Online Counseling: Is It Effective?

Everything changed with COVID. On-line everything: shopping, education & training, social, and medicine. Telehealth enter stage right. I was a little skeptical with an almost entirely online training for mindful somatic psychotherapy (Hakomi). I mean, how can a disciplan that is body-focused be done with little picture frames, with only a person's face and maybe their upper torso visible on screen?

It turns out that just being able to see a person's face can be really effective. The Hakomi training was surprisingly effective! As I initially starting seeing clients online as well as receive my own personal counseling at times online, I became aware of the advantages and disadvantages of using telehealth. I feel strongly about accessibility, and having counseling services online make receiving support much easier for many folx. Before deciding to see me online, I would like for you to consider the pros and cons.

Advantages of Telehealth:

• Conveinent

• Cost effective (no gas needed)

• Privacy of your own home

• Comfort of being in your own space

• Can change the amount of time you are on screen

• Can choose to be as close or as far away from your camera

• Can use support items that are only found at home

• Can be in any shape, wearing virtually anything (e.g., laying in bed with PJs on)

• After a particularly deep session where many tears were shed, operating a vehicle is not needed

Disadvantages of Telehealth:

• You lose the "in-person" vibes (our nervous systems can tell the difference)

• Have to allocate time and energy in transportation to and from my office

• There might not be enough privacy in your home (I've had clients see me in their car)

• Sketchy internet connection can cause disruptions in connection

• Can't use all of the therapeutic props and accouterments that I utilize in my office

• If a session brought up deeply held core material and there was much emoting, that can leave you a bit drained, there is a need to ground and orient before operating a vehicle.

If you have experienced counseling via telehealth, I'm sure you can probably think of several more pros and cons. In fact, feel free to share them in the comments and I can add them to the lists. Choice is so important in life and in therapy. I want to honor yours always to either see me in person or online. Because I watch what your body is doing, at times, I may ask you to either move closer to or further away from the camera in order to see more of your body or perhaps more of your face. There is choice here as well. Please just know that I am interested to join you in your experience, and part of that experience is what is happening with your body. I will divulge that it is my preference to see you in-person, as so much of the healing that happens in counseling is largely contributed to the therapeutic relationship. This relationship can be nurtured via telehealth and I will repect your choices.

Gajarawala, S.N., & Pelkowski, J.N. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. Journal for Nurse

Practitioners, 17(2):218-221. doi: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013. Epub 2020 Oct 21. PMID:

33106751; PMCID: PMC7577680.