Online counseling is the use of the internet in providing professional mental health counseling services to clients in the comfort of their home or office. The services are typically offered through email, video conferencing or via real-time chat. However, some clients combine online counseling with nutritional counseling, or traditional psychotherapy, while a growing number of the clients are currently using online counseling as an alternative to office visits. The introduction of internet video chat systems in the recent past and the growing penetration of broadband have led to continuous growth in online therapy. Most clients are now finding video conferencing, live chat and email more convenient in seeking help from professional psychologists. This despite the fact that telepsychology has been available in for to clients for more than 35 years as the new invention offers a face-to-face meeting making them a dependable option to visiting the therapist.
What are Main Differences between Online Coaching and Online Therapy?
Three significant factors differentiate online therapy or online counseling from online coaching.
- Online counseling requires intensive training and licensing to practice as it is a highly organized profession as compared to coaching. Besides, counselors who meet specific educational and practical criteria are the only ones allowed to acquire the therapy license. These requirements should also include going through a supervised intensive training. However, despite the state requirements being similar in all states, a licensed counselor is bound ethically and legally to practice counseling in the state where he or she acquired the license. On the other hand, life coaching up to now does not require formal schooling, and the life coach has no geographical limitations to practice life coaching.
- In most cases, insurance covers counseling services, while insurance does not cover most life coaching services.
- Insurance companies require a licensed professional counselor to offer a mental health diagnosis for all clients for him or her to be paid for the service. However, a life coach is not required by anyone to offer a mental diagnosis for him or her to serve the client.
Why are Most Clients Choosing Online Counseling or Therapy?
In the recent past, there has been a significant increase in the number clients preferring online therapy. Here are some of the reasons why more clients are opting for online therapy:
- Most want to remain anonymous: Most of the clients want to remain anonymous after sharing the problems that have been bothering them. These include coaches, athletes, lawyers and other public figures. Such people would not like to be seen visiting a therapist or a life coach office. Therefore, they are choosing online therapy as it offers complete privacy and anonymity.
- Most Clients have a busy schedule: These include entrepreneurs, CEO and public figures that have a significant demand on their time.
- Flexibility and Convenience: Most clients are seeking for convenience and versatility as Online therapy is an investment that is rarely covered by insurance companies.
Conclusion
Overall, online counseling is important and is increasingly becoming more popular, Learn more at samnabilcounseling.com/online-therapy. The fact of the matter is that regardless of your location and the means that you choose to use you will spend more time visiting a counselor or a life coach than the time you spend on requesting for the actual appointment. Think of the hassle of navigating traffic and searching for parking spots. These would take much of your time and effort that you would direct in other responsibilities if you chose online therapy.