Online counselling, Also known as online therapy, e-therapy, e-counselling or telehealth, is a counselling service through the internet.

 

Online counselling has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it provides convenience, accessibility, geographical location and affordability. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, people who were initially against online counselling are now meeting online in compliance with the circuit breaker and social distancing measures.

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Online counselling has its challenges, and one of its challenges is the security issue. Regardless of the medium used, there is always a security risk. Another concern is the strength of the internet connection: Poor network connections and software issues can be distressing for both the client and the counsellor.

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A study by the Journal of Psychological Disorders 2018 found that online counselling was equally as effective as a face-to-face treatment for depression and anxiety disorder. However, while online counselling generally received good reviews, it might not be suitable for severely anxious, highly dissociative and severely traumatised people because the counsellor is not physically present in the same room to provide immediate assistance in the event of an emergency.

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Counselling using a video platform is more effective than texting, email exchange or live chat because the face to face component enables the observation of facial expression, vocal signal and body language, which is essential to therapy's effectiveness.

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At Restoring Peace, we provide online counselling through Zoom Pro, WhatsApp Video and EMDR Remote.