The world of counselling has changed dramatically over the past few years. What was once almost exclusively face-to-face work has expanded to include video calls, phone sessions, and even text-based therapy. But with all these options now available, many people are asking: does digital counselling actually work as well as meeting in person?
Having worked with clients across all these different formats during my six years at Relate—in-person at centers, over the phone, and through online sessions—I’ve had a unique opportunity to see how different people respond to different approaches. The short answer? Digital counselling can be incredibly effective, but like any therapeutic approach, it works better for some people and situations than others.
The Research: What the Studies Tell Us
Before diving into my own observations, let’s look at what the research actually says. The evidence for digital counselling’s effectiveness has been building steadily over the years, and it’s more promising than many people realize.
Multiple studies have found that online counselling—particularly video-based sessions—can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy for many common issues. Research published in major psychology journals has shown comparable outcomes for treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and relationship problems through digital platforms.
A comprehensive review of over 90 studies found that clients receiving online therapy showed similar improvement rates to those in traditional in-person sessions. What’s particularly interesting is that client satisfaction rates are often just as high, and sometimes higher, for digital sessions.
The pandemic gave us an unexpected real-world experiment in digital therapy. When therapists and clients worldwide were forced to move online virtually overnight, many were surprised to discover that not only could therapeutic relationships survive the transition, but some actually flourished.
The Benefits: Why Digital Counselling Works
Through my experience working across different modalities, I’ve seen several key advantages that digital counselling offers:
Accessibility is huge. I’ve worked with clients who would never have been able to access counselling otherwise—parents with young children who couldn’t arrange childcare, people in rural areas hours away from the nearest therapist, individuals with mobility issues, and those whose work schedules made traditional appointments impossible. One client told me she’d been putting off counselling for two years because she couldn’t figure out the logistics, but being able to have sessions from her lunch break at work changed everything for her.
Comfort can accelerate progress. There’s something about being in your own space that helps some people open up faster. I’ve had clients tell me they felt more relaxed discussing difficult topics from their own sofa than they would have in an unfamiliar office. One couple I worked with said they felt more comfortable discussing intimate issues in their own home, where they could cuddle up together after a difficult session rather than having to drive home separately.
Consistency matters. Digital sessions can be much easier to maintain consistently. Bad weather, transport strikes, car troubles—none of these need to derail your therapy when you’re meeting online. I’ve had clients who managed to maintain weekly sessions through house moves, business trips, and even hospital stays because we could adapt the format to their circumstances.
The disinhibiting effect is real. Some people find it easier to discuss difficult topics when they’re not making direct eye contact or reading body language. This can be particularly helpful for people dealing with shame, trauma, or social anxiety. The slight distance that technology provides can sometimes create the safety people need to be vulnerable.
Text-Based Therapy: The Written Word as Healing
Text-based therapy—whether through specialized platforms, secure messaging, or even structured email exchanges—is perhaps the most controversial form of digital counselling, but it has some unique advantages that surprise many people.
Time to process: Unlike face-to-face or video sessions where there’s pressure to respond immediately, text therapy allows clients to think carefully about what they want to say and how they want to say it. I’ve seen clients express things in writing that they struggled to say out loud, sometimes achieving breakthroughs that might have taken much longer in verbal therapy.
Built-in record keeping: Clients can go back and reread conversations, which can be incredibly valuable for tracking progress and remembering insights. Many clients tell me they screenshot particularly helpful exchanges to read when they’re struggling.
Different communication strengths: Some people are simply better communicators in writing. I’ve worked with clients who were quiet and hesitant in verbal sessions but became eloquent and insightful in text-based work. For these individuals, text therapy can be more effective than traditional approaches.
Ongoing support: Text-based work can provide a sense of ongoing connection between sessions. Clients can send brief updates or questions, and therapists can provide support without the scheduling challenges of phone calls.
WhatsApp: Bridging the Gap Between Formal and Accessible
One approach I’ve found particularly effective is using WhatsApp for certain aspects of therapeutic support. I know this might sound unusual—after all, WhatsApp is what most of us use to chat with friends and family—but that familiarity is actually part of what makes it so powerful as a therapeutic tool.
Why WhatsApp works well:
The biggest advantage is that virtually everyone already has it and knows how to use it. There’s no new technology to learn, no special apps to download, and no barriers to getting started. I’ve found this particularly helpful with older clients or those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy but still want the flexibility of digital support.
The multimedia aspect is brilliant too. Clients can send voice messages when typing feels too difficult, share photos that relate to what they’re working on, or even send quick video messages. One client dealing with anxiety found it incredibly helpful to send me voice notes during difficult moments—she could express what she was feeling in her own voice, in her own time, without the pressure of a scheduled call.
The informal comfort factor:
There’s something about WhatsApp that feels less clinical than other platforms. Because it’s the same app people use for everyday conversations, it can feel more natural and less intimidating. I’ve had clients tell me they appreciate being able to reach out through a platform that doesn’t constantly remind them they’re “in therapy.”
This can be particularly valuable for ongoing support between sessions. A quick check-in, a photo of a meaningful moment, or a brief update on how they’re coping with something we discussed—these small touchpoints can be incredibly valuable for maintaining momentum in therapeutic work.
Boundaries and structure:
Of course, using a platform like WhatsApp requires very clear boundaries. I’m always upfront with clients about when and how it should be used. It’s not for crisis situations (we have other protocols for that), and it’s not a replacement for proper sessions, but it can be a wonderful supplement to other therapeutic work.
Some clients use it to send brief daily check-ins during difficult periods. Others might share a photo of something that made them smile when we’re working on gratitude and positive experiences. I’ve had clients dealing with social anxiety send me pictures of social situations they’ve managed to navigate, which becomes a lovely record of their progress.
Privacy and professional considerations:
I always discuss privacy thoroughly with clients before we start using WhatsApp. While it’s end-to-end encrypted, we talk about what this means and what the limitations are. Some clients prefer to create a separate WhatsApp account just for our therapeutic communication, which gives them an extra layer of separation between their therapy work and personal life.
The platform also allows for easy documentation—conversations are automatically saved, which can be helpful for tracking progress and referring back to insights or breakthroughs.
Who benefits most from WhatsApp support:
I’ve found this approach works particularly well with:
- Young people who are more comfortable communicating through messaging than formal sessions
- Clients dealing with social anxiety who find traditional phone calls overwhelming
- People working through specific behavioral changes who benefit from regular, brief check-ins
- Those who need ongoing support between sessions but don’t require full appointments
- Clients who are naturally expressive through voice messages or photos
The limitations:
WhatsApp isn’t appropriate for everyone or every situation. Some clients prefer to keep their therapy completely separate from platforms they use in daily life. Others find the informality unhelpful—they need the structure and boundaries of more formal therapeutic spaces.
It’s also not suitable for crisis support or complex therapeutic work that requires real-time, back-and-forth conversation. And of course, some clients simply prefer other forms of communication.
Making it work:
When I do use WhatsApp with clients, we establish clear guidelines from the start. This might include agreed response times, what types of content are appropriate to share, and how it fits into our overall therapeutic framework.
The key is ensuring it enhances rather than replaces other therapeutic work, and that both client and therapist are comfortable with the boundaries and expectations around its use.
The Limitations: Where Digital Falls Short
Of course, digital counselling isn’t perfect, and it’s important to be honest about its limitations.
Non-verbal communication matters: So much of human communication is non-verbal. While video calls capture some body language and facial expressions, phone and text sessions miss this entirely. I’ve definitely had moments where I’ve wished I could see a client’s face to better understand what they were experiencing.
Technical issues are real: Internet connections drop, audio cuts out, text platforms crash. I’ve had sessions interrupted by everything from power outages to children accidentally turning off the wifi. While these issues are usually minor, they can be disruptive at crucial therapeutic moments.
Crisis intervention is more challenging: While digital platforms have protocols for crisis situations, it’s undeniably more complex to support someone through a mental health crisis when you’re not physically present. This doesn’t mean it can’t be done, but it requires additional planning and resources.
Some issues benefit from physical presence: Certain types of therapy work—particularly approaches involving movement, certain trauma therapies, or work with couples where physical space and positioning matter—can be more challenging in digital formats.
Digital divide concerns: Not everyone has reliable internet, a private space for sessions, or comfort with technology. Digital counselling can inadvertently exclude some of the people who most need support.
Who Benefits Most from Digital Counselling?
Through my experience, I’ve noticed certain patterns in who tends to thrive with digital counselling approaches:
People with busy or unpredictable schedules often find digital sessions much more manageable. This includes shift workers, parents, carers, and people who travel frequently for work.
Those dealing with anxiety or social phobia sometimes find the slight distance of digital interaction less overwhelming, allowing them to engage more fully in the therapeutic process.
Individuals in rural or remote areas where specialist counselling services aren’t readily available can access expertise that would otherwise be impossible to reach.
People who are naturally reflective writers often excel in text-based work, sometimes achieving insights more quickly than they might in verbal therapy.
Those dealing with stigmatized issues may feel more comfortable accessing support digitally, where there’s less chance of being seen entering a counselling office.
The Hybrid Approach: Getting the Best of Both Worlds
What I’ve found most effective in my practice is often a combination approach. Many clients benefit from starting with their preferred format and then experimenting with others as their comfort and needs change.
For example, I’ve worked with couples who started with video sessions but found that occasional phone sessions helped them focus purely on listening to each other without the distraction of visual cues. I’ve had individual clients who primarily met face-to-face but appreciated being able to send text updates between sessions during particularly difficult periods.
The flexibility to adapt the format to what’s working best for each client at different stages of their journey is one of the greatest advantages of having multiple modalities available.
Making Digital Counselling Work: Practical Considerations
If you’re considering digital counselling, here are some things I’ve learned help sessions be more effective:
Set up your space thoughtfully. Whether it’s video or phone, having a private, comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted makes a huge difference to the quality of the session.
Test technology beforehand. Nothing disrupts the flow of a session like spending the first ten minutes trying to get the audio to work. Most therapists will do a brief tech check before your first session.
Consider your communication style. If you’re someone who thinks better on paper, text-based work might suit you. If you need immediate feedback and connection, video or phone might be better.
Be patient with the adjustment. Even if you’re tech-savvy, therapeutic conversations through digital mediums can feel different at first. Give it a few sessions before deciding if it’s working for you.
The Professional Perspective: Training and Standards
It’s worth noting that effective digital counselling isn’t just about turning on a camera and hoping for the best. Therapists working digitally need additional training in managing online relationships, understanding how different mediums affect communication, dealing with technical issues, and maintaining appropriate boundaries across digital platforms.
Professional bodies now provide specific guidelines for digital therapy, covering everything from data security to crisis management protocols. As a client, you should expect your digital therapist to be properly trained and working within established professional frameworks.
Looking Forward: The Future of Counselling
The pandemic accelerated changes that were already happening in the counselling world. What we’ve learned is that digital counselling isn’t a poor substitute for “real” therapy—it’s a different approach with its own strengths and applications.
I believe the future of counselling lies not in choosing between digital and in-person work, but in thoughtfully combining different approaches to give each client the best possible support. Some issues might be best addressed face-to-face, others might benefit from the accessibility of video sessions, and still others might be perfectly suited to the reflective space that text-based work provides.
The Bottom Line
Does digital counselling work? The research says yes, and my experience confirms it. But like any therapeutic approach, its effectiveness depends on the match between the client, the therapist, the issue being addressed, and the format being used.
Digital counselling has opened up access to support for thousands of people who couldn’t access traditional therapy. It’s given therapists new tools to support their clients and new ways to maintain therapeutic relationships across distance and circumstance.
If you’re considering counselling but traditional face-to-face sessions don’t work for your situation, don’t let that stop you from seeking support. Digital options might be exactly what you need. And if you’ve tried digital counselling and it didn’t feel right, that doesn’t mean counselling isn’t for you—it might just mean you need a different format.
The most important thing is getting the support you need in a way that works for you. Whether that’s sitting across from someone in an office, chatting over video from your kitchen table, talking on the phone during your lunch break, or typing your thoughts into a secure message, what matters is that you’re taking that step toward the help you deserve.
In my experience, the magic of therapy isn’t really about where or how it happens—it’s about the connection between two people working together toward understanding, healing, and growth. And that can happen wherever you are.