Why Online Counselling?
Why online?
I think the Pandemic has brought to the forefront how important it is to connect and seek help. Online counselling has allowed the connection to occur despite all the hurdles that could be faced. Research has shown that online counselling can provide similar growth and change as in person counselling.
Here are a few reasons why online counselling is a great option and something that is going to be integrated even more moving forward.
It is accessible! Counselling can occur without many of the traditional barriers such as location, travel time, etc. It is especially great for those living in remote areas of Canada to still receive counselling and on top of that have many options to the counselling they receive. Everyone now has access to counsellors across the province that they were previously unable to access because of the barrier of travel. This allows more choice and agency for each client (check out the post on how to find a counsellor for more information on narrowing your choice)
Provides similar results as in person counselling. This may be a surprise for many, but studies have shown that online synchronous counselling (where client and counsellor are both on video) can have similar results to in person counselling. That is to say, online counselling is not going to be a ‘worse’ experience as long as the client is willing to be apart of the process.
It can feel unusual (but only right away). Many clients have commented in the first session that it feels weird to be apart of counselling online. That is normal! Despite so many making that comment, it quickly fades away once the process starts. I have only had one client that could not get over that initial barrier and chose to go to in person counselling (and that was better for them!)
It is protected! The online video format is secure and protected with high level encryption. It is more secure than FaceTime or Zoom. It follows the same guidelines that any medical professional needs to be aware of.
You can use any device! Counselling sessions can be done on your computer, phone, or tablet. It can be done at home or on vacation I’ve had one long term client not want to miss a session while on vacation and chose to attend from his car! (Its not recommended but it proved valuable in his situation).
Are there downsides to online counselling?
It would be wrong to not mention the limits of online counselling. No style of counselling is perfect but it is about finding what is going to work best for each individual.
If you dont have a safe space for your counselling. Many people enjoy going to counselling because it gets them out of their environment. That can be especially true if their home environment is not safe or not quiet. it is hard to share and be vulnerable in counselling when you are worried about others hearing you or interrupting your time.
If you have a bad internet connection. It is difficult to track changes and growth when there has to be a constant stop and start to see if the connection is working or if the other person has heard you.
If you worry about your tech skills. Although counsellors strive to make the process as easy as possible, we are limited by the video platform we use. While they all can be easy to use, many are cluttered or can take time to learn (or even download). If you are a person that is already worried about your tech skills, this makes a normally easy process to be difficult (and that is not how you want to start your counselling experience!)
With the limits of online counselling being brought up, it is important to note that even traditional in person counselling has its limits. Overall, the benefits of online counselling should outweigh the limits for the majority of people. This new format will not be for everyone and that is okay! I do not think that this will replace in person counselling but I do see a great future of both options working together moving forward.
-Keith Balisky