Written by Tracy Shirvill
When I first started my counselling training, I did not imagine that I would be meeting with clients over Zoom. In fact, coming from a corporate environment with team members interstate, colleagues overseas – and often unseen customers – I was relishing the opportunity to sit across from my clients. What I didn’t know at the time was that counsellors and other therapists have been closing the distance between the client and counsellor since counselling began. Before technology psychotherapists wrote therapeutic letters to their clients. As technology progressed phone calls, emails, chat rooms, and now video conferencing were incorporated into the counselling process. While letter writing is almost a memory, all these forms of communication are used by counsellors all over the world.
Clients are often concerned that online counselling will be impersonal, that the screen will reinforce the physical distance. Yet once the process has started clients often forget that we are not in the same room. When I attended counselling for my own life experiences I found attending a stressful experience; I had to use up sick leave to take time off to attend sessions which placed pressure on me at work, and commute by train to the counsellor’s office. I would feel stressed about leaving the office early and flustered by racing to make my appointment on time. Being in your own space, without the stress of having to take time off work or worry about traffic and parking or public transport, helps clients to feel more comfortable with their counsellor a lot sooner, and makes it easier to fit into busy schedules.
Embracing technology also means that people have more options when looking for a counsellor, and consistency in receiving counselling. People who embrace online counselling can cast a wider net in terms of who you want to engage with. You no longer have need to worry about looking for a new counsellor if you move homes or change jobs. You can continue with sessions even while travelling for work or away on holiday. Online counselling also provides more opportunities for people with disabilities to engage with counselling services, with counsellors able to attend to individual needs through technology.
Online counselling is not for everyone. There is nothing wrong with wanting to attend counselling in-person and in some circumstances, it can be more beneficial than not. What is important is to know that there are options to suite your needs, schedule, and lifestyle. I’ve had the pleasure of working with clients living interstate, in the city, the suburbs, and rural areas. Clients have joined me from their home office, workplace meeting rooms, their car with a beautiful view, and even on a walk in their local park. An internet or phone connection and some privacy is all you need.
