapy.

Six therapists treated 62 patients, the majority of whom were suffering from moderate depression. The patients were divided into two equal groups and randomly assigned to one of the therapeutic forms. The treatment consisted of eight sessions with different established techniques. Patients treated online had to perform one predetermined written task per therapy unit — such as querying their own negative self-image.

“In both groups, the depression values fell significantly,” says Professor Andreas Maercker, summing up the results of the study. At the end of the treatment, no more depression could be diagnosed in 53 percent of the patients who underwent online therapy – compared to 50 percent for face-to-face therapy. Three months after completing the treatment, the depression in patients treated online even decreased whereas those treated conventionally only displayed a minimal decline: no more depression could be detected in 57 percent of patients from online therapy compared to 42 percent with conventional therapy.

For both patient groups, the degree of satisfaction with the treatment was more or less equally high. 96 percent of the patients given online therapy and 91 percent of the recipients of conventional treatment rated the contact with their therapist as “personal.” In the case of online therapy, the patients tended to use the therapy contacts and subsequent homework very intensively to progress personally. For instance, they indicated that they had re-read the correspondence with their therapist from time to time. “In the medium term, online psychotherapy even yields better results. Our study is evidence that psychotherapeutic services on the internet are an effective supplement to therapeutic care,” concludes Maercker.

PErson on video call in Online Therapy and counseling session in South Africa

My Role as Your Online Therapist

My name is Johan Cloete and my role as an Online Therapist (Counselor) is to create an environment that is safe for us to work with any areas of your life that you would prefer to work with.

To facilitate this process I will (during the process of Online Therapy)…

  • Create an atmosphere where you are fully accepted, free to explore your own issues and able to be your real self;
  • Provide a safe environment where you can speak your mind and know that the contents of our conversation will always be confidential,
  • Respect your human dignity no matter who you are;
  • Listen to you in a non-judgmental and compassionate way;
  • Help you to explore your experiences and the meaning you attach to it;
  • Collaborate with you in constructing alternative and more preferred ways of dealing with difficulties;
  • Help you to voice and reconstruct your inner struggles;
  • Work with you to empower you to move forward; and
  • Co-create a more preferred life for you and with you.

More about Online Therapy

The growing body of research into online counseling has established the efficacy of online therapy with treatment outcomes at least equal to traditional in-office settings. 

 In the past, I felt that it would be awkward to conduct therapy through text, Mostly because I couldn’t understand how this would compare to face-to-face talk therapy – a type of therapy where the non-verbal communication can be so important and helpful for the therapeutic process. The whole idea of using text in therapy was strange to me. And I questioned its effectiveness.

After learning how to do online therapy (and a lot of exercise in e-counseling) my belief in the process has completely changed. I now fully see the value and effectiveness of online therapy. And I realize that there are many people who prefer it and benefit greatly from it.

What is Online Therapy?

Online therapy or counseling is the provision of professional mental health counseling services through the Internet. Services are typically offered via real-time chat and video conferencing. Some clients use online counseling in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy. Currently, however, a growing number of clients are using online counseling as a replacement for face-to-face talk therapy.

e-counseling: When using either phone or Zoom video call, the communication is instant. And it is still possible to pick up on the nonverbal cues that are part of the communication process.

Who would benefit from Online Therapy?

  • People who like convenience, accessibility, confidentiality, etc. that comes with electronic media.
  • People who often travel away from home
  • People with busy time schedules that make setting up an online counseling session difficult
  • People who find it difficult to reach appointments during business hours
  • People in more remote areas who do not have easy access to counseling services
  • People who are disabled
  • People who are unable to leave their home can also access such services with little inconvenience

Who would NOT benefit from Online Therapy?

Online counseling is not for everyone. And usually, they would benefit from more immediate face-to-face counseling. These include:

  • people who are suicidal
  • people who are in a situation involving domestic violence, or 
  • people who are in a crisis.

If you are in any of these emergencies, it is important to understand that online counseling is not the best option for you. And that it would therefore be better to contact me to set up a face-to-face session. Or to contact other service providers like Suicide Crisis Line or Life Line.

What do clients like about Online Therapy?

There are several benefits of online therapy that people like:

  • It is confidential and discrete.
  • It is done in the privacy of your own home or the location you prefer. You can be anywhere, anytime (on vacation, in another country, up in the middle of the night)
  • It is more convenient because you are not stuck to normal office hours.
  • It gives you a wider variety of choices – and access professional counseling services from geographically remote locations.
  • It is usually more affordable as fees for online counseling are less.
  • It affords you anonymity. And sometimes it means that it might prompt clients to communicate more openly without concerns for a bias of race, gender, age, size, or physical appearance. You are also guaranteed not to bump into other clients that you might know. Oftentimes the anonymity makes it easier for you to increase your level of honesty and self-disclosure. It might also make the online therapy session feel less threatening. Some people just find the anonymity of online counseling to be easier and more comfortable than face-to-face counseling.

Teenagers and online therapy

Though teenagers can be at ease with online counseling (and sometimes even more so than their parents), it is best if their parents make contact so that they can give permission for the online therapy (especially if they are under 18 years of age).

Working with an online therapist:
alternative ‘face-to-face’ therapy

We are faced with different challenges almost every day of our lives. Most of the time we can overcome these problems on our own. Every once in a while, however, we feel overwhelmed and need assistance from an expert who can guide us through a helping process – called therapy.

And most of the time these traditional therapy sessions consist of face-to-face meetings where you are counseled by a psychologist. However, as the result of evolving technology, more and more people are seeking help on the internet, especially in the form of online therapy by an online therapist.

Working with an online therapist in South Africa

Online therapy is psychotherapy, but then, psychotherapy that is done over the internet – usually by a psychologist or any other kind of counseling by a professional. It is done mostly through video-calling using Skype or Zoom. And sometimes with text-chat technology. As these services are also available on mobile online therapy is also accessible for smart. In the case of technical issues or power failure, telephone conversations can be used, but only as an emergency backup.

Sessions are 50 minutes and follow the same course as a regular therapy conversation in a psychologist’s office. Attention is given to assessment, background information, and discussion of the situation. These sessions are usually every week and continue for a period agreed upon between client and therapist.

Online therapy started in South Africa as a result of a similar need that has recently emerged all over the world. Since clients are not geographically constrained, they can contact the practice from anywhere in the country (or abroad).

The cost of working with an online therapist in South Africa

Each therapist or counselor sets their rates per session, with prices ranging between R500.00 and R750.00 – which is more or less the same as in traditional face-to-face therapy. Some therapists may also negotiate depending on a client’s situation.

Payment is upfront. Clients can pay for several sessions at once or individually. The system is usually automated and bookings/payments are confirmed via e-mail.

Effectiveness of online therapy

The effectiveness of online therapy is a question on everyone’s mind. Yet, there is no reason for concern. There have been numerous research studies done on the effectiveness of online therapy. Amongst researchers, there is generally a consensus that online therapy is as effective as normal face-to-face therapy for treating problems such as depression, anxiety, panic, post-traumatic stress disorder, and interpersonal problems.

In addition, as far as online therapy goes, distance is not an obstacle and the cost could be lower than traditional face-to-face therapy.

When you are unable to pay for the services of an online therapist

If you are unable to pay for the services of an online therapist, it is a good idea to search on the internet for websites that offer free expert advice.

AN INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE THERAPY

Watch the video to get an overview of the the work and role of an online therapist, who will benefit from online therapy (counseling) and who should consider face-to-face therapy in stead of online therapy. It will also help you to discern the real advantages that online therapy (counseling) might have for you

The role of an  online Therapist… who can benefit from it…. and the advantages of online therapy

Watch the video to get an overview of the role of an online therapist…. who will find online therapy the most beneficial… who should rather se a face to face therapist… and what the real advantages are that online therapy (counseling) might have for you

I am available for online therapy or counseling from anywhere in the world.

And from anywhere in South Africa, for that matter.

At the same time (as a result of the physical address I work from) I am especially accessable for online therapy or counseling to cities, suburbs and towns closer to my offices, and can be found under:

Online therapist (therapy) available in Johannesburg

Online therapist (therapy) available in Johannesburg South

Online therapist (therapy) available in Johannesburg North

Online therapist (therapy) available in Roodepoort

Online therapist (therapy) available in Bedfordview

Online therapist (therapy) available in Rosettenville

Online therapist (therapy) available in Randburg

Online therapist (therapy) available in Bedfordview

Online therapist (therapy) available in Boksburg

Online therapist (therapy) available in Germiston

Online therapist (therapy) available in Kempton Park

Online therapist (therapy) available in Springs

Online therapist (therapy) available in Alberton

Online therapist (therapy) available in Heidelberg

Online therapist (therapy) available in Vereeniging

Online therapist (therapy) available in Vanderbijlpark

and surrounding areas.

Contact me now if you need any form of online therapy or counseling.