Online Counselling before lockdown
I began seeing clients for online counselling in 2014 to offer flexibility and the widest range of services to my clients who wanted to meet and work with me in counselling/therapy, though for one reason or another couldn’t see me in person. These first online counselling/online therapy sessions via FaceTime and Skype at the time seemed radical. However fast forward 10 years to 2024 and this way of working with clients for counselling/psychotherapy has firmly been establishing itself since then. During the covid pandemic and lockdowns, online counselling was THE main way – and often the ONLY way, counsellors and psychotherapists met with their clients.
Some benefits of online counselling
Online psychotherapy and counselling is not in my view better, or worse than meeting in person, rather it is a different method of clients meeting and working with a counsellor/therapist. Whilst the method is different, the framework, the commitment and work of counselling remains very much the same, so that counsellors and psychotherapists like myself who have trained for several years, bring their training, approaches and experience into each and every session with their clients.
Online counselling and psychotherapy offer benefits for those who are able, and who have the space and privacy to meet in this way. Privacy and confidentiality remain a given in online psychotherapy as they would if meeting in person, and in addition clients have the convenience of not having to factor in time and costs for travel. How to ensure what it means for your space to be private and confidential without interruption or distractions for your online counselling is something I help you with.
Being guided through the stages of online counselling
That brings to mind my years of experience counselling online, over that time learning how to better prepare clients from their stage of enquiring to how we do meet safely for online counselling, and then to how we go on to work together. Clients are guided to help them settle into counselling, whilst aims and what clients want to work on are identified, become and remain central to their counselling.
Issues that online counselling can help with
In my experience as counsellor/therapist, the same issues clients work on in person, clients can bring to and work on in their online counselling. So far this has included issues to do with anxieties, depression, childhood, trauma, addiction. Suitability for any counselling/therapy is assessed and discussed with clients during initial appointments. Furthermore issues to focus on and how long the counselling continues is decided by clients.
Online counselling for couples
The same applies for couples, the issues they want to work on can happen online as it does in person. Issues I have worked with couples both in online couples counselling and in person include issues around communication, how to make their relationship more loving and trusting, or whether to remain together or to separate, or issues around sex, money or children. Online couples counselling responds to and works with couples in the same way as in person. As in it is important the therapist remains neutral, listening to each member of the couple and helping them better listen and understand themselves, their partner and what is going on in their relationship.
My online courses, experience and making counselling more accessible
In 2015 I attended an online course presented by one of counselling’s regulating body, The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). The course was called Beginning, Developing and Strengthening the Way We Work Online. The idea of this course as can be ascertained in the title was to help practitioners, not only gain confidence in working in what was a relatively new way at that time. Also however to bring their attention to how to do so safely, as well as to resource counsellors and therapists with studies and viewpoints that this is a valid and effective way of counselling. How without diluting therapy, online counselling could make it more accessible. In summary clients can be assured that with many years of training, they would be in counselling with a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor that has worked with people both in person and online. People presenting issues in addition to those mentioned above, as well as loss, bereavement, life direction, food and body, addiction, sex. In essence how all the aforementioned issues and more, can be worked with in online counselling.
The benefits of a real counselling session delivered in a modern, convenient way
I appreciate concerns some may have, of an impersonal online counselling provided by an AI bot, or someone not fully trained or committed. However in online counselling and psychotherapy with me, clients are face to face with a fully qualified counsellor, who is with you on your counselling journey, just over screens instead. Online counselling or online couples counselling with myself, would very much involve creating the conditions that enable individuals and couples to explore the areas of their lives causing them problems. To help clients identify, work through and make sense of unwanted patterns of behaviour and choices. Sometimes it may be that clients want to work on personal and emotional development or find out how to make the most out of their lives and situation. Whatever reason clients seek online counselling, the process can be a challenging process and in working with me clients can be assured of working with a counsellor who is aware of this. Also that their counselling will take place with someone who is non-judgemental, actively listening and offering different perspectives from ones held, in summary traditional counselling delivered in a modern way.
Find out more about online counselling
Those enquiring are welcome to contact me to get a sense of what working together would be like either via email jessica@rightinsightcounselling.co.uk or by phone 07795 253 457.
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