Online CBT Psychotherapy

The first — and completely reasonable — question most people ask is: "Can a session through a screen have the same effect as a face-to-face meeting?"

The scientific literature of recent years has provided a clear answer: yes. Numerous studies and meta-analyses show that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy delivered remotely has comparable results to in-person therapy for anxiety, depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and many other conditions (Carlbring et al., 2018• Fernandez et al., 2021).

This is no coincidence. CBT is inherently structured: it is based on specific treatment goals, techniques that are learned and applied, and exercises between sessions. This structure “travels” extremely well through the screen — perhaps better than any other therapeutic approach (Andrews et al., 2018).

There's also something that many only discover after trying — and that they rarely imagined as an advantage.

In an online session, you are in your own space. In the environment where you live your daily life — where your stress shows up, where the difficult moments happen. For some people, this makes it significantly easier to open up: they feel safer, more familiar, more ready to talk about things that in the office might take longer to say.

There is also the practical benefit, which should not be underestimated: no commuting, no stress about traffic or parking, no wasted time. The session fits into your life — it doesn’t disrupt it. And when therapy becomes easily accessible, it becomes more consistent. Consistency, in CBT, is one of the most important predictors of success.

I would like to focus in particular on a group of people that I know well through my work: Greeks who live and work abroad.

Many of you function perfectly in English or German at work. But feelings don't always translate. When it comes to talking about the things that weigh you down — the loneliness of immigration, the pressure of adjustment, the relationships that have changed with distance — your native language is not a luxury. It's a necessity.

Online psychotherapy gives you the opportunity to work with a specialized Greek CBT psychologist, wherever you are in the European Union — without compromising on quality and without the language barrier.

The process is simpler than you might think. All you need is a computer, tablet or mobile phone with a camera, a stable internet connection and a place where you can talk uninterrupted for 50 minutes. The session takes place via a secure digital platform, with complete confidentiality guaranteed — just like it would be in the office.

Otherwise, nothing changes: the same therapeutic relationship, the same structure, the same techniques, the same goals. The assessment, the treatment planning, the homework exercises, the monitoring of progress — everything is done with the same professionalism and the same systematicity. It is worth noting that the therapeutic relationship — the main “lever” of any psychotherapy — develops just as strongly in remote sessions (Berryhill et al., 2019).

The honest answer: for most, yes — but not for everyone. Online therapy is an excellent option for the vast majority of difficulties we address in CBT: anxiety disorders, depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, anger management.

There are, however, cases — certain acute crises or complex clinical profiles — where in-person monitoring is preferable. This is something we assess together, honestly, from the very first contact. The right treatment always starts with the right assessment.

If you've been putting off psychotherapy because "it's inconvenient," "you don't have time," or "there's no one around" — these obstacles no longer apply. Help is now just a click away, without compromising on quality and effectiveness.

At PeopleForward, I offer online CBT psychotherapy for people across Greece and for Greek expats living in European Union countries — as well as in-person sessions at my office in Athens, for those who prefer it or want to combine the two. Wherever you are, change can start there. Book an appointment today.

Andrews, G., Basu, A., Cuijpers, P., Craske, MG, McEvoy, P., English, CL, & Titov, N. (2018). Computer therapy for the anxiety and depressive disorders is effective, acceptable and practical health care: An updated meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 55, 70–78.

Berryhill, MB, Culmer, N., Williams, N., Halli-Tierney, A., Betancourt, A., Roberts, H., & King, M. (2019). Videoconferencing psychotherapy and depression: A systematic review. Telemedicine and e-Health, 25(6), 435–446.

Carlbring, P., Andersson, G., Cuijpers, P., Riper, H., & Hedman-Lagerlöf, E. (2018). Internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 47(1), 1–18.

Fernandez, E., Woldgabreal, Y., Day, A., Pham, T., Gleich, B., & Aboujaoude, E. (2021). Live psychotherapy by video versus in-person: A meta-analysis of efficacy and its relationship to types and targets of treatment. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 28(6), 1535–1549