6 Benefits of Online Counselling for Time Management

*Collaborative Post

It’s hard to imagine, but there was a time, not too long ago, when the idea of seeking help from any mental healthcare professional was viewed negatively. That began to change over the past two decades as mental health experts, celebrities, and ordinary people began to speak up about the importance of mental healthcare and shared their personal experiences, helping to destigmatise it.

Over the last 4 years, the global psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this process of normalising help-seeking behaviour. Almost all of us experienced stress, anxiety, depression, or personal loss during the pandemic and this led to a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking mental healthcare services for the first time.

The simultaneous restrictions on movement and lockdowns also meant that such interactions had to take place online. This transition benefits both mental health professionals and patients as we’re all faced with the same crisis of time – it’s never enough. Here’s how the best online counselling services can significantly improve time management.

6 Ways Online Counselling Promotes Time Management

1.    Travel Time

Whether you live in a city with easy access to licensed therapists or have to travel far, commuting can significantly interfere with time management, as it often involves unpredictable delays and the stress of navigating through traffic or public transportation.

All of the minutes or hours spent travelling add up, leaving you with less time for relationships, work, and relaxation. With online counselling, this is no longer a problem as you can access mental health support from the comfort of your home.

2.    Flexible Hours

Online counselling can make it much easier to manage time because the hours offered are flexible, allowing you to schedule sessions at your convenience. Unlike in-person sessions that are only conducted during specific business hours, these sessions can be fitted into your daily routine without interfering with other commitments, whether personal or at work.

This improved control over your scheduling means that you can make the most out of your time, fitting sessions into time slots that might otherwise be wasted. This flexibility also helps lower the stress of having to adhere to rigid appointment times.

3.    Shorter Sessions

While some patients do have complex problems and will have longer sessions with therapists, routine sessions don’t necessarily have to last an entire hour or longer. This is a benefit that is not widely recognized, but the shorter duration of sessions can have a very positive influence on time management for patients, also improving the therapist’s ability to deal with more patients.

Sessions that are of a shorter duration can also be easily fitted into busy schedules, allowing for a focused and productive interaction. In fact, some research shows that there is no difference in the efficacy of sessions whether conducted online or offline, but online sessions are generally shorter.

4.    Any-Time Access

Time management is no longer a complex battle when you have any-time access to your therapist. The 24/7 access provided by many online therapy platforms improves not just accessibility, but also gives you the option to seek support at any time, even outside of typical working hours.

This feature of online counselling is particularly helpful for people who travel on business or have shift work, which can otherwise limit their access to therapists.

5.    Reduced Waiting Time

Data shows that more than a quarter of all people living in the United States live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals. This, of course, leads to longer waiting lists to get appointments and increased waiting time at clinics.

Online counselling significantly improves access in such regions, also making time management easier as you can get faster appointments and more immediate access to care. The simplification of booking procedures and documentation with integrated digital solutions also means that there’s less frustrating paperwork to deal with.

6.    Improved Efficiency & Treatment Choices

Although therapists and patients who were used to traditional in-person service delivery showed resistance and reluctance about going online, most were forced to transition during the pandemic.

Since then, there’s been no turning back as therapists can treat more patients, streamline workflows, and use electronic patient records and other relevant information to make swift decisions with greater accuracy. These time-saving benefits also help patients as they can get effective and appropriate help faster, with less need for follow-ups or second opinions. You can explore online therapy services like betterhelp.com to experience its benefits firsthand.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.