Turns Out Remote Therapy is possibly not as effective as Face to Face – Neuroscience Research

It was my feeling during the Covid Pandemic, and my conviction since, that talking to someone on a screen lacks a certain something, and that face to face therapy is still the gold standard when it comes to healing and growth.  There are some studies that suggest minimal differences between the two, but the neuroscience tells a different story.

Zoom Conversations vs In-Person: Brain Activity Tells a Different Tale – Neuroscience News

A study by Yale researchers found significant differences in brain activity during in-person versus Zoom conversations. Advanced neuroimaging showed more suppressed neural signals during online exchanges, while in-person discussions resulted in heightened and more coordinated neural responses. These findings suggest that current technology does not engage our social neural circuits as effectively as face-to-face interactions. The study indicates the importance of live interactions for social behavior, as digital representations of faces do not access social neural pathways in the same way as real-life encounters.

I am glad I didn’t ditch my therapy room during the pandemic and glad I can still offer in person therapy sessions to those who want to talk to a human being in the same room, sans glitches and “Remoteness” in more ways than one!

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