With the advent of technology in all aspects of life, online counselling is becoming an increasingly popular option among other online tools that help battle mental health issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety for all age-groups. Takalam Online Counselling, as one of the leading mental health platforms in United Arab Emirates, offers one of the best online counseling for depression, one of the best online counselling for anxiety and one of the best online counselling for stress and other mental health issues.

Online counselling has proven to help individuals overcome several challenges and inhibitions that might arise when it comes to in-person counselling. When it comes to convenience, scheduling, privacy, cost-effectiveness, and choice of counsellor - online counselling has a range of benefits and advantages to offer.

Convenience

Imagine this: you are driving to complete one errand from another in all directions of town, just to be able to make it in time for your in-person counselling appointment. You are on your way, when you realize that there is a massive traffic jam blocking one of the main roads and keeping you from being able to reach your counselling appointment. What will you do next? Curse the day you decided to set up a counselling appointment and just wish your mental health issues away? Not on our watch! Online counselling offers a great way to get therapy at your own convenience and through the comfort of your home or wherever else you prefer. You simply need to login and begin, which merely requires an electronic mobile device and a good internet connection. Therefore, no more traffic jams, long cumbersome drives or panics about missing your counselling sessions – because online counselling sessions can go wherever you can and whenever you want.

Scheduling

Now imagine this: you have spent the whole day anxiously working in a tiresome office cubicle. You realize that 

your work or for that matter nothing has recently been making you feel happy, and you are constantly demotivated and jittery. You feel the need to talk to a counsellor and think that you cannot wait another minute before seeking help. However, it is quite late to book any appointments with in-person therapists for the day and even if you got an appointment for the next day, it would be during your work hours, and you will not be able to attend.

Should you feel defeated and give up on the idea of being able to battle your mental health issues just because of the inconvenience of being able to schedule an appointment at your choice of time? Not at all! In fact, convenience of scheduling appointments is one of the primary advantages of opting for online counselling. The idea is simple: mental health practitioners mark their availabilities for clients to choose from, and voila, you have booked a session to attend at a time of your choice and comfort.

Privacy

Therapy is not easy for everyone, especially due to the rampant stigmatization and the large number of stereotypes associated with mental health. Some even question the overall effectiveness of psychological counselling and others argue that mental health is not real at all. In all these cases of denial and ignorance, one thing is common that they make life difficult for those who muster the courage to face their mental health issues and fight them out using online counselling. This is where the question of privacy comes in.

How much privacy can an online counselling platform possibly offer? And the answer is as much as the client would like! Privacy and confidentiality are two crucial and main fundamentals of all forms of therapy and counselling. However, where in-person counselling fails at some aspects, online counselling succeeds with flying colors, specifically in terms of remaining anonymous and unseen. Research on this topic conducted by Stoll et. al. conclude, “Because online psychotherapy can be provided anonymously and one is not seen entering the therapist's office […], it can enhance the patient's sense of anonymity and privacy […]. Perceived or actual anonymity may lead in turn to reduced inhibition and greater openness in discussing emotional topics […]” (Stoll et. al., 2020). Takalam Online Counselling offers the option for clients to remain both anonymous and facially invisible if they choose to not use the video chat feature. What more can one ask for in terms of privacy?

Cost-effectiveness

Let us begin by taking a look at what some research papers suggest. Research by Aspvall et. al. write, “In this economic evaluation of a randomized clinical trial including 152 children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy followed by face-to-face treatment for non-responders was associated with reduced costs compared with traditional in-person cognitive behavioral therapy alone, without impairing effectiveness […] This study suggests that a stepped-care model of cognitive behavioral therapy delivery may be cost-effective for young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder” (Aspvall et. al., 2021). This shows that online therapy has the potential to and can be much more cost-effective than in-person therapy. Online counselling can offer the chance for mental health treatment to become not only more convenient, flexible and customized, but also much more cost-effective and affordable. The increasing affordability of online counselling is a good sign because it may prompt those individuals to get mental health treatment who had been evading it just due to hefty costs.

Choice of Counsellor

The website for Strength Counselling Services shows, “Online counselling [does not] restrict you to your geographical area. You can choose from licensed and registered therapists all across your province, country or even internationally. Furthermore, e-counselling enables you to find a therapist who fits your needs and has expertise on your particular issue. No counsellor is an expert on every problem, so finding the right one is very important. In addition, continual support from the therapist is one of the major advantages of online counselling. E-counselling allows you to text or chat with your therapist whenever you need support. This is, for example, a huge benefit for people who need frequent care while coping with the symptoms of severe anxiety or depression (Strength Counselling Services, 2018). Takalam Online Counselling connects you with mental health practitioners with a varied range of focus areas, languages spoken, nationalities, gender and backgrounds. Through Takalam Online Counselling, you will have access to a one-stop shop of all your personal mental health needs. You can seek help from the counsellor of your choice and explore and interact with other counsellors to see who seems like the right fit for you.

Don’t just take our word for it, try it for yourself

If you are someone who has already tried in-person therapy and found it too daunting to show you any results or if you are someone who has never ventured into any form of counselling and would like to make a start, then online counselling is the thing for you. Online counselling is a safe way to seek help and try to improve your mental health during appointment times that suit both you and your counsellor. If you feel like online counselling might be the method for you or just want to give it a try and see if it helps, you can book in a session with trained professionals through Takalam Online Counselling at: https://takalamhere.com