Online counselling allows clients to book appointments from the convenience of their homes, without spending time on the commute, and many times avoiding traffic. Often clients feel more at ease at their homes, which can help with the therapeutic process.

Also, not everyone has access to quality counseling services within their community and online therapy allows individuals to get help from highly qualified and certified counsellors, life coaches, couples counsellors who may not be available in their geographic location.

Online therapy can be challenging, but the payoff makes it well worth it.

Here some suggestions to make the most out of your online session: 

1. Write down any topics you want to discuss during your online session. 

The first visit with any therapist can feel a bit awkward. After all, you are meeting with a stranger to discuss things you might be uncomfortable talking about.

Before the session make a list of topics to cover. Keep in mind that honesty is crucial  to successful therapy. In order for your therapist to help, they need to know what you’re experiencing. Therapists aren’t there to judge you. They chose their profession so they can help people improve mental health and wellbeing—not to make things worse.

2. Find the right time and place.

Try to find a space in your home where you can have some privacy and no distractions. Make sure you’re doing it in a space that feels safe for you.

Set aside time for your session. Therapy is not something to try to squeeze in while you’re cleaning the house, making dinner or running on the treadmill. Therapy can be hard work and requires your full attention to be effective and worth your time. It can also be a validating and comforting experience, and you want to give it your full attention to reap the benefits.

3. Light and noise 

Choose a well lit area for your sessions, don’t place light behind you . Keep background spaces clutter-free. 

When conducting sessions , ensure that external noises ( doorbells, phones…) are silenced  or minimized to avoid distraction. 

4. Check your connection before starting the online session

Having a strong internet and/or phone signal is important for your online counselling session. If your bedroom has a poor signal for example, you might want to conduct your counselling session in an area of the home with a stronger signal. Also, make sure your electronic device’s battery is fully charged for your session.

5. Remember that if you don’t like this therapist, that’s okay 

Therapy is all about you. It’s an area where you really should be completely self-involved. If you don’t feel comfortable with your therapist for whatever reason – whether it’s because you don’t feel they really understood what you were saying or you find their earrings intensely distracting – remember that it’s totally okay to look elsewhere. The whole point of therapy is to feel better. If you don’t feel you can open up to your therapist and trust what they say, it’s never going to work out. And it’s fine if it takes a few tries to find one that’s right for you.

Would you like to book a session with new counsellors? You can find high qualified therapists and life coaches here and book a free session.