Using Client-Centered and Skills-Based Approaches Online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding what matters to the person in front of the screen. The therapist follows the client’s lead, reflects what she hears, and helps people find their own solutions to problems like grief, anxiety, or relationship strain.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, breaks concerns into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Online work with CBT includes identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and practicing new responses through exercises and between-session work. This approach is often helpful for depression, anxiety, and stress management.

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, offers concrete skills for regulating intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. When needed, sessions can include teaching and practicing these skills aloud so clients can use them in everyday situations.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that fit their goals and preferences, and adjusts the plan as progress is made. That way therapy stays relevant to what the client is trying to accomplish.

Online formats - video, phone, live chat, and text messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives. Video lets people use visual cues during sessions, phone calls work well when bandwidth or camera use is limited, live chat is useful for focused check-ins, and text messaging supports brief check-ins or reminders between sessions.