Three Reasons Online Counseling Might be Better for Your Child

There’s never been a better time to try online counseling. It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic and quarantine are harming the nation’s mental health. Just take a look in the news and you’re sure to find a new headline about the mental wellness of children and parents:

With schools closed, more people are turning to online counseling to get extra support for the children. While it may be a new concept for some, online counseling has been around for many years. In fact, there is plenty of research that shows that online therapy can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy.

Still, starting online therapy can be an intimidating experience for children and families. Parents (and kids!) still have a lot of questions:

What does an online counseling session look like? What will my child be doing with her therapist? Will my child really be able to make a connection with a therapist over video? Do you really think my kid can sit still and talk to a stranger on a screen for more than 5 minutes?!?

These are all valid concerns that I also shared when I first started providing online counseling in 2014. At the time, I was one of the biggest skeptics of online counseling. After I started working with kids online, it didn’t take long for me to have a simple realization:

The children were still making progress. We were developing the same therapeutic relationships and doing the same work together — the main difference was the delivery method.

My clients were still receiving evidenced-based treatments from a live, licensed therapist. The work was the same, the treatment was the same, and the children were usually more engaged during sessions. The biggest difference was that we were simply meeting virtually through a secure web-based platform instead of in person.

With all of that said, I will also be the first person to say that online counseling is not the best option for every child or every family. If you’re not sure if online counseling is right for your child, we encourage you to talk to your child’s health care provider. You can also contact us at Joven Health to schedule a free consultation with our Care Coordination Team.

Advantages of Online Counseling

There are many reasons why children and parents prefer online counseling over face-to-face counseling. Here are three reasons advantages of online counseling:

1. It’s Easier to Open Up

It’s hard to share private details about yourself with someone you just met. Online counseling allows children to remain in the safety and comfort of their own home, rather than an unfamiliar clinic or doctor’s office. Since they feel safer, they’re more they share with the counselor and the better progress they make.

2. Kids Are Used To Connecting Over Technology

Most kids today are surrounded by technology from the moment they’re born, so technology is an everyday part of life for them. Many kids have become very comfortable communicating over technology rather than in person. Whether we adults like it or not, kids are used to video calls with their grandparents, messaging their friends during class, and talking to each other on the phone.

Ongoing and future advancements in telehealth technologies promise to make online therapy sessions even more interactive and engaging for kids.

3. Support for Parents

As much as I’d like to have counseling superpowers, I was never able to magically heal a child during a 30-60 minute session in my office. The real work happens at home, with your family, and during your real life. Strong communication between you and your counselor is increasingly more important and with online counseling, you can get the support faster.

Parents are able to communicate with their child’s counselor throughout the week and get help when they need it most. Schedule a therapy session online and connect with your therapist on your phone, tablet, or computer.

See How It Works

Counseling, whether online or in-person, is most effective when treatment is individualized. Remember that online sessions will look different for each child and family. These are examples of what an online counseling session might look like.

Hope this article helped you learn more about what online counseling is and what it might look like for your child. If you have any questions, please send us a message or email me at [email protected].