The Pros for Virtual Therapy for an Eating Disorder

Virtual therapy by video or phone is the current new norm and has been a part of my practice for many years, although never the exclusive form of treatment until now.

Traditional psychotherapy always valued the therapist and patient in a private, safe room together. This framework has been considered essential to effective work.

There is truth to this therapeutic axiom, but eating disorder treatment has different needs that can be well suited to virtual therapy. Two specific and important components of eating disorder treatment come to mind.

First, a critical part of eating disorder therapy is distorted body image. Typically, therapists who treat people with eating disorders have pillows or blankets available for people to cover their body during the session. Seeing one’s body can be upsetting and distracting during the session, so covering up can actually make the session more productive.

Virtual therapy obviated the need for a pillow or blanket. Phone or video takes away the experience of being seen by the therapist and immediately focuses on the work at hand rather than a need to cover up in order to feel comfortable.

With the physical body image less central to the treatment in a virtual format, it can be easier to dive into important work more quickly. However, at the end of the session, deeper work leaves the patient feeling more exposed and vulnerable.

Many people in the therapist’s office might subconsciously begin to pull back from this work towards the end of a session since they know they will leave soon and have to face the world again.

In a virtual session, they are already in a safe space. So if the session ends at an emotional or vulnerable place, they will be somewhere that allows them time to regroup before restarting their day.

The virtual sessions take away two significant obstacles for effective treatment: the physical self and the act of going back into the world after the session.

Although the in person sessions provide a sense of safety together in the office, these two benefits from virtual sessions often lead to very effective treatment as well.