Email therapy provides a powerful and accessible method for you to articulate your emotions and thoughts in a non-judgmental environment.
Through asynchronous communication via email, you are able to express your feelings, problems, and concerns in a way that might work better for you. For some, this approach fosters greater freedom and openness than traditional verbal communication, creating a space for meaningful self-expression and introspection.
In practical terms, email therapy involves a weekly exchange of emails between the client and therapist, with both parties committing to crafting thoughtful and reflective responses similar to a standard therapy session. Agreed response times and a dedication to confidentiality through secure communication platforms (like Protonmail) are integral to this setup.
Many individuals find that writing about their thoughts and feelings is a therapeutic process that contributes to profound self-awareness and offers insight into personal experiences.
Email therapy is especially helpful for those who prefer expressing themselves in writing and value enhanced privacy and confidentiality. Additionally, the permanent record of email exchanges allows clients to further reflect on their feelings and the therapist’s responses.
How does it work?
Once a week, you email me, and I write back. This exchange of confidential emails allows you to explore how you feel with a qualified therapist through written words.
We each send a maximum of 500 words once a week. I will spend the same time writing to you as I would if we were meeting for a 50-minute session. And I ask that you give your writing the same amount of time.
We will agree to respond to each other by a specific time and day of the week, so you’ll always know when to expect to hear from me next. As the time delay is an essential therapeutic difference with email therapy, I take three working days to reflect, ponder and draft my reply. This allows me to thoroughly consider your thoughts and words as you wait for my answer.
The email therapy sessions can conducted through an email platform of your choice. I will use ProtonMail and recommend you consider signing up for their free account to ensure all emails are encrypted.
If you do decide to try email therapy, you can try these tips:
- Agree with your therapist on a time and day of the week to respond to each other
- Limit your emails to 500 words
- Use emojis, fonts or colours to help express yourself
- Ensure you are in a private and safe space to write in
- Spend time reflecting and writing your reply.
- Clarify if your therapist misunderstands or gets something wrong, so they knwo and can put this right.
Why I like offering email therapy
I enjoy finding the right words to help us understand ourselves. Writing is absorbing and enlightening. As a person-centred therapist, the relationship we develop is critical to change and growth.
As I read your words, I will aim to understand who you are and what support you seek. For the ‘therapeutic hour’, I am with you. I will be in your frame of reference, working to see what you may not see to understand yourself better. A weekly therapeutic email exchange is an effective way to connect, be understood, find the answers that work for you and thrive.
However, email therapy may not suit everyone. Some individuals prefer the immediacy of spoken conversation or find it challenging to express themselves accurately through writing. Despite these considerations, if you resonate with this mode of therapy, it can be an effective means of exploring feelings and thoughts, benefiting from the therapeutic process in a flexible and introspective manner.
If you are interested in email therapy, please get in touch with me for more information.