In the past four years, accessing services virtually has become significantly more common. Naturally, this inspires the question: Is online counselling therapy effective? As a counsellor, I am concerned with the ethical implications of the counselling services that I offer. I want to make sure that I am providing quality services that will genuinely help the clients I meet.
Thankfully, research indicates that online video therapy is effective. In a 2024 review of research, Rodgers, Tudor, and Sutherland reviewed 13 different studies on the efficacy of video therapy, and concluded that although there are some important factors to be aware of, video therapy can be a means for creating lasting positive change for clients. The factors that they mention are the reliability of the technology used (i.e. make sure you have a solid internet connection and a quality device), and the limits to body language due to the camera frame focusing mostly on the participants’ shoulders, neck and face, rather than the whole body. If you are aware of these factors and take steps to manage them, then online video therapy can be a great alternative to in-person therapy.
I have some tricks that I use to manage my online practice so that clients receive the quality of care that I believe they deserve. First, I offer a free consultation using the video software that I use for all my sessions. This way, if the client is having technological difficulties, we can troubleshoot before they are in an official session. I have found that most technological hiccups are easily sorted, and if we figure out the technology during a free consultation, then it takes away the stress of using therapy time for troubleshooting technology.
To manage the body language issue, I increase my verbal communication with my clients. If we are talking about something emotionally heavy, I will ask how they are doing with the subject-matter. I also pay close attention to other nonverbal factors, like their facial expressions, tone, and speed of speech. These factors help me pace the therapy so that we are working at a rate with which the client is comfortable.
Online video therapy has many benefits, which you can read about in my next post. If you are thinking about attending online counselling and you are an adult who lives in British Columbia, then I invite you to book a consultation with me. I would love to meet you and see if we are a fit for working together.
Reference:
Rodgers, B., Tudor, K., & Sutherland, A. (2024). An integrative review of the person‐centred and experiential therapy literature on delivering individual video counselling and psychotherapy. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 24(1), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12600
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