What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Counselling?

July 15, 2024

As I am sure that you have noticed, Virtual Connect is an entirely virtual counselling clinic. So, you may be wondering is virtual counselling as effective as in person counselling? In short – Yes! In fact, studies have shown higher treatment satisfaction and positive recovery outcomes in virtual counselling, particularly for PTSD, burnout, depression, panic disorder, anxiety, and related mental health concerns (Dhillon & Verma, 2022). Clients indicated that virtual counselling offered a more positive experience over in-person counselling due to its accessibility, privacy, and convenience (Spence, et al.; & Dhillon & Verma). While Spence et al., found that both in-person and virtual counselling were equally as effective in adolescents (2011, 2022).  

Benefits of Virtual Counselling

Accessibility and ease are two of the key advantages of virtual counselling. Virtual counselling provides access to counsellors regardless of your geographical location, allowing clients to work with the best-suited professional, even if they live across the country from one another. Another benefit is privacy. Counselling is somewhere you can go and share things that maybe no one else in your life knows about, it is your safe space, the place for you to unload and know that others are not going to find out about what you shared. While laws of confidentiality are applicable both for in person and online counselling, there may be a different sense of comfort knowing that your counsellor lives in a totally different area and the chances of seeing them outside of a counselling setting is slim. This may be a particular benefit in smaller communities. Finally, virtual counselling is appealing because it allows for accessing services from the comfort of home. This makes counselling much more accessible and convenient and saves both clients and counsellors on travel time and expenses.

Downsides of Virtual Counselling

For some, the lack of personal touch on a computer might make virtual counselling less appealing.  Additionally, having suitable equipment and a private, safe space for sessions poses challenges for certain individuals.  Luckily, most people are already equipped with the technology suitable for virtual counselling appointments (ie. Computer, smartphone, or tablet).  Although, having a safe space may be a challenge in certain situations, most clients are able to find themselves a distraction-free environment to suit their counselling needs (ie spare room, a parked car, or in their bedroom).

Considerations

I am sure for any counsellors who have been reading this they are wondering how it is possible for people to see clients in different parts of the country considering the various provincial regulations. This is entirely dependent on where counsellors are registered. In provinces that have regulated counselling, only individuals who are registered in those provinces are able to offer services to individuals who live in that province. If you check out the counsellors’ page on Virtual Connect’s website, you will see that you can filter both by what type of counselling you are looking for and the province that you are located in.

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I hope you find these insights into decision-making and virtual counselling helpful. Take a minute to fill out our quiz to see if virtual counselling is for you, click here.

References:

• Dhillon, S., & Verma, G. (2022). Online Therapy and its Effectiveness in the Treatment of Mental Disorders. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 13(4), 554–560.

• Spence, S. H., Donovan, C. L., March, S., Gamble, A., Anderson, R. E., Prosser, S., & Kenardy, J. (2011). A Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Versus Clinic-Based CBT for Adolescent Anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 629–642. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024512