Online Counselling/Therapy can be a good option for some people. It has obviously been a vital link for people engaged in Counselling and Therapy during the COVID era – however I have used it as a medium for working with some individuals and couples for some years prior to this.
Online Platforms
I work with some people solely online and others using a mix of both online and face to face meetings. The platforms that I use to work with people online include:
- Skype
- Zoom
- Facetime
- Audio-telephone
Advantages
Some of the advantages of engaging in Online Counselling/Therapy include:
- Saving on commute time
- Maintaining continuity in Counselling/Therapy when health, work or geographic distance make in person attendance either not possible or challenging
- Being able to reveal more about you from your choice of environment
I have found that sometimes when working online with clients – that it can be helpful to move between screen time and using audio only – which breaks the intensity that sometime can be associated with screen time.
Practical considerations
Sometimes the subtleties that occur in an in- person Counselling relationship can be harder to work with in Online counselling. It may be a little more difficult to:
- Sit with silences
- Notice each other’s body language
- Take a moment to pause and look elsewhere
- Ensure non interruption in the space where you are talking from
Whilst these may be challenges – some forward planning and consideration of these can help make the process smoother.