If you’re considering working with me, one of the first questions you probably have is whether I offer online or in-person therapy. I actually provide both!
So which one should you choose?
Both formats offer meaningful connection, empathy, and real potential for growth. The key is to understand how they differ – and which one aligns more closely with your life and your healing journey.
In-Person Therapy: When Being in the Same Room Feels Right
While both online and in-person counseling and therapy share many similarities, there are also meaningful differences between them that can impact your experience.
The Advantages of In-Person Therapy
- Full sensory connection: Being in the same room with your therapist can help you not only feel more grounded, but also allows both of us to pick up on body language, energy, and subtle cues that can add depth to how we connect.
- Setting a “sacred” space: Coming into my office can help you leave daily life behind and fully step into your therapy time; and that separation between “outside” and “in here” can be deeply healing.
- Easier to stay present: While not necessarily the case for all of my clients, the absence of tech glitches, interruptions, and distractions makes it easier for some to stay focused on our work.
- Stronger boundary signals: Similar to the above, many of my clients have found coming into my office feels like a more intentional act of caring for oneself, which in itself is powerful.
- Therapy dog time: Coming in person means you not only get to connect with me in real life, you also get to connect with Emi! Being greeted by a joyful, fluffy presence helps many people feel much more at ease as they settle in for their therapy session. Plus, Emi is always on guard and watching out for us, so you can let yourself relax. You are in good paws!
The Disadvantages of In-Person Therapy
- Commute and scheduling logistics: Perhaps the most obvious drawback to in-person therapy is the inconvenience of having to set aside additional time in your schedule to come to my office.
- Accessibility concerns: Similarly, if mobility, distance, or transportation are challenges, getting to an in-person session may feel challenging.
- Initial discomfort: Some people feel anxious about going somewhere new or being in a therapist’s office. That’s totally okay – it’s common, and we’ll move at your pace.
Online Therapy (Teletherapy): Healing from Wherever You Are
It may not come as much of a surprise, but many of the drawbacks of in-person therapy are where online therapy really shines – and vice versa …
The Advantages of Online Therapy
- Convenience and flexibility: You can attend therapy sessions from home, work, or any safe private place. No commute means you can fit sessions into your day more easily, whether you’re managing parenting, work, or health limitations.
- Comfort of your space: With online counseling and therapy, you get to be in an environment that you already feel (relatively) safe in. That sense of familiarity can help ease tension and promote openness.
- Accessibility: Teletherapy can break down barriers for those who live farther away from Los Gatos, have mobility challenges, or prefer virtual connection.
- Consistent connection: If you’re traveling or relocating temporarily, you can keep continuity in your therapy, which can be essential when working through difficult emotions or trauma.
The Disadvantages of Online Therapy
- Tech issues: While I’m here to help you minimize and work through or around any internet glitches or interruptions, they do occur from time to time and can disrupt the emotional flow of our work together.
- Distractions: If you’re attending online sessions from work or home, other responsibilities and the urge to multitask might pull you away (mentally, emotionally, or physically) from being fully present during our time together.
- Less physical presence: Teletherapy doesn’t currently allow us the opportunity to tune into body language, energy, and nonverbal cues that can add to the depth of our work, and some of my clients have found they miss the energy of sitting together in a space designed solely for their healing.
- Privacy concerns: While I use HIPAA-compliant video software for our sessions and guarantee the confidentiality of our work on my end, with telehealth you bear the additional responsibility for ensuring your own privacy, both in terms of your computer’s security and your physical environment.
Which Modality Should You Choose?
Whether to choose online or in-person therapy sessions really comes down to what feels most supportive to you right now:
- If presence, ritual, and physical space help you relax and open up, then in-person therapy probably makes the most sense.
- If your life demands flexibility, or if proximity and mobility are concerns, online sessions can offer a powerful and practical path forward.
- You may even benefit from a blend – for example, we can meet in person once or twice per month, or every so often, and hold the rest of our sessions online.
Counseling and therapy are most effective when you feel safe, seen, and able to bring your full self to the work. I’m here to help you make the best choice for you and support whatever decision you make.
No matter what format you choose, I promise to provide:
- A space that feels welcoming and trustworthy
- Deep compassion and attunement
- Flexibility to honor your comfort, pace, and logistical needs
- Clear communication about session structure, tech or in-office expectations, and how to best prepare for our work together
If you opt for in-person therapy sessions, my office in Los Gatos provides a warm, calm atmosphere and a dedicated space just for you. And my therapy dog and partner, Emi, is often around to offer extra comfort.
If you opt for online counseling and therapy, we’ll use secure, HIPAA-compliant video for connection. You’ll get a link before each session, and I’ll always check in about your sound, lighting, or how the tech is working – so we can focus on you instead of being distracted by the tech.
When all is said and done, there is no right or wrong format.
Online therapy has been shown to be effective for the treatment of anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and a whole lot more – and I’ve found that my clients have been able to make the same improvements and growth through online therapy as with in-person sessions.
With any form of therapy, the most impactful piece of the therapeutic process is the client-therapist connection and what feels nurturing for you.
Whether you’re interested in online or in-person sessions, be sure to find a behavioral and mental health therapist you feel safe and comfortable with. Doing so will help you get the most out of therapy, regardless of the format.
Whether you already know which format you’s prefer or are still unsure and would like to talk it through, I invite you to contact me and schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation. I look forward to connecting and helping you figure out which setting best supports your healing and growth.
Lorren Siu, LMFT – Virtual and In-Person Counseling and In-Person Therapy provided by a Virtual and In-Person Therapist in Los Gatos, California
Ready to begin your healing journey?
Schedule a free consultation with Lorren Siu, LMFT, a Los Gatos therapist offering Brainspotting and Animal-Assisted Therapy. Whether in person or online, I'm here to support your emotional and spiritual healing.