Everything You Need to Know to Get Started With Online Counselling

Posted December 29, 2020 by Alison Wragg

Alison Wragg

Alison Wragg

Founder - Director - Organisational Consultant, Individual/Couple Therapist & Certified MBTI Practitioner

Co-founder and lead Consultant for our Corporate and Consultancy services. Specialist knowledge in cultivating relational intelligence with individuals and couples and in challenging workplace dynamics, leadership and executive coaching and organisational consultancy.

An experienced integrative therapist, couple and marriage counsellor, organisational development consultant, trainer, visiting lecturer and facilitator.

Offering Online Counselling and in person.

Alison Wragg can help with...

If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, loneliness, or other hardships, online counselling could provide the best solution. Whether you’re looking for individual help or you seek to improve your relationship, online counselling provides a flexible and efficient alternative to in-person counselling.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards online services, including online counselling. And with good reason – a recent study has named online counselling as the best way to offer counselling services during the Covid-19 outbreak. Internet searches for online counselling have increased by 124%.

AdobeStock 335919900
We use the Zoom video conferencing platform secure confidentiality from the comfort of your own home.

The demand for online counselling has increased significantly this year. And the benefits have become apparent. So if you’re considering counselling and you’re curious to know what doing it online would entail – here’s everything you need to know.

Who is it for?

Online counselling is for everyone. It works for individuals, it works for couples, and it works for people of any age. It’s a very simple process that doesn’t radically differ from in-person counselling. The main difference is that the process is more flexible.

It’s perfect if you’re managing multiple responsibilities and you have a busy lifestyle. If you don’t have much time, you don’t live near a centre, or you’re ill, for example, you can still be proactive about your mental health from the comfort of your own home.

AdobeStock 170532964
Online Counselling is for everyone.

How does it work?

If you’ve ever used a video conferencing service like Zoom, Skype, or Google Meets, you’ll be able to understand the setup in no time. All you need is an internet connection and a computer with a working microphone and camera.

Beginning with Online Counselling

Once you arrange a session with your counsellor at Leone Centre, you will receive a link via e-mail. On the date and time of your appointment, all you need to do is check your Inbox for the e-mail and click on the link, which will take you straight to the call with your therapist.

Make sure your microphone isn’t on mute, and you’re good to go. Although it may feel a little uncomfortable at first, turning your camera on could actually help make you feel more comfortable throughout the session. It helps to maintain the personal connection between yourself and the therapist, which you would benefit from during an in-person session and helps the conversation feel more natural.   

Benefits of Online Counselling in the UK

You save time and money.

You probably don’t live down the street from your closest counselling centre. And with all the other commitments and responsibilities you have in your life, spending your valuable time and money to attend a counselling therapy session might be inconvenient.

Online counselling solves this issue. You can join the call from your own home without the need to spend your precious time and money on travelling.

You might feel more comfortable in your own home.

A lot of people find the prospect of sitting in a room with a counsellor a little daunting. It might make you tense and shy, and you might be more reluctant to share everything that’s on your mind. Knowing that you’re in the safety of your own home can help you open up and make the most out of each session.

Remember that the more open and honest you are about your thoughts and your emotions, the more you’ll gain from the counselling session. So if you’re someone who struggles to share their feelings face-to-face, online counselling could be a perfect fit.

Likewise, if you’re someone who’s spent all day at work or on the go and you simply want to relax in the comfort of your own home, this is a great option too!

You don’t have to spend time away from your family

This is a big benefit, especially if you’re a parent with young children. With online counselling, you won’t need to spend time and energy finding a babysitter or asking a friend or family member to look after them. You can leave your children sleeping or playing safely and join the session in the room next door.

It provides more flexibility for couples

A great benefit of online counselling is the opportunity for couples to attend the session from different rooms or in different locations altogether.

If the situation is particularly tense and the conversation is likely to become heated, it may be more productive to attend the session from different rooms, locations or computers.

Online Counselling for Couples In UK
Couples Counselling Online

With each of you feeling comfortable and safe in your own space, you’re both likely to gain from a more productive session.

It’s great if you prefer the privacy of attending online.

A lot of people prefer to keep their therapy sessions private. You might not want friends, family, colleagues, or your boss to know that you’re attending counselling sessions, and you might be worried that someone could see you at the centre. With online counselling, this risk disappears! It’s completely private – there’s no way that anyone could find out; you’re in safe hands.

Where you can find online counselling

At Leone Centre, we provide a range of counselling services, including high-quality couples counselling, marriage counselling, and online relationship counselling. But perhaps most importantly, we know that in order to bring the best version of yourself into any relationship, you also need to nurture the relationship that you have with yourself.

That’s why we also offer a range of services to help you do just that. We guide you through everything from stress management to addiction therapy, managing your anxiety, and bereavement, giving you the tools you need to boost your self-esteem and become the best version of ‘you’.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Talk with a Leone Centre Professional

If you do feel like you need some help and support, our Leone Centre professionals are available 7 days a week. Call us on 020 3930 1007. We can also provide fast track therapy.

We can offer in-person counselling in London appointments at our head office in Fulham and our offices in Kensington, Wimbledon and Belgravia, We also service Victoria, Putney, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, and City of London.

In addition, we offer Online Therapy appointments wherever in the world you are located, should this better fit around your existing commitments or if you are not able to attend an in-person appointment.