Instagram is probably the most widely used social networking app today. The world of Instagram has everything, memes that tickle us to the bones, an endless ground for celebrity stalkers, a wide variety of shops and pages on literally every topic.
You name it, and Instagram has it. But can Instagram have therapists? Shockingly, yes!
With so much stigma attached to the word therapy, people often become reluctant. Time-consuming in-person sessions and high therapy fees are also some of the reasons that stop people from going to therapy.
Insta-Therapy
Insta-Therapy is when someone tries to help others and themselves by creating motivational posts and giving advice. In a nutshell, it is “virtual therapy” that you can get through scrolling on Instagram.
Therapy pages on Instagram provide advice on various topics like breakups, relationships, mental health, anxiety, and the list goes on.
Insta-Therapy sure has its own benefits in this busy world. Everyone is busy and scrolling through Instagram rather than sitting in an office may seem like a good choice. But is it worthy? Is this the right way of receiving therapy? No.
Discussing mental health issues on an Instagram page may look effective at first glance, but it is not a viable option that can replace in-person therapy sessions.
Also Read: What Are The Two Theories Behind The Viral B&W Photo Challenge On Instagram By Women Across The Globe?
Insta-Therapy, A Dangerous Threat
Instagram is a platform where it’s hard to distinguish between licensed medical professionals and influencers who have zero knowledge of therapy.
Giving out advice is a tricky business. Some influencers think that talking and listening to their followers will help them, but talking and listening is not the key to therapy.
Stuti Ashok Gupta, a clinical psychologist, says- “We are trained to correctly interpret what the client is saying and to identify triggers. Someone who is not qualified will not know how to listen properly”.
Some people give out these therapies for free, but there is a mad rush of influencers who have made their Insta-Therapy a business. These people, with no knowledge of therapy, give out advice based on their own experiences.
Some people have their own coaching/courses where people pay them to learn and get advice on their issues. Some give motivational bits of advice to attract people and sell products.
This pandemic has caused a steep rise in mental health problems amongst people. To benefit from this situation, many influencers came up to offer their therapy.
Santoshi Shetty, a fashion influencer, has recently posted a video on her Instagram. She was trying to offer “mental health therapy” to her followers for a fee of Rs. 1500. Since she is not a professional therapist, people came at her, and she had to delete her video.
One can reach out to these Instagram therapists for inspiration and motivation, but solely relying on them for curing your problems can worsen your issues.
It’s nice to give inspiration and motivation to brighten up someone’s day. However, giving out wrong or partially correct information in the name of therapy is a menace.
Image credits: Google Images
Source: Times Of India, The Verge, Tribune India
Find the blogger: @mitali_pk
This post is tagged under: #Instagram, followers on instagram, Indian Instagram Influencers, instagram depression, Instagram influencers, instagram influencers india, instagrammers, free therapy, therapy to deal with issues, therapy gone wrong, wrong therapy, finding right therapist, therapist, instagram influencers giving therapy, fake therapist
