Online Therapy in Alberta

It’s really hard to make it to your counselling sessions right now. 

You’re busy. You can’t seem to carve out extra time in your day to get the mental health care you need.

However, you want to feel like the best version of yourself. And, you want to feel in touch with your own feelings, connected to others, and hopeful about the future.

You’ve been having a hard time and you just don’t feel like yourself. You have been looking for a therapist who understands what you’re going through and can help you feel better. But, you are really busy and life is hectic. So, you need to see someone who can provide convenient and flexible counselling. 

Online Therapy is the Answer You’ve Been Looking For

It is important to take care of your mental health. But, it’s not always easy. Especially when you are busy. But, in today’s digital world, it is easier than ever to access quality mental health counselling from the comfort of your own home. Online therapy allows you to meet with a therapist on a secure video platform. 

Online Therapy is Convenient

At Williamson & Associates Counselling in Alberta, we know that you want to feel like the best version of yourself. You want to feel in touch with your own feelings, connected to others, and hopeful about the future. To do that, you need to find convenient, effective counselling services.  The problem is, it’s really hard to make it to counselling appointments right now. Perhaps you’re homebound due to illness or physical limitations.  Maybe you’re worried about privacy. Or there just isn’t any room in your busy schedule to go across town to a counselling appointment.

We believe you deserve to be able to find healing through counselling. We offer online counselling so we help you begin that healing journey from the comfort of your own home or office. Our therapists understand mental health and all of our therapists are well trained in specific, proven counselling strategies. Most importantly, we have therapists who truly care about helping you.

We Respect and Value Your Privacy 

At Williamson & Associates Counselling in Alberta, we understand that many people worry about being seen going to counselling or running into someone at their therapist’s office. And, although we wish that weren’t the case (and want to end the stigma against therapy) we understand. If you’re worried about these issues, then online therapy may be the answer you’re looking for. As a general rule of thumb, our therapists use a secure video platform to meet with you on your phone, tablet, or computer. We use HIPPA-compliant software and adhere to all their guidelines.  In other words, our therapists take your privacy seriously whether we’re meeting online or in person.

Online Therapy in Alberta

Did you know that you have to see a therapist who is licensed to provide online services in the province you are physically located in? So, if you are travelling outside Alberta, then your therapist won’t be able to meet with you until you get back. However, we can see you anywhere in the province of Alberta, even if you’re outside of the Central Alberta area.  For example, we can see professionals travelling to Calgary or Edmonton for work.  Or, a youth whose parents live in different parts of the province and share custody.  While most of our clients are in the Central Alberta area, through our online therapy services we’re now able to see individuals who are physically located everywhere from Fort McMurray to Grans Prairie to Medicine Hat or Lethbridge.  Wherever you are in Alberta, we’d love to help.

Who Benefits From Seeing an Online Therapist? 

So many people have seen great results from working with an online therapist. Especially people who had a hard time leaving their house due to health issues or severe social anxiety. It is also very effective in helping stay-at-home parents access counselling. Many people prefer the convenience of online therapy to in-person therapy. A study published by the American Journal of Managed Care found that 86.7% of online psychiatry patients said they’d recommend online to their loved ones. Then, another study from the Journal of Anxiety Disorders proved that online therapy is just as effective in treating anxiety and depression as in-person counselling.

Online Counseling Services Provided by Williamson & Associates Counselling in Alberta

Williamson & Associates Counselling in Alberta is proud to offer a wide variety of therapy options to their clients online. Our therapists believe in providing only the highest quality counselling services and we know research has shown online therapy can be as effective as an in-person treatment for many mental health diagnoses.  These include anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, grief, postpartum mood disorders & more.  Therefore, we are confident we can help you begin to find healing as you meet with a therapist from the comfort of your own home or office.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to access quality and personalized counselling regardless of their ability to come into our Olds, Alberta counselling center. 

The therapy team at Williamson & Associates Counselling in Alberta  offers the following counselling services online:

• Child Psychology

• Teen counseling

• Counseling for college students

• Individual therapy for adults

• Couples Therapy

• Family Therapy

• Trauma & PTSD treatment

• Counselling for survivors of sexual assault & rape

• Grief counseling

• Counseling for caregivers

• Therapy for hospice patients and seniors

• Counselling for life transitions

• Help for parents

• Anxiety treatment

• Depression treatment

• LGBTQ affirming counselling

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• Mindfulness coaching

• Counseling for childhood abuse and neglect

*Please note that not every situation is appropriate for online counselling. Therefore, your therapist will be assessing your fit for online therapy services during your first few sessions.  In many cases, your therapist may ask that you come to the office for the initial assessment.

Online Anxiety Treatment

Honestly, online therapy often works really well for anxiety treatment. Counselling for anxiety is one of the things Williamson & Associates Counselling is best known for and all of our therapists are trained in effective interventions for helping people reduce & manage anxiety. Therefore, we’ve been thrilled over the past couple of years as we’ve gained more and more experience and knowledge about offering anxiety treatment online. We’re able to work with people all over the province who have, often pretty severe anxiety including panic disorder, phobias.

Essentially, online therapy is a great option for doing exposure work with our counseling clients. We’re able to have our clients take their computer or device into the specific situations where they experience anxiety and we can provide support right there in real time.

Online EMDR Therapy

EMDR is an incredible therapeutic intervention that is very popular right now. In fact, about half of our therapists are fully trained in EMDR and all of us who use it have been incredibly impressed by how much it has helped our clients! The good news is that throughout this pandemic we’ve perfected the art of using EMDR during virtual sessions. To be totally honest, there are still some advantages to doing EMDR sessions in person at our Olds, Alberta counselling office at times, because we have great tools (like a lightbar and “buzzies”) we can use in the office. But many, many of our clients have had incredible success with EMDR even being 100% virtual throughout their entire time in treatment.

Online Therapy for Teens

At Williamson & Associates Counselling, we see children, teens, young adults, adults & seniors. That said, there are some unique benefits to online therapy for teenagers. Alberta teenagers who aren’t driving yet appreciate the independence of not having to rely on Mom or Dad for a ride to the office. Online counselling fits in between extracurriculars and the general business or teen life. We’ve had some high school students make arrangements to meet with their therapist online in a private space at their school.

Online Therapy for Couples

We understand that busy schedules, distance, or other circumstances may make it challenging to attend in-person therapy sessions. That's why we also offer online couples therapy to provide you with the flexibility and convenience you need. Virtual sessions are conducted securely and confidentially, allowing you and your partner to engage in therapy from the comfort of your own space.

Benefits of Online Couples Therapy

Convenience and Accessibility

Online couples therapy eliminates the need for travel, allowing you to engage in therapy sessions from anywhere with an internet connection. This accessibility makes it easier to schedule sessions and maintain regular therapy even when facing time constraints or geographical barriers.

Comfort and Privacy

Engaging in therapy from the comfort of your own space can create a sense of security and privacy. You and your partner can openly express yourselves without concerns about being overheard or seen in a public setting.

Effective and Personalized Therapy

Virtual couples therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions. Our therapists are experienced in conducting online therapy and utilize the same evidence-based approaches to address your unique needs and goals. Through video conferencing platforms, we can maintain the same level of connection, support, and guidance as if you were attending in-person sessions