What is Online Counseling?

Online counseling is a new and up-and-coming phenomenon in the counseling world. With busy schedules, it is hard to find time to make it into the office. Yes, some people find coming to the office beneficial and, I hear often it is “me” time. They need to put time aside from their schedules to sit down face to face and discuss concerns with their therapist. However, others might find counseling more beneficial in the comfort of their own home. Maybe you are at home during the day or need some counseling during your lunch break. That is what makes online counseling so neat. You can fit it into your schedule.


So, how does it work?

Here at Breeze Counseling, our team of dedicated therapists have been trained in providing online counseling to a variety of people with a variety of concerns. The way it works is very simple, in fact. All you need to do is schedule an appointment (either by phone or online). Using either FaceTime or Skype, the counselor will contact you and spend approximately one hour providing direct counseling services. You still get the benefit of one-on-one face time, you just are not at the office. 


Can I use online counseling for child or couples therapy?

The answer to that question is yes. For children ages 12 and up, we can provide online counseling. The reason we ask kids under 12 to come into the office is because at that age, they require play therapy. We find that family therapy can also be accomplished using the online platform. In this case, the therapist will either spend a portion of the time with the parent(s) alone and then switch to the adolescent individually. Or, the counselor may have the parent(s) and adolescent participate in the entire session together. How does couples counseling work? The same rule generally applies to couples as they do with family counseling. The therapist may have the couple participate for the entire session together or they may be asked to split the time individually.


Take Away….

Here’s my take away on online counseling. If this is your first time to therapy and not sure how it works, schedule your first appointment online. It make the process easier, especially since you are in your own, safe environment. Online counseling can be used for teen and adult individual counseling as well as family and couples counseling. At Breeze we use either FaceTime or Skype in order to provide the face-to-face interaction as a normal, office visit. 


Let’s keep the conversation going. Feel free to share your thoughts on online counseling and how it has help you.