5 Reasons Why Online Counselling Might Be for You
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
Online counselling is sometimes considered second rate service compared to traditional counselling. Yet, online counselling has a lot of benefits.
Face-to-face counselling can be overwhelming for some people, especially when concerning anxiety or phobia. Face-to-face counselling can also be hard to access for those who live remote, or for people who live with physical limitations.
As technology gets better and better, online counselling gets more popular. In this blog, I share five reasons why online counselling might be for you.
1. It’s accessible for everyone
You can access online counselling anywhere. Wherever you are, as long as there’s WI-FI access, you can jump online and have a session. This is particularly helpful for people who live remotely and may not have access to face-to-face clinics.
The flexibility of online counselling also suits people who are:
Afraid to leave the house or anxious
Unable to leave the house due to illness
Travellers
Parents who cannot leave their child
Living remotely
2. You have a larger choice of counsellors
Found the perfect counsellor but they’re on the other side of the world?
Online counselling means distance is no issue!
Especially if you live in a foreign country and you'd like to talk to a therapist who speaks your language. You also have a wider choice among counsellors who specialises in the issues you’re facing, no matter where they are.
3. It can be as effective as face-to-face counselling
Online counselling works particularly well for anxiety and stress issues. Often clients are worried about online counselling because they think their counsellor will miss certain cues conveyed through body language, which will affect its effectiveness.
The truth is, online counsellors are trained to overcome this obstacle and get clear hints of your body language through the screen.
Your counsellor will also get more of an idea of who you are by how you feel in your home. This helps your counsellor understand you in ways that wouldn’t be possible in a face-to-face session.
4. Online counselling can be immediately available
Sometimes you need to talk to someone right away. You’re anxious and scared, and don’t want to have to wait for an available counsellor.
Online counselling can be booked as early as a few hours in advance. You can get online and talk through your problems as they arise.
5. You can switch to a phone call at any time
If you are familiar and enjoy when you video call family and friends, you will likely feel comfortable chatting with your counsellor online. But if you’re uncomfortable and prefer a voice call, you can choose to remove the video option and still have your counselling session.
How does online counselling with me work?
I run counselling sessions using Zoom. Security and privacy is a priority when talking about your challenges, and Zoom’s encrypted system makes sessions extra secure.
You have just to ensure:
A good internet connection
Download Zoom on your device and get familiar with it
One hour time for the session
Enough privacy to allow confidentiality
Wear earphones if possible as they allow more privacy
Avoid possible distractions
The first session can feel a little weird at the beginning; it is normal.
Allow yourself some me-time at the end of the session to process your feelings
Want to give online counselling a try? Subscribe to the website, and you’ll get a first 30 minutes free session.