Online counselling for free(Guide)

In this brief article, we will be discussing online counselling for free, free online counselling in the UK, and different services that offer free online counselling.

What is free online counselling?

Free online counselling is a kind of counselling that is easily available for everyone.

This kind of counselling can be accessed through video, chat, text or email depending on the nature of the service. 

Online counselling for free is for people who are needing guidance with mental health issues, marriage and family troubles, and relationship problems.

This kind of counselling is making mental health services more accessible to the public.

When you apply to an online counselling chat, you would be accommodated by a mental health professional.

The counsellor who is doing this kind of counselling is licensed to do this counselling for clients who want it online.

Talking with a counsellor is easy once you have access to online counselling.

This kind of counselling is also important since this helps you be more aware of your mental health which is very important. 

You may be wondering how professional would online counselling for free be.

You may also be thinking about how this kind of counselling compares to the traditional form of counselling.

If you’re suffering from several snippets of some mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, free online counselling can help you with these kinds of problems.

Online counsellors made this kind of counselling to give people who are suffering from these kinds of problems the opportunity to be treated with counselling. 

You need to take advantage of this goal of free online counselling and share present turmoils with your online counsellor.

You can also tell them about your day just to release some of the tension and be more willing to open up to the online counsellor.

Free online counselling can be done with a group, individual or couples for relationship counselling.

You can know and learn more about this kind of counselling by searching through the best websites for this counselling such as BetterHelp.

What can online counselling help you with?

Free online counselling can help you with the following mental health and social problems:

• a mental health disorder such as depression, an eating disorder or anxiety
• a distressing physical health disorder such as infertility
• a disturbing life event such as a bereavement, work-related stress or a relationship conflict
• distressing emotions – for instance, low self-esteem or anger
• other psychological concerns such as sexual identity

You can learn more about online counselling by buying this book on this website.

Confidentiality in free online counselling

There are always some clients who worry about their privacy in free online counselling.

Some popular websites that offer this kind of counselling are using encryption devices that can be helpful in keeping your counselling data safe. 

This makes all interactions between the counsellor and the client unreadable to people outside the therapeutic relationship.

Although the administrators of the online counselling will be checking from time to time if there is something amiss in the therapeutic relationship.

Companies and mental health services who are offering free online counselling should follow state laws and ethical considerations regarding the giving of this counselling.

These companies and mental health services should be following the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant where they have to pass each strict security audit.

With this knowledge, you will be reassured that no one else will be getting into your counselling session and provide with the highest standards of confidentiality.

What kinds of free online counselling can I get?

There are several forms of online counselling programs that you can get depending on your preferences which are discussed in the following sections below.

Online self-help platforms

This is like a phone app for you to know what you need to do to enhance your mental health.

These kinds of programs can also provide you with tips that you can do to lessen the occurrence of a mental health problem. 

Online self-help programs are effective for people who have mild to moderate depression or anxiety.

You can learn more about self-help tips that are used by people with anxiety by buying this book on this website.

Online programs without a doctor’s prescription

Some online programs are accessible for everyone at anywhere or anytime.

MoodGym and Living Life are phone apps that can provide you with free online counselling whenever you need it. 

These phone apps can give you an overview of CBT and other psychotherapies for you but if these apps can’t really help, you can always ask your general practitioner.

Online platforms prescribed by your GP

Some online platforms are only available once your general practitioner registers you to these platforms.

You may find yourself utmost support from the counsellor chosen by your general practitioner to you. 

NHS has these kinds of online platforms and you can access their website for information about these platforms.

You can even support yourself in the course of counselling treatment by learning some tips on this book that can be bought on this website.

Talking to a counsellor in an online program

You can get support from a live online counsellor in several websites that provide online counselling services.

These kinds of online programs usually self-referred so you don’t have to ask permission from your general practitioner.

Online counselling services for everyone

There are several websites that offer online counselling services such as Childline.

You only have to drop in and log in on the website and you will be directed to an online counsellor.

Counselling services where you live

Lots of online counselling is paid for by local NHS or local youth mental health services so based on where you are located, you can avail great mental health services such as Kooth, Streetwise, and Big White Wall.

These mental health services will ask you on what you need from a counsellor and they will give the name of the right counsellor for you. 

Some of these mental health services may give a list of counsellors and you can be the judge by reading through the quotes given by the chosen counsellors.

You can find the perfect counsellor for you by knowing the skills of counsellors by buying this book on this website.

Getting private online counselling services 

Private counsellors offer their online counselling through webcam with their clients.

These counselling services are great for clients who are more comfortable in private counsellors. 

You can find private counsellors who are recently offering counselling services on the It’s Good to Talk website.

Free online counselling for children in the ages of 10 to 25 years

Young people in Hertfordshire have the opportunity to get free online counselling services on the Kooth website.

The young client can access this kind of counselling service with his or her Hertfordshire general practitioner and create an avatar to make him or her confidential on this website.

Your online counsellors can help you with several psychological issues that are happening in your life such as family problems, loneliness, eating disorders, bullying, depression, and anxiety.

The counsellors on the Kooth website are accessible until 10 pm for every day in the year. 

Kooth allows young users to record their thoughts that may have affected them psychologically in an online journal.

This website also allows users to take their time in counselling sessions. 

Schools in Hertfordshire have been promoting children to use Kooth for their mental health troubles.

This website has been a huge help for young people who are afraid of opening up about their mental health problems.

You can learn more about how counselling works for children by buying this book here.

The distinguishing features between free online counselling and online therapy

There are many methods of seeking mental health guidance using these several media such as online therapy, counselling both on and offline, traditional therapy, and one-off conversations with loved ones.

Counselling and therapy have been used to refer to that special relationship where the client discloses his or her mental health problems with counsellors or therapists. 

The main distinction of these two mental health services is the licensing of their services and the unlicensed capacity of certain services.

These mental health services also differ in their benefits such as counselling offers a more cordial exchange between a counsellor and a client while therapy follows a standardized procedure of working with the client.

Does free online counselling work for my mental health goals?

Yes, free online counselling can work for your mental health goals and it shows in great reviews from former clients.

You can also learn healthy behaviours that can help you deal with mental health problems better. 

Online counselling for free is accessible daily and you can visit it anytime you want to talk with your online counsellor.

Advantages of talking with an online counsellor

Talking with an online counsellor helps you to know better-coping techniques to overcome difficult problems in your life.

Also, these online counsellors are always strengthening their skills to give the best of what counselling has to offer.

A counsellor’s purpose is not to cure you of your bad behaviours and thoughts.

But they are there to find and work with you on coping techniques that are comfortable for you without forcing you to do it all at once. 

Online counsellors help clients to change their perspectives about certain situations and help them realize how disturbing they’ve decided to do on themselves.

In this case, counsellors are there as mere guides and you will be doing most of the problem-solving that you need to learn to adapt better in life. 

After these counselling sessions, clients might practice regularly the coping strategies that can help them to solve problems clearly.

Also, clients are also taught to have better self-esteem in dealing with obstacles in the future.

What if free online counselling is not showing any benefits?

If free online counselling is not showing any effects on you, you don’t need to fret about this detail.

You should take note that not all types of counselling work for everyone even if the research has backed up the authenticity of the counselling’s effectiveness. 

You can tell your counsellor about your disappointment in your counselling sessions.

This can let the counsellor help you find another counsellor for you in the offline world. 

If he or she can’t find you any counsellor, you can always ask for a referral from your general practitioner.

How to tell if your online counsellor is licensed?

You can tell if your online counsellor is licensed if you see their certifications and make sure that this licensing information is up to date.

Most online companies would check each counsellor’s credibility by checking the number of hours the counsellor had training and their certifications and passing of licensure examinations. 

Some companies would hire online counsellors in a screening process of six months.

This is enough time for them to check the eligibility of the online counsellor such as the checking of requirements stated above.

This is also why most of these credible companies and mental health services only have few online counsellors since they have to check every known detail that makes the online counsellor capable of working with clients with mental health problems.

After all, the online world can do a lot of things to make sure that the counsellor will be bona fide even though he or she was truly fake.

BetterHelp: A Better Alternative

Those who are seeking therapy online may also be interested in BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers plenty of formats of therapy, ranging from live chats, live audio sessions and live video sessions. In addition, unlimited messaging through texting, audio messages and even video messages are available here.

BetterHelp also offers couples therapy and therapy for teenagers in its platform. Furthermore, group sessions can also be found in this platform, covering more than twenty different topics related to mental health and mental illness. The pricing of BetterHelp is also pretty cost-effective, especially considering the fact that the platform offers financial aid to most users.

Conclusion

In this brief article, we will be discussing online counselling for free, free online counselling in the UK, and different services that offer free online counselling.

If you have any questions about online counselling for free, please let us know and the team will answer your queries.

FAQs: Online counseling for free

List of mentions and citations

Betterhelp. Free Online Therapy. What Is It? The Best Free Therapy Counseling Service?.

Healthy Young Minds in Herts. Free online counselling support for 10 to 25 year olds.

NHS. Counselling.

Talkspace. Free Online Therapy: Understanding Therapy vs. Free Counseling.

The Mix. Online counselling.