Pros & Cons of Online & Phone
Counseling/Coaching

Advantages

Accessibility
I’m available to you no matter where you live! In addition, if you travel a lot, you can maintain the consistency and momentum that is important to getting the most value from the counseling/coaching experience.

Convenience
You can wear your fuzzy slippers! No need to make wardrobe choices or fight traffic or bad weather. You work on your issues in the privacy and comfort of your own home. No waiting room magazines. (although my clients LIKE my magazines!)

Excellent Value
Writing your questions and thoughts down can help you to focus on just what you want to say. There is no embarrassment or need for beating around the bush, so you communicate your needs faster. On the other hand, you can get to the point without worrying about the clock ticking or that someone is coming into the office right behind you. You receive concentrated, thoughtful replies from me, rich with information and guidance. No filler!

Process Archive
Many of my clients take notes during our in-person sessions in order to ‘capture’ the valuable insights we share. Working online ensures that you have an easily retrievable transcript. Also, no more searching for the slips of paper on which I’ve written resource recommendations!

Interactive Journaling
I’ve noticed that I write more thoughtfully and in-depth when there is someone on the other end. If you are a journal keeper, online treatment feeds two birds with one seed, you get the cathartic value of writing and a considered, professional reply.

In-depth response
I have time to read your questions and comments in-depth, mull things over, and do whatever research is necessary before getting back to you with a studied, balanced, insightful reply.

Greater Freedom
It may seem counter-intuitive, but studies have shown that some people can actually open up more online than in person. They feel safer and less likely to censor thoughts, which helps them to get to the root of their issues relatively quickly. Consider the possibility that you might feel less inhibited by trying to interpret my facial expression or body language when disclosing delicate issues.

Creative Options
Online, you can share things you might not think to bring to in-person sessions. You can easily share stories, poems, photographs, articles or the urls of sites meaningful to you. This kind of information helps me to know you better.

TimelinessYou can write about your issues when something comes to mind. No need to wait until a scheduled session. No loss of focus or intensity of feeling.

Anonymity
This is an important and delicate issue. You are, of course, more anonymous online. As that old cartoon of the Labrador typing at a computer says, “On the Internet, nobody knows you are a dog.” If, for some reason, you need to be completely anonymous with me, that can be arranged. You may use a screen name and send money orders to my post box before sessions. Hopefully, in time, we can work out whatever issues contribute to your decision to be anonymous. But in the end, I’m more interested in you getting the help you need than in knowing your contact information.

Disadvantages

Missing non-verbal cues If you’ve used email to any degree, you know that there is a greater potential for misunderstanding and offense than with in-person or phone communication. This is because most of the contextual cues of inflection, expression and body language are not there.

Not having the physical presence of a helper means that you need to work a little harder to develop intimacy, trust and to maintain commitment to the work at hand.

Phone counseling/coaching

This option has many of the same benefits and limitations of online work.

The primary differences are that there is more easily analyzed information in vocal tone, volume and inflection on the phone than in writing and phone calls require scheduling that emails do not.

Contra-indications

Online and phone work are not appropriate for anyone who is in crisis, feeling suicidal, (see resources for these situations here [link to get started page at bottom]) or who are not willing or able to put feelings in writing. If I ask how you are in person and you reply, “Fine,” I can challenge you if you seem unhappy or anxious. Online, I will not know.

Fortunately, there are options. I can show you specific tools for sharing our feelings in writing, such as emotional bracketing. It’s a little like creating your own closed-captioning. For instance, when you share a success, I might respond like this: [I’m sitting on the edge of my seat applauding enthusiastically] “Well done!’”

Clinical Diagnosis
is not possible online or on the phone. Without a comprehensive experience of your behavior and affect, I cannot make traditional diagnosis of psychological conditions. This is one of the reasons insurance companies do not currently cover electronic therapy.

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