Today the world of therapy and counselling is catching up with the age of mobility. I can say that with conviction since I have been getting more and more requests for online counselling sessions. Of course there have been a number of questions raised about how effective online therapy can be. I was myself a skeptic once. But over time, I am beginning to believe that offering counselling online is proving to be one of the most convenient ways to connect with my clients. I have listed some of the advantages that I have observed from my experience below:
Comfort:
During the standard & traditional face-to-face sessions, we counsellors do our best to make our clients as comfortable as possible. This helps the client to relax and open up. Especially clients who suffer from social phobias, agoraphobia or anxiety disorders. What could be more comfortable than the cozy space of your own home?
Flexibility:
Many-a-times, online therapy can have more flexible working hours, For those clients that work full-time and find it hard to make time for their therapy sessions, online therapy can prove very suitable.
Convenience:
Finding the right therapist can become quite a challenge, especially for expats living in non-english speaking countries. The options are often limited and the travel time to reach your counsellor can be long. I have a couple of clients that have to travel for over an hour to reach me. These barriers can be easily overcome with online counselling saving them both time and energy.
Affordability:
Offering online counselling is economical for the therapist since they don’t necessarily have to practice in a commercial space thereby reducing any overhead costs that come along. This automatically makes their charges affordable for the client.
Accessibility & Outreach:
Web counselling is easily accessible to anyone who wants to use it. Sometimes, I work with clients who live in small towns or areas that don’t have easy access to mental health professionals. Even those that are differently abled or unable to leave their home can also easily access such services very conveniently.
Of course, online counselling also has its drawbacks. It’s a lot easier to connect with someone face-to-face and the online experience differs from person to person. The session also relies heavily on a good internet connection and not having one results in a disruptive experience. However, the sheer convenience of online counselling results in clients missing fewer sessions and the therapy being more effective. In my personal experience over the last few months, it has certainly worked towards bringing mental health services to your doorstep.