3 Reasons Why I Love Online Counselling (and you might too)

I remember the last time I went to an in-person therapy session; it was in the pre-COVID era–before online therapy really became more of a common thing. As someone who’s been in therapy on and off for over a decade, I mean it with my whole chest when I say that I love virtual therapy, and since making the switch to online counselling, I’ve never looked back. If you’re still not sure about it, keep reading and I'll tell you why I made the change to virtual therapy and how online counselling has improved my whole experience of mental health care. Maybe you’ll start to love it too. ​

1. The savings

On my last day of in-person sessions, I did my usual routine that I had come to associate with my therapy-days, which started with booking about 2 whole hours off work or away from any other commitments. I would need one hour for the therapy session itself, and another half hour on either end of the session just to travel to and from the therapist’s office.
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The cost of in-person therapy was not just paying for counselling, it was also the cost of taking time off work or away from other responsibilities or engagements, plus the money, time, and energy that I needed to budget just to get there and back.  And I know I’m not alone in this. 

Research shows that many people living in North America often experience an inability to take time of work to access mental health appointments and experience transportation related barriers to accessing healthcare, with higher risks associated with factors such as having poor mental health or a disability, leading to poorer management of symptoms and health outcomes (APA, 2023; Lyeo et al., 2023; Syed et al., 2013). Looking back, I'm amazed at how much of my already limited resources I had to put in to just get to and from my appointments, when the place I really wanted to be spending most of my energy was on the session itself. Online counselling not only reduces logistical barriers to accessing mental health services, but also leads to significant cost savings by reducing the need for transportation and minimizing time off work or away from other commitments (Hilty et al., 2013; Kruse et al, 2017).

Now that virtual therapy is a regular thing in my life, I am saving so much more time, energy and money--resources that are now available for me to spend on other important areas of my life.

2. Freedom of choice

Back when I was still seeing a therapist in-person, instead of online counselling, it also meant that my options for therapists were severely limited by who was physically around me at that moment in time.

My choices to find my "best match" were constrained by many factors that had nothing to do with the therapist's training, expertise, or personality. Instead my therapist-search was limited based on factors such as proximity to my work, school, or home, accessibility for parking, public transportation, and mobility considerations–plus trying to find a place where I’m not likely to run into someone who I might not want to run into when I’m about to have a session, or just coming out of one. 

While these factors have nothing to do with the quality of mental health care a therapist can provide, they certainly matter when choosing a therapist that fits with your life, preferences and needs. Virtual therapy means that you get expanded access to a broader range of therapists to choose from, allowing you greater freedom and autonomy in selecting a therapist who best meets your needs (Connolly et al., 2020).

With online counselling sessions, you can focus more on finding the right fit for you, rather than worrying about things like time management, transportation, or awkward run-ins. Just click a button, and you're there, ready to focus on your mental health and wellbeing.

3. Privacy & Confidentiality

Ok, so then I'd get the therapist’s office and it’s time to check in with the receptionist at the front desk. If you haven't had this experience before, let me tell you how anxiety provoking this can be. Everyone in that waiting room knows you're there for therapy--and while I'm a big advocate for reducing the stigma, promoting awareness, and truly believe everyone can really benefit from therapy--it still doesn't always feel safe to disclose things about your mental health to just anyone. Consent matters, a lot. But when you're at that front desk, the receptionist has to do their job, and sometimes that means inadvertently announcing sensitive information about you to anyone in earshot. For example, confirming which therapist you're there to see, and personal information like your name, address, phone number, payment information or insurance details. There simply is no way to really protect confidentiality in those moments. 

That last time that I went to an in-person therapy session, I had a lot on my chest that I needed to process. The thing is, when you're deep in your healing journey, it's not always pretty. In fact, it's often quite messy (IFYKYK). So there I was, bawling my eyes out on my therapist's couch, so deep in my own process that I didn't even think about my volume. That is, until the session time was up, the office door opened, and my eyes locked with the receptionist’s just a few feet away. I then walked around the corner to see a waiting room full of folks from my local community who I would likely run into again—from random people I never met before, to neighbours from down the street or acquaintances from yoga or work.  I felt so embarrassed. There was no way they didn't all hear about what I was going through in there. 

Like most people,  I want to be able to choose when, how and with whom I share my story, my personal health information, and myself. I didn't knowingly consent to sharing my inner world with everyone in that office–even though I logically knew where I was, and that sound travels. And I know many others can relate to these kinds of experiences. 

Changing to online counselling can eliminate those issues. Virtual therapy enhances experiences of privacy and confidentiality because you get to engage in your mental health counselling sessions from the comfort of your own home or anywhere else of your choosing, drastically reducing concerns that can be associated with stigma and exposure of your personal and sensitive information (Hilty et al, 2013).

Online counselling means I get to choose where I am for my sessions and the degree of privacy that I feel comfortable with. I can ensure that I am in a private space, where I can express myself more freely, and feel confident that my personal information isn’t going to be overheard by others without my knowledge or consent.

Since starting virtual therapy during the pandemic, online counselling has become my preference and primary choice for many reasons. Online counselling has given me more freedom to decide how I spend my resources, who I get to work with, and the safety and privacy of my space to best support my therapeutic process.

​From saving time, money, energy, and stress, to being able to choose the right therapist for me based on their qualifications and personality regardless of their location, to feeling secure in my own space without worrying about privacy, virtual therapy has been hugely beneficial for me in my mental health journey. Overall, online counselling gives me more freedom and peace of mind, reduces stress, and helps me to create more balance in my life. And I hope virtual therapy can do that for you too. ​

References

American Psychological Association. (2023). 2023 Work in America survey: Workplaces as engines of psychological health and well-being. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2023-workplace-health-well-being

Hilty, D. M., Torous, J., Parish, M. B., Chan, S. R., Yellowlees, P. M., & Bourgeois, J. A. (2013). A literature review of the use of telepsychiatry in acute care settings. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 19(1), 42–48. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.pra.0000426324.76452.6a

Kruse, C. S., Krowski, N., Rodriguez, B., Tran, L., Vela, J., & Brooks, M. (2017). Telehealth and patient satisfaction: a systematic review and narrative analysis. BMJ Open, 7(8), e016242. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016242

Lyeo, J. S., Tiznado-Aitken, I., Farber, S., Brown, H. K., & Spence, N. (2023). Predictors of transportation-related barriers to healthcare access in a North American suburb. Zeitschrift für Gesundheitswissenschaften, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-023-01916-2

Syed, S. T., Gerber, B. S., & Sharp, L. K. (2013). Traveling towards disease: Transportation barriers to health care access. Journal of Community Health, 38(5), 976–993. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9681-1

Author

Silvia Eleftheriou, MEd, Registered Psychologist (she/them)
Clinical Director
​Deep Sea Psychology