Online, F2F or Phone?
There were few positives around COVID but it did change how you can access therapy. Therapists had to work online to continue supporting clients and a whole new way of counselling developed.
To help you understand the options and perhaps decide which is best for you, in this article I look at the three main ways of using counselling. I work across all three - sometimes clients use only one, sometimes they mix and match depending on what suits them or is going on in their lives. It is entirely about what works for them. Alongside my face to face training I am certified as an online and phone counsellor.
Below are the most common modes of therapy. There are many others - walking and talking therapy is increasingly popular.
Whichever mode you choose, they are all about a ‘safe space’ with strict rules on confidentiality.
Face To Face
In person, face-to-face counselling is the ‘classic’ mode of counselling pioneered by Freud. Therapists no longer use couches but the principles are the same. The counselling room is literally a ‘safe space’ to talk and explore experience.
Generally there are two comfortable chairs, arranged opposite each other but likely at an angle so that you can easily look away from the counsellor if you want to.
Face-to-face counselling can involve a lot of non-verbal communication for both counsellor and client. It can be adapted to suit clients who experience neuro-diversity issues.
Online
Online therapy generally means sessions conducted by a video conferencing platform like Zoom. It makes therapy more convenient and also more accessible for those who do not or cannot leave their homes.
The therapist will ensure the space is ‘safe’ for both - for example that you can’t be overheard or that nobody else is in the room. A counsellor who is trained in online work recognises the specific circumstances of online work and how they impact the work.
Online can suit clients for practical reasons or because they feel uncomfortable being in the same room as someone else. It can also be useful if you dislike eye contact or experience neurodiversity challenges. The counsellor can adapt the experience to suit neuro-diversity.
Phone
Phone counselling is more established than online. The Samaritans have been using a form of phone therapy for many years. It requires a particular approach by the counsellor, who must be very tuned to tone and silence, but can also be a very intense and personal type of relationship. Phone counselling can be preferred by clients who feel uncomfortable being in the room with someone else or do not want to make eye contact.
Which is best?
The mode of counselling you choose will be the one you feel most comfortable with. As a counsellor, I may ask you to tell me about your choice so that we can be transparent between us. But I won’t question your choice. I may highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each mode so you’re aware of them. But it is your choice.