As I discussed in my previous post, What Makes Video Counselling Effective, online video counselling has become quite popular in the past four years, and research indicates that video counselling is safe and effective. I have been practising online video counselling for three years now, and in this time I have discovered some neat benefits that most people don’t know about.
No issues with distance. The obvious benefits to online counselling are related to distance. Your options for a counsellor are widened because you don’t have to see someone in your local community. There are certain interprovincial restrictions, but seeking a counsellor from somewhere in BC is a wider pool than seeking a counsellor in a small town in BC. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about commute time, parking, or traffic. All of these are distance-related benefits that truly remove barriers for clients who struggle to find an in-person counsellor.
Childcare optional. Another barrier that many people face is childcare. To attend any appointment either means bringing your preschool children with you, or finding a babysitter. Attending an online counselling session with children in the house is not ideal, but it can be better than not attending counselling at all. I have had more than one client set their child up with entertainment in the next room while attending an online counselling session in the other room. The child is safe and cared for, and the parent gets to attend to their self-care through therapy. A win-win.
Decreased barriers, and increased sense of safety. When having a counselling appointment online, you can choose to be in the comfort of your home. Being in your own comfortable space can be a benefit for a couple different reasons. First, if you struggle with leaving the house, having a session from home removes that barrier. Second, being in the safety of your own home may help your nervous system stay in a more relaxed state, which helps access those deeper emotions that so often find their voice in a therapy session. Counsellors do their best to make their offices a relaxing and safe-feeling environment because people need to feel safe in order to do emotional healing. When you are having your session from home, you have much more control of your environment, which automatically increases those feelings of safety.
Pets welcome. Something that always amazes me is that when I am in session with a client, and things are getting emotional, suddenly the client’s pet is on the client’s lap or by their side. Pets are an excellent resource for calming the nervous system. Talking about emotional things can cause our nervous system to become dysregulated. Having another living being provide a calm presence helps re-regulate the nervous system. Having a pet around can be a great asset to therapy.
No need to miss a session. We have all made the mistake of forgetting a session, or overbooking ourselves. It isn’t ideal, but a great benefit of online counselling is that you can attend your session from anywhere. Rather than cancelling at the last minute and incurring a cancellation fee, you can log in from wherever you are, provided it is a private space. I have had clients parked in their cars outside a grocery store, or out for a walk in the park (in a confidential space where others cannot overhear). I have also had clients who are travelling but don’t want to miss their regular counselling session. Having online sessions is a great way to accommodate scheduling mishaps or travel.
Although online video counselling has become vastly more popular in the past five years, many people still hesitate to consider this option. If in-person counselling is preferable to you, and you are able to access in-person counselling, that’s fantastic. However, if in-person counselling is inaccessible, or your life isn’t in a stage where you have the time or resources to attend in-person counselling, consider the online alternative. Counselling has many benefits, including stress reduction, relationship repair, and overall improvement in quality of life. If you are an adult resident of British Columbia, I would be happy to meet with you for a free 20-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit. Check out my website for more details.
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