Online counselling has the potential to reach many individuals requiring help across states. With the current technology, video calls are even possible. The kind of benefits that may arise from online counselling are immense. However, some factors still need to be worked on to carry out the service effectively. Note some factors that may hinder online counselling.
Establishment of a Therapeutic Relationship
For a therapist, it is crucial to create a therapeutic relationship with the patient to ensure trust is gained. Some patients may not be willing to disclose themselves online. A way around this could be to conduct the first few visits face to face, and after trust and comfort is established, try online counselling. This can be advantageous for the patient as he or she may save on transport cost and still get the full service they would have gotten at the therapist clinic.
Time
Time can either be a disadvantage or an advantage depending on the circumstance. In cases where you as a patient are using texts to converse with your counsellor, it can get quite tiresome, especially if you are not a texting person. Your counsellor may end up not meeting his or her scheduled treatment plan leading to repetition. Video conferencing or phone calls would be a much better media.
Online counselling can be quite effective where you may need to reach your therapist as fast as possible maybe because you have experienced an occurrence that made you unstable. Such times are considered emergencies, where conversing with your therapist immediately lessens the impact of the incident.
Different Psychological Needs
Online counselling may not be suitable for all mental health issues. It is limited to a particular range of mental health issues classified as lesser-risk problems. It is essential to know which of these problems are considered more minor risks to see whether you are a suitable candidate for online counselling. It will also avoid time wasting where a person with higher-risk issues will know that online counselling may not entirely work for them, and they should visit their therapist.
Ethical Concerns
This will depend on your chosen psychologist. Qualified and professional therapists have a liability to keep your information safe and private. They should disclose any potential risks on the use of your data. They should also indicate whether anyone else has access to their database and whether you as a patient are okay with it.
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