Pros And Cons Of Online Counseling

PROS

• Convenience: You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home, and you can send me letters at any time of the day or night.  In addition, you can write to me as often as you like and I’ll read everything you send to me.
  
  

• Accessibility:  I’m available to help you even if you live in an area without any mental health practitioners available to you.  There are no long waits.  I’ll respond to you within 24-48 hours.
  
  

• Anonymity:  Some people find that the relative anonymity of cyberspace makes them feel comfortable trusting me quickly.  This means that we can often accomplish more in a shorter time period in online counseling than in traditional psychotherapy.
  
  

• Writing can be therapeutic: online counseling can be ideal for people who keep journals/diaries or find it helpful to write about their feelings.  Writing can be a cathartic experience and it can serve as a catalyst for reflection, self-exploration, and insight into oneself and one’s difficulties.
  
  

• Time lag: the delay inherent in e-mail correspondence has been called “a zone for reflection.”  This time lag allows both client and counselor to reflect and compose thoughtful replies.
  
  

• Saved records: Since counseling consists of a series of email exchanges, the client and counselor both have permanent records of their “sessions.”  These saved records give both counselor and client an opportunity to review and evaluate their work together.
  
  

• Cost: online counseling is much less expensive than face-to-face counseling.

CONS

• Missing non-verbal cues: unlike face-to-face situations, the counselor has no access to non-verbal cues to help them understand what their client is feeling.
  
  

• You need to be able to put your feelings into writing and write about yourself and your feelings in a fairly articulate way (this can be an advantage as well, actually).
  
  

• For some people, the lack of a physical presence of the helper may reduce the sense of intimacy, trust, and commitment in a traditional therapeutic relationship.
  
  

• Typed text can be ambiguous.
  
  

• Online counseling is so new that there hasn’t been much research done on the issue of how it compares in effectiveness to face-to-face counseling.
  
  

• Online work is not appropriate for all clients, including: people who are currently in crisis or feeling suicidal; people with serious emotional problems; people under the age of 18; people who are not willing or able to put their feelings into writing.
  
  

• Unlike traditional psychotherapy, online counseling cannot provide formal diagnosis and treatment.