The Pros and Cons of Internet Counseling

   The Pros and Cons of Internet Counseling

                                                Abstract

Counseling services exist to help promote mental health. Whether or not counseling should be administered online, or in a traditional setting has become a major discussion among professional. Online counseling is becoming popular, and many individuals believe that this option can help elevate the awareness of the mental health profession and the flexibility of its existence. With every new option or opportunity it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the option; online counseling is no exception. By gaining a viewpoint of both sides, professional counselors as well as future professionals are better able to provide an option to their clients. Clients are also responsible, and should become aware of the implications of any decision before the session begins. Best practice is important, and whether counseling is provided through technology or in person, the client’s welfare should be the number one priority. Failing to do so in any profession setting can be harmful for the client.

Introduction

        When we think about the counseling or therapeutic experience we envision a calm trusting atmosphere. The counselor is able to given] his or her client the emotional support or mental health advice needed within their office. Things have changed, and we live in a highly technology driven world, and counseling services are no exception. Many have wondered if providing counseling services through the internet is a safe and viable resource for clients. However like the traditional aspect of counseling, online counseling has its advantages as well. Online counseling has its skeptics, and the question that often arises, is whether or not online counseling upholds the codes of ethics, and what the advantages and disadvantages are from a client’s perspective. Whether it’s through the internet, on a cell phone or office the one person whose welfare is at risk is the client. By examining the pros and cons we are better able to provide individuals who use online counseling the knowledge needed to make an optimal decision.

                                   Pros of online counseling.

Benefits of online counseling

Psychological anonymity. One word that is used often within the profession of counseling is confidentiality. As a counselor, you are ethically obligated to keep what is said during a session with a client confidential. The reasoning behind this is not only the best practice code for counselors, but the idea that the client’s welfare is what matters most. An individual who comes into counseling wants to know, or should be aware that they can is trust the client counselor relationship. So where does Psychological anonymity come in, and what does this have to do with traditional counseling sessions and online counseling sessions. Before we get into that it is important to understand what psychological anonymity is. Psychological anonymity, “represents a particular mental state that preserves the withdrawal into privacy and the protection of being unknown” (Schultze, 2006). Psychological anonymity is a peace of mind the client experiences, it can be compared to the confidentiality act counselors have with clients, however this is a personal mental state only the client experiences. In a traditional counseling setting, clients often experience the anxiety of telling a complete stranger their problems or secrets. Of course during this time, a counselor even in a perfect scenario, meaning one who exudes best practice and in a fictional story is “perfect”, cannot completely prevent a client from feeling anxious. This is where online counseling and psychological anonymity intertwine. Online counseling allows its users the peace of mind of not having to physically sit in front of a stranger. The individual is in his or her comfort zone and may be better able to openly express their mental state of mind.

        Projection. Among the many reasons why online counseling has its benefits are convenience and the inexpensive cost compared to traditional sessions. However one factor that often slips under the radar is projection. Projection is a defense mechanism that was discovered by Freud. The idea behind projection is that by projecting faults onto others you can reduce your own anxiety. Within a traditional counseling setting, a new client who comes into a counselors office feeling like they are worthless and will be judged, can project these feelings to the counselor. At this point the client will begin to think without probable cause that the counselor thinks they are worthless. This is just an example of what can happen during a client’s first visit to a counseling center. Once anxiety takes over, projecting the wrong this can be easy. In an online counseling experience, we know that the client will not develop an idea of the counselor as a person. This detachment to some experts enchances the professional relationship. Boundaries cannot be broken, because of the lack of physical presence. Dr.Nils-Gunter Schultze (2006) wrote in his article, Rapid Communication: Success factors in internet-based psychological counseling that “internet counseling disposes with the process of building more intimate trust, a process that, in real life confrontation with a counselor, is slow, accompanies the exchange step by step, and is highly charged, especially in the beginning” (p.624). To many professional counselors the idea of not building trust is opposite to what ethical professional standards teach. However there are individuals who do not enjoy the idea of trusting a stranger and having to go through the slow process only to know that the sessions will end eventually. Best practice provides counselors and therapist with the idea that you must do your best for the client. You get through the first days projection and anxieties, the therapeutic relationship is formed, clients open up to you, you help them navigate through these problems and then the sessions are over. As formal as this process is, the informal affects come after when professionals are guiding by a code of ethics that tells them to keep their distance. In a setting where there is no physical contact, just a professional agreement, the informal is what actually attracts clients to receiving their help via the internet.