Online (remote) counselling and psychotherapy
Is it effective?
Face-to-face (f2f) setting has been the established method of delivering therapy. Because of that, in the past many practitioners have been sceptical about the effectiveness of non-f2f therapy. Thankfully this view has gradually changed, as research conducted over the years has pointed out that non-f2f therapy is as effective as face-to-face, provided that certain basic conditions are met by both parties (Archontopoulou, 2021; Rodgers, Tudor & Ashcroft, 2021; Sanders, 2007). More specifically, both the client and the psychotherapist should respect and retain the agreed schedule and communicate exactly as they would if therapy was taking place in face-to-face settings. It is also essential to ensure that they have made preparations before therapy starts. More specifically that they have ensured that they are in a protected environment and there is no chance of being overheard by family members. Also, they need to ensure that the hour is devoted only to the session without interruptions and distractions i.e. that’s why they both agree to turn off their notifications (email, skype, messenger).
Why should I prefer it?
Non-face-to-face therapy first appeared as an option for people who, either due to health or transport issues (i.e. because they lived in a small island), could not have access to mental health services or their options were particularly limited. Nowadays, non-face-to-face therapy has started to become the number one choice for many, because of the time restrictions modern reality brought. More and more people now prefer it because of the flexibility it offers, as time is limited and often traveling from one place to another is not possible for many reasons.
Of course, non-face-to-face therapy may also be preferred by people who do not feel comfortable opening up if they are in the same room as their psychotherapist. Those people would feel more comfortable and safer talking in a place of their choice. Finally, in recent years due to the global pandemic, many people had to limit their face-to-face contact and the remote session is considered the most suitable solution in this case.
Note: the above text is part of my research work carried out in 2021 at the University of Nottingham titled: What are the beliefs and views of person-centred practitioners who have experience both in f2f (face-to-face) and non-f2f settings? Do they feel that they can keep the nature of person-centred ‘experience’ intact irrespective of the set-up?
Means used in the online (remote) sessions:
Viber
Skype
Zoom
References
Rodgers, B., Tudor, K., & Ashcroft, A. (2021). Online video conferencing therapy and the person-centered approach in the context of a global pandemic. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14779757.2021.1898455
Sanders, P. (2007). Using counselling skills on the telephone and in computer-mediated communication (3rd ed., pp. 72-73). Monmouth: PCCS Books.