What is Online Counseling?

Online counseling (also called online therapy) works in much the same way as traditional counseling. You make an appointment with your preferred therapist or psychologist, and meet together to talk through any mental health concerns, life transitions, or other challenges you may be experiencing.

The only difference is that instead of you coming into a physical location for face-to-face counseling sessions, you and your therapist connect via video calls. This lets you attend a session from anywhere, including the private and safe space of home.

Because being able to talk to a counselor online instead of face-to-face is still a relatively new concept, our understanding of its pros and cons is still evolving. However, the evidence so far strongly suggests that online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective form of psychotherapy.

A comprehensive meta-analysis of 64 studies has shown that online counseling with CBT appears even more effective than traditional face-to-face therapy for treating the following mental health conditions: major depression, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. A systematic review of studies on online CBT treatments drew similarly positive conclusions.