A number of unique advantages exist for those who access counselling online, including easier access for those that are housebound, geographically restricted, time saving for those that have busy schedules or those in need who will not or cannot access treatment locally.
Online counselling offers the flexibility of location and time and the opportunity to engage via a video chat be it on Skype, Zoom or FaceTime.
Our personality style may be intensified online. For example, suppose our communication style tends to be reactive or angry you may then be more reactive or angry online, which might not necessarily be a bad thing as this allows us to address it quickly and work with it.
It is also beneficial to bear in mind that if someone is shy in-person but outgoing online, neither self-presentation is more accurate than the other. Both are dimensions of who you are, each exposed within a different situational context.
With the lack of visual and auditory cues, we may feel that the communication is occurring in our head. Everyone thinks all kinds of things about others in their minds that we would never say to someone's face, so online we can say things we'd otherwise only think. Used in a supportive way of working this can also help us understand ourselves and our progress. Some experts in the online world even argue that a person's true self is more likely to appear online than in-person and surely that must enhance our relationships with ourselves and our therapist and others in the long term.
Being behind a screen can for the client generate a feeling of anonymity to a certain degree and can lead to feeling less exposed to opening up.
This perception of “invisibility” can give you the strength to go places and do things that you probably otherwise wouldn't, because not being seen can loosen us up. For example, in face-to-face interactions, we may be scared to say something to someone because of a fear of being judged and having nowhere to escape to. Being online means you can move off camera and hide. You therefore feel more open to say whatever you feel you need to when meeting online.
How much we can open up of course also depends on our personality and how comfortable we are with technology.
Online support might have the advantage to provide help earlier as access to a therapist can be easier and quicker. Online counselling may be your first point of access, helping you to prepare for possible face-to-face sessions in the future and, in turn, may help with a better outcome for you in the long run.
The first step is to initiate contact. Feel free to contact me online here or by phone for a free, brief, no obligation chat. You can also do a quick google search to find other counsellors you may wish to reach out to. If you want to progress matters after the making contact we will agree a mutually convenient day and time to have an initial session online and the therapeutic process can start.
