Online Counselling
Online counselling (or internet counselling) is available where we can’t meet face-to-face. Instead, we use a scheduled encrypted video counselling session to conduct sessions. Online counselling can be part of face-to-face individual or couples counselling, or it can be a standard way of conducting counselling.
Who online counselling helps
Online counselling makes it simple for more people to get access to a greater range of counselling. If you're in a remote location, you can use the wide range of online counselling options to access the professional services you need. Likewise, this form of counselling helps people to access specialist counsellors wherever they are across the world. This is the service I offer, and I counsel clients in other states and other countries.
Online counselling also helps those who find it difficult to talk about more personal problems face-to-face. In this way, it helps people retain their anonymity and privacy.
Does online counselling work?
A number of studies have examined the effectiveness of online counselling. Here's some of the major ones:
- Andrews, Davies, and Titov (2011) showed that both face-to-face and online counselling lead to significant symptom reduction, and that there was no significant difference in efficacy.
- Barak, Hen, Boniel-Nissim and Shapira (2008) in a study of 9,764 people showed that internet counselling was only slightly less effective than face-to-face counselling
- The working relationship you establish with a therapist is a critical factor in successful counselling; Hanley and Reynolds (2009) found that the working relationship was often stronger for online counselling
- In a preliminary study, Holmes and Forster (2012) found that the participants formed a stronger connection with their therapists than face-to-face clients
The strong indication here is that online counselling is almost as effective as face-to-face counselling and may actually be better for forming a strong working relationship.
Why it works
This type of counselling connects people who otherwise don't have access to counselling due to geography, disability or other factors. It also allows people to connect to specialist counsellors trained in the area that you're seeking help for. Online counselling is a little different to face-to-face counselling. It can be more palatable because it allows additional distance, and that’s important for some. This extra distance can give you greater freedom to talk about some of the issues and can preserve your anonymity.
With online counselling (or internet counselling), you are getting the same trained professional as you would face-to-face, but in a way that can be more convenient.
What to expect
When you start counselling, you can expect that we will talk through some of the difficulties that you are having with your life. You can also expect to get a greater understanding of this situations have occurred, why they keep occurring, and what you can do about them.
If this is of interest, my initial consultation is at no cost and there is no further obligation. Give me a ring on 0400 469 449 or send me an email at tim@timhillpsychotherapy.com; let's work out if there's a way I can help you.
Tim Hill
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