Efficacy of online counseling or counselling online

[SWM]

What do you think about online counseling and similar talking therapies that are delivered over the internet? what positives and what negatives do you see in providing a counseling in this way?

[corwin137]

With the exception of people in communities so rural that there's no access, am wholly against it.  Absence of body language, inflection, "emotional radar", and other factors make it a dealbreaker.  I feel a little clumsy even posting about it, 'cuz it seems the objections are intuitive.

I know some *ahem* "pioneers" in this "field" personally.  Aside from their abhorrent nature, they preach access for agoraphobes and such, but are really practicing a marketing tool.  It's more about their survival than the patient's.  They phai1.

[cognitive]

What do you think about online counseling and similar talking therapies that are delivered over the internet? what positives and what negatives do you see in providing a counseling in this way?

I believe that online couselling will be preferred more and more in the future ,there are already a lot of people who  use this kind of counselling . I have read about an American counsellor who made a fortune by opening an office in second life game  , I have visited his office there ,  the price was 100 $ /per session and he was very busy counselling online ,you could hardly find him free.

With the exception of people in communities so rural that there's no access, am wholly against it.  Absence of body language, inflection, "emotional radar", and other factors make it a dealbreaker.  I feel a little clumsy even posting about it, 'cuz it seems the objections are intuitive.

Body language can be easly "read"  because you actually see the client( through webcam or through his avatar ) ,or he may express his emotions through emoticons -in writing.
When I put an emoticon like that    or like this  I imagine you all guess what my emotions are ,aren't you? 
With the right questions , a good counsellor may guess the emotions of his client ,even when he doesn't see him.

The advantages : saving time , protecting the client against the nasty commentaries of those who may see him going to a therapist ; also , shy people who feel intimidated by the presence of other will find easier to open them up in writing , it is known that there are people who are able to express what they feel in writing though they may not be able to speak about that .

[SWM]

i can see how there are advantages and disadvantages.

i imagine that this field has a lot of development ahead of it as online therapeutic service grow in popularity.
i am thinking that online therapy will evolve into a considerably different beast than it is now. i am thinking it will have much more specific applications. there will need to be theories developed which focus on the qualities that are communicated through digital media. for example the pecularities of an individuals language and what that communicates. writing can be a carthartic exercise and that may be an area where individuals find a therapeutic release.


i am going to think on this some more, what qualities of online interactions can be therapeutic and how can online interactions be enhanced to promote a therapeutic relationship.

[cplejdrup]

I believe in online counseling since i currently work with online counseling. We have a lot of clients from rural areas of Alaska and a lot of people who have had bad experiences at a regular clinic and they feel safer online. A lot of people also complain about time management when it comes to making appointments weeks ahead of time and getting of work early plus it is much more expensive going to a clinic and most people cant afford that.
The reality of today is that people need to have the freedom to decide exactly when they want to see their psychologist and if its on a weekend or in the evenings that should be up to the client. Having therapy from their own home where they can relaxe and freely talk about their worries in peace and quiet is what people want.

[SWM]

hello, is it Christine?

i was looking over your site and the services you offer, i am curious as to whether you see any detriment in the therapeutic relationship that is developed with your clients particularly through the email and messenger services.

[Shell]

I can understand the convenience it holds for people who l live in rural areas or feel that they have no where else to go.  Personally, I would probably be a bit skeptical.  I like online support groups and make lots of online friends.  But receiving and paying for therapy online just doesn't appeal to me. 

I'm sure many people find it less intimidating than a face to face encounter.  But it would probably take a lot of research and recommendations for me to try it.

[corwin137]

Unfortunately, I feel like we're sometimes preaching availability (agoraphobes, rural areas etc) but are actually practicing capitalism. 

We might rationalize the use of webcams (that many services/persons don't even use in the process...), but I'd still argue that there's something else going on in the room, a meta-message, that isn't palpable via any electronic means- still assuming such was used and is more effective to begin with.

As for the idea of time availability and such, for many folk, that's possibly a symptom of the problem to begin with.  All of my appointments are done week to week (as opposed to weeks ahead of time) and consistent every week as a rule.  I see most of my clients on eves/Saturdays, and the 5 full-time therapists I work with all do the same.

First and foremost though: I think we'd be hard pressed to say that counseling online is more effective than in person.

[counseling24h]

Internet cuts down the distance. Sometimes you need a counselor or therapist but you can find him/her near you, as another example, you are living in a different country for a short/long time. It's also less expensive and you can access to online counseling service only the time you need. On the other hand online counseling is not appropriate for all kinds of problems.

[pljames]

Is there on-line counseling in the U.S? How much does it cost? [email protected]