Does Online Counselling Actually Work? (An Honest Look)

It is a fair question, and a common one: can talking to someone through a screen really do what sitting in a room together does? The short answer is a reassuring yes, for most people and most things. The slightly longer answer is worth two minutes of your time.

In short: for most common issues, such as anxiety, low mood and stress, online counselling is about as effective as seeing someone in person. It suits most people, though in-person therapy can be the better fit if you have no private space, are in crisis, or simply prefer a room.

Key takeaways

• For most common issues, online counselling is about as effective as meeting in person.
• It suits people with few local therapists, caring or shift commitments, or who find leaving home hard.
• In person may suit better if you lack a private space, are in crisis, or prefer being in the room.
• On Gototherapy UK, online therapists pass the same four checks as everyone else.

Does online counselling work? What the evidence says

For the great majority of common difficulties, such as anxiety, low mood and stress, the research consistently finds that online counselling is about as effective as meeting in person. The relationship between you and your therapist, which is the part that does most of the heavy lifting, travels down a video call perfectly well. The NHS now delivers a large share of its own talking therapies remotely for exactly this reason.

On Gototherapy UK, a therapist working online has had the very same four checks, registration, insurance, supervision and identity, as one working in a room. The room changes; the checks do not.

Who online counselling suits beautifully

• People with few therapists nearby, or where the right one is an hour’s drive away.
• Anyone juggling caring responsibilities or shift patterns that make a fixed weekly trip impossible.
• People who find leaving the house hard, which is so often the very thing therapy is there to help with.
• Those who simply open up more easily from their own sofa, mug of tea in hand, than in an unfamiliar waiting room.

You choose a therapist in the same way, read the same four questions, and see the same list of what was checked. The only real difference is where you sit.

When in person might suit you better

Online is not automatically right for everyone, and it is worth being honest about that. If you do not have a private space where you will not be overheard, if you are in crisis or need urgent face-to-face support, or if you simply know you connect better in the same room, in-person therapy may serve you best. Some specialist work can also be a matter of personal preference. A good therapist will talk this through with you rather than nudging you one way or the other, and the charity Mind has a balanced overview if you want to weigh it up.

Getting the most from a session on screen

A little setup goes a long way. Find a private room where you will not be interrupted, pop headphones in if you share a wall, and give your connection a quick test beforehand so the first five minutes are not spent saying “can you hear me now?”. A glass of water and a box of tissues within reach never hurts either. As an example, the online practice Talking Counselling works entirely this way across the UK, which shows just how established remote therapy has become.

New to all this? Our Stories on what a first session is actually like and how much therapy costs in the UK are each worth a couple of minutes before you start.

Find a verified therapist who works online. Filter any search to online only and see verified UK therapists who work by video or phone, with the same four checks and the same badge as everyone else: therapists who work online, or read how it works first.

Frequently asked questions

Is online therapy as effective as in person?

For most common issues, the evidence says yes. The working relationship, which matters most, carries over a screen well. Personal preference still counts, and some people simply prefer a room.

What do I need for online counselling?

A private space, a reasonable internet connection, and a device with a camera or phone. Headphones help if you share walls. That really is about it.

Are online therapists checked in the same way?

Yes. On Gototherapy UK, an online therapist has had the same registration, insurance, supervision and identity checks as anyone working in person, printed on the profile and rechecked every year.