What is Online Counselling?
Online counselling is a type of counselling which occurs through the use of different online platforms. Online counselling may occur through video conferencing applications, chat platforms, or through email exchanges. Research suggests that online counselling is quite effective and resembles the efficacy rates of face-to-face counselling. Benefits of online counselling include;
- Lack of commuting to and from the clinic,
- Individual's experience a certain disinhibition when working online in which they feel they can be more authentic in an online space,
- There is an element of control which individual's tend to experience when working online due to the nature and familiarity of the technology and of the platform.
There may be some limitations when working online such as:
- Technological limitations such as; internet issues, device issues, power cuts
- The lack of physical presence may bother some individuals who are not used to communicating online.
- The lack of non-verbal behaviour may bother individuals as they may feel like they can’t connect to the mental health practitioner.
Professionals who provide this service: