Online Counselling Now Available Local to Winnipeg
With the shift online during 2020, many industries and services found themselves re-evaluating client needs, best practices, and essential worker safety. The mental health was no different. In fact, the need for accessible and affordable mental health only increased during the past year. Online companies spang up with many using non-licensed, inexperienced, and often transitioning individuals to facilitate therapy.
While not the right solution for everyone, online therapy or telehealth, is now becoming one of the top ways to seek mental health services. If you’re in the Winnipeg area and the idea of counselling in your own space sounds appealing, we’re excited to announce a perfect merge of the two. My Winnipeg Therapist will now be conducting both in person and online sessions moving forward to provide both accessible but also experienced, licensed mental health services to the Winnipeg area. Our counsellors are trained, accessible, and best of all committed to continuing your mental health journey with you.
What are the advantages of online counselling?
- Online Counselling Is More Accessible
Online counselling will be a viable option even after the pandemic. Not only is it more accessible for those who live in rural areas, but it’s accessible for those who may be disabled and unable to get in-person counselling. Reaching out to a therapist can be as simple as sending a text or an email.
- Web Counselling Is Convenient For Busy People
Let’s say you’re someone who is always on the go or you have a full house to take care of. You don’t have much time at all, let alone time to go and spend an hour or more with a counsellor – especially if one is far away. Online counselling has been effective among couples with differing schedules, those with a busy work day, and those on shift work.
- Web Counselling Is An Affordable Option
In many cases, web counselling has been shown to be a more affordable option for people looking for therapy services. Unlike a cold or the flu, mental illnesses – like anxiety or depression – and couple’s therapy can take time. There is no set session time, and while many choose to meet with their therapist on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, this can get costly.
Online counselling may allow (as your therapy or treatment plan progresses) to move away from more expensive weekly in-person sessions to regular, but less frequent check-in intervals. Removing the time spent to and from therapy, and the exchange between sessions can make it more efficient for both therapists and clients.
What Are The Disadvantages?
With anything, there are always disadvantages. Here are a few disadvantages of online counselling:
- You lose nonverbal cues. When you’re in person with a counselor, they can tell how you are feeling by reading your body language. This is not something that can be done with web counselling.
- You have to have a counselor who is licensed in your province or territory – crossing provincial borders for a web counsellor can be illegal.
- You may not know someone’s full list or credentials, nor their validity sometimes with online counselling.
It’s important to establish trust and a strong relationship with your online therapist. Having someone local can help foster that relationship. At My Winnipeg Therapist, we have experienced and knowledgeable therapists who can fit your needs and provide the best in both in-person and online counselling available.
