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Benefits of Online Counseling

Benefits of Online Counseling

The following article is presented by Marie Miguel

When it comes to your mental health, you must do what is right for you. As the importance of mental health is increasing, it seems that more and more people are considering therapy. Online counseling is rapidly becoming a popular choice for anyone interested in maintaining or improving their mental health.

Who Needs Counseling?

In recent times, more and more people have spoken up about their mental health struggles, and it seems like almost everyone has some type of anxiety or depression disorder. In fact, one in every five people in the United States has a mental health condition. That is almost 45 million people! To be honest, the true number is probably much higher than that, but this number reflects those that have been diagnosed with a mental health illness.

Many people with a mental illness do not seek help, so they do not get diagnosed. Diagnoses include anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), eating disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Why Choose Online Counseling?

So, what makes online counseling so popular? For starters – it’s easy. You can meet with your counselor online with Skype or Facetime, or even just use texting or instant messaging. It does not require an appointment and you can message them at any time, day or night, seven days a week – including holidays. You can reach your counselor from your home, at work, while jogging at the park, or anywhere else you may happen to be. As long as you have an electronic device like your phone or tablet, you can get in touch with your online counselor.

Convenience

You cannot beat the convenience of online counseling no matter how hard you try. It is also perfect for those who have no vehicle or live in a rural area where there is no public transportation. And if you have little ones at home to worry about, daycare is not needed for online counseling. Just do it while they are napping or at soccer practice, or whenever you can get a moment in during your day. If you are using chat or texting, you can be in a room full of kids and still get the counseling you need. (Who knows, you probably need it even more then!)

Cost

Another benefit of online counseling is the cost. Because the counselor does not have so many expenses, they can (and do) pass the savings on to you. Think about the costs that a traditional counselor has to worry about, such as rent or leasing costs for an office, staff salaries to run the office, utilities like phone service, electricity, and water, transportation to and from the office, and the costs of office supplies.

With online counseling, the counselor can “see” as many as 20 patients (or more) in an 8-hour day while a traditional counselor is only able to see 7 or 8 patients in the same time period. The cost for traditional counseling is about $200 per hour on average, while online counseling with a site like BetterHelp is only approximately $35 to $80 per week for unlimited access.

Privacy

Although mental health and counseling are less stigmatized these days, there are those who are still worried about others finding out they are going to counseling. In that case, online counseling is a perfect choice because you can do it in your own home and can even remain anonymous. No names are needed while talking to your counselor unless you want them to know who you are. Think about it, you can be kicked back on the couch or even lying in bed listening to your favorite tunes while you tell your counselor what is going on with you. And we know that music therapy helps as well so that is a bonus. Try it today!

Marie Miguel



Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Tunedly.