The Benefits:
Online Counseling uses modern technology to help make professional mental health services more available to people who need them. While it is not exactly the same as traditional counseling, it does offer many benefits. It is a resource for people who live a long distance from a mental health professional or facility. People who have difficulty getting out due to illness , lack of transportation, or other problems can talk with a counselor from the comfort of their own home. It is very private, safe and discreet. There is no need to travel, and there is often much more flexibility in scheduling sessions. Online Counseling or telephone counseling is also often more affordable than traditional psychotherapy.
The Drawbacks:
One drawback with online counseling is that urgent crisis situations cannot be handled online. If a client is feeling suicidal or homicidal, help must be obtained through a local emergency resource such as the emergency room, 911, or the local mental health crisis line. There are also problems that are not suited for treatment with online counseling. E-Counseling is not appropriate for treating dissociative disorders, eating disorders, psychosis , or schizophrenia. There is also the possibility of technology failure or unavailability with online and telephone counseling. With telephone , e-mail and chat counseling, the inability to see each other and read visual cues can potentially lead to miscommunication.