The Benefits Of Online Counseling Chat Services

Are you interested in therapy but not interested in going into a therapist’s office?  If so, you’re not alone. Now, professional advice you would discuss with a counselor can be obtained through an online counseling chat service. With some services, you can talk to a counselor or licensed therapist from the comfort of your own home or anywhere you have an internet connection.

The Advantages Of Online Counseling Chat Services

A large number of qualified therapists are now choosing to work with an online mental health chat platform instead of confining themselves to their offices, which are expensive to maintain and limit the therapist to a certain pool of clients. Some therapists do both traditional counseling in the office as well as online counseling chat sessions. Online counseling increases availability for people who might not otherwise be able to reach out to a therapist. It also offers more flexibility and tends to be just as affordable to most patients as in-person therapy without insurance.

Rather than trying to advertise their services independently, promoting individual websites, setting up safe payment channels, and handling other expensive services needed to offer online therapy, many therapists choose to work through trustworthy websites that handle all of that. Reputable websites also tend to verify that all mental health professionals registered with them are properly licensed and qualified. They also usually help clients find the most suitable available counselor.

Other advantages of online therapy include the fact that you can find qualified therapists specializing in whatever specific mental health concerns you are experiencing, and you don't have to do all the leg work yourself. It can be time-consuming for a person to search for therapists, make calls, and then wait to see if the therapist is a good fit. Instead, when you visit an online therapy service, all you have to do is sign up and join the platform, fill out a questionnaire, identify the best times of the week for your counseling sessions, and then wait to be matched with one of the thousands of available counselors.

With some online counseling chat services, such as BetterHelp, you can change therapists if you find that you and your online therapist are not a good fit. However, it can take time to build a rapport with your online counselor just as it would in a traditional, in-person setting. Every counselor will likely need some time to listen to your concerns and find a treatment plan that works for you. If you find that your needs are not being met, you can let your therapist know what your expectations are. If you still don’t think it’s a good match, BetterHelp allows you to change therapists until you find a good fit. 

What Can Online Therapy Help You With?

There are a lot of benefits of online counseling, most mental health concerns treated in traditional therapy can also be treated in online therapy with a licensed therapist or couselor. These concerns include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Chronic stress
• Personality disorders
• General emotional support
• Relationship counseling

Forms Of Mental Health Online Counseling Services

There are multiple methods of receiving online mental health care if you feel you need to talk to someone about the challenges you're facing. These services tend to have either licensed therapists or volunteers trained to provide support and active listening. Here are three types of online counseling services that you can visit for help and support.

Online therapy platforms: Online therapy platforms have become popular in recent years due to their effectiveness and convenience. Online therapy works just like in-person therapy except that you chat with your licensed therapists through video live sessions or text/online chat rooms. You can find an online licensed therapist for almost any mental health challenge you are experiencing, from chronic anxiety or personality disorders to depression. You can also find relationship counseling and family therapy services through these platforms.

Online peer support groups: If you are looking for free online support, you might consider joining an online peer support group. Online peer support groups are a kind of chat therapy that can help you communicate with people in both your local community and the global community who have similar mental health concerns. You can find specific groups for people experiencing anxiety, stress, depression, or other conditions. This type of free online therapy can be offered through video sessions or chat rooms where people message each other for support and encouragement. While this service is completely free and offers emotional support, peer support does not offer the same level of online counseling as sessions with an experienced licensed therapist.

Mental health hotlines: In situations that only require one session for help and support, some people seek the help of a mental health hotline. With these convenient services, you can call the number and be connected with one of the thousands of trained volunteers listeners available for emotional support. These volunteer active listeners take the time to listen to the concerns of their callers and then provide them with tips and resources that can help them further. Although these hotlines have been traditionally available through phone calls, many now also offer their services discreetly through chat rooms.

However, most of these hotlines are focused on helping people in serious or life-threatening situations, such as those who are feeling suicidal.* , not for talk therapy.* 

*If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988 and support is available 24/7.

Furthermore, many of these hotlines are run by volunteer active listeners and not licensed mental health professionals. However, for some people, this doesn’t matter as they just need the support of someone who listens, or they are looking for other tips and resources that will help them further, which these volunteer can often provide.