Benefits of Online Counselling

Benefits of online

Before making a decision about what service will suit you best, it may be helpful to look at some of the disadvantages and advantages of both online counselling and email support.

Live Counselling

Live counselling is available 24/7 from anywhere in Australia.

Some people find it less confronting to access support online rather than face to face, which may make it easier to discuss problems.

As with all electronic communication the absence of normal verbal cues such as a person's tone of voice can create communication problems. When using the online service, if something is unclear or feels odd we recommend you ask your counsellor to explain what they mean. Similarly there may be times when the counsellor will ask you to clarify something they may have misunderstood.

In deciding whether live counselling is for you, consider the advantages and disadvantages of the service. These are outlined below:

Advantages Disadvantages
  • Immediate 24/7 access to a qualified gambling counsellor
  • Can seem time consuming due to slow typing skills
  • A safe place to talk about your gambling concerns
  • You can feel pressured if the counsellors responses are too quick, which allows you no time to take in what was said
  • It can provide a quick response for information seekers
  • Multiple issues are difficult to discuss because of the slower nature of this medium
  • Allows you time and space for reflection, which can enable you to further consider the issue at hand
  • If the connection is not reliable, the Internet may drop out during a counselling session
  • You can be anonymous
  • Geography is not an issue so anybody can access the service from any location in Australia

Email support

Our email support service is a great way to get support if you need some answers to questions. Email support can be used independently or in conjunction with live counselling.

Some people use this service because they want to make changes on their own and just need to check in with someone.

Others find they like to have time to consider their thoughts and write them down when they have time to sit down and reflect on what they want to say.

 

Advantages Disadvantages
  • Writing down your thoughts can help you to understand them better
  • It is not suited to people who need intensive support
  • It is convenient and flexible, allowing you to respond in a time frame that suits you
  • There may be difficulty with determining specific needs as communication is not interactive
  • If you have concerns about the speed of live  counselling; e.g. slow typing skills, you can use email instead
  • A few hours response time may be too long for you to wait
  • If you feel apprehensive about being able to talk online with a counsellor without disruption, email is a good alternative
  • You will have the same counsellor for each of your contacts
  • Geography is not an issue, so anybody can access the service from any location in Australia

 

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