Online Therapy
Professional psychological therapy with the flexibility to access support from wherever you feel most comfortable.
Professional psychological therapy with the flexibility to access support from wherever you feel most comfortable.
Finding time for therapy is not always easy.
You may be balancing work, family life, caring responsibilities or a busy schedule, or you may simply prefer accessing psychological support from your own home rather than travelling to appointments.
Online therapy provides an opportunity to work with a Clinical Psychologist through secure video appointments, while offering greater flexibility around where you attend your sessions.
I am Dr Aaron Shaw, Chartered Clinical Psychologist, and I provide evidence-informed online psychological therapy for adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout, stress, self-esteem difficulties and a range of other emotional or psychological concerns.
Together, we can understand what you are experiencing, what may be keeping difficulties going and what might help you move towards meaningful and sustainable change.
What Is Online Therapy?
Online therapy is psychological therapy delivered through a secure video appointment rather than meeting together in the same physical room.
The therapeutic work itself follows many of the same principles as face-to-face therapy.
We will spend time understanding what has brought you to therapy, developing a shared understanding of the difficulties you are experiencing and agreeing what you would like to work towards.
Therapy is collaborative and tailored to you rather than following the same programme for everyone.
What Can Online Therapy Help With?
Online psychological therapy can be suitable for a wide range of difficulties.
I provide support for adults experiencing:
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Anxiety and persistent worry
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Panic and overthinking
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Depression and low mood
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Trauma-related difficulties
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Stress and burnout
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Low self-esteem and self-criticism
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Relationship and interpersonal difficulties
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Difficulties adjusting to significant life changes
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Carer stress and emotional difficulties associated with dementia
You do not need to know which type of therapy you require before contacting me.
An initial conversation can help us understand what you are experiencing and whether online psychological therapy is appropriate for your needs.
How Does Online Therapy Work?
Online appointments take place by video and usually last around 50 minutes.
Before your appointment, you will receive the information you need to join your session.
To attend online therapy, you will generally need:
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A computer, tablet or smartphone with a camera and microphone
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A reliable internet connection
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Somewhere reasonably private where you feel comfortable talking
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Around 50 minutes when you are unlikely to be interrupted
During your first appointments, we will explore what has brought you to therapy, how your difficulties are affecting your life and what you would like to change.
From there, we can develop a shared understanding of the problem and agree an approach that fits your needs and therapeutic goals.
Is Online Therapy Effective?
Online psychological therapy is now an established way of delivering psychological support, and research suggests that video-delivered psychological interventions can be effective for a range of common mental health difficulties.
However, whether online therapy is appropriate depends on the individual, the difficulties being experienced and what you would like help with.
For some people, meeting online works extremely well. Others may benefit more from face-to-face therapy or a different form of support.
Rather than assuming that online therapy is suitable for everyone, we can consider this together as part of your initial consultation.
What Are the Benefits of Online Therapy?
Greater Flexibility
Online appointments can make psychological therapy easier to arrange around work, family life, caring responsibilities and other commitments.
No Travel Time
Without travelling to and from a clinic, attending therapy may take considerably less time out of your day.
Attend From a Familiar Environment
Some people feel more comfortable discussing difficult experiences from their own home or another familiar and private environment.
Access to Psychological Support
Online therapy allows you to access psychological support without needing to live close to a particular practice location.
Greater Continuity
Online appointments can make it easier to maintain regular therapy when work, travel or other circumstances make attending a clinic more difficult.
Is Online Therapy Right for Everyone?
Not necessarily.
Online therapy is appropriate for many people, but there are circumstances where face-to-face therapy or another service may be safer or more appropriate.
This can depend on the nature and severity of the difficulties you are experiencing, your current level of risk, the privacy available where you intend to attend sessions and whether psychological therapy is the right form of support for you at that time.
Suitability is considered individually rather than assuming that everyone who enquires should begin online therapy.
If I believe another service or form of support would be more appropriate for your needs, I will discuss this with you openly.
Is Online Therapy Confidential?
Online appointments are treated with the same professional standards of confidentiality as face-to-face psychological therapy.
I take appropriate steps to protect your personal and clinical information and conduct online work in accordance with the professional and data-protection standards applicable to my practice.
There are, however, practical aspects of privacy that we will both need to consider.
I recommend attending from somewhere where you feel able to speak freely without being overheard. Using headphones can provide additional privacy when other people are nearby.
As with face-to-face therapy, confidentiality has some professional and legal limits, particularly where there are significant concerns about safety. These are explained as part of the therapy agreement.
Further information about how Aaron Shaw Psychology manages confidentiality and personal information is available in the Privacy Notice and Clinical Governance sections of this website.
My Approach to Online Therapy
As a Clinical Psychologist, I do not assume that one psychological approach will be appropriate for everyone.
Therapy begins by developing a shared understanding of what you are experiencing, how the difficulty developed, what may be keeping it going and what you would like to change.
Depending on your individual needs, I may draw upon approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), compassion-focused approaches and other evidence-informed psychological interventions.
The aim is to develop an approach that makes sense for you rather than trying to fit your experiences into a predetermined treatment programme.
Online Therapy Across the UK
Online psychological therapy is available to adults across the UK, subject to the suitability of online therapy for your individual circumstances.
This means you do not need to live near one of my face-to-face practice locations to access psychological support.
If you would prefer to attend therapy in person, face-to-face appointments are available on weekday evenings in Bristol and on Saturdays in Cheltenham.
Explore Online Psychological Support
You can learn more about some of the difficulties I work with:
Dementia Support & Caregiver Therapy
If you are unsure which page best describes what you are experiencing, you do not need to choose a particular service before getting in touch.
Flexible Appointment Availability
Online appointments provide additional flexibility for people balancing therapy with work, family life, caring responsibilities and other commitments.
A range of online appointment times is available, including limited evening availability.
Please get in touch to discuss current availability.
Taking the Next Step
You do not need to have everything figured out before contacting a psychologist.
If something is affecting your emotional wellbeing, relationships or everyday life, an initial conversation can help us understand what you are experiencing and whether online psychological therapy may be appropriate.
The free 15-minute consultation provides an opportunity to briefly discuss what you are looking for, ask questions about therapy and consider whether working together feels like the right next step.
Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation
