Self-Disclosure in Online Counselling

The Concept Of Counselling

Online counselling (also known as e-therapy) is a relatively recent innovation brought about by information and communication technology, involving a one-to-one interaction between a client and an offering a professional counselling service.

A plethora of Internet facilities provide forms of counselling. These include peer support groups for specific problems, message forums, and chat rooms. Peer based on-line discussion and therapy groups have been present on the Internet for over a decade, with some of them mediated by a professional counselor (Gedge, 2002).

Online counseling, according to Gedge (2002), is currently present in three basic forms. First, e-mail question and response—with many sites offering discounts on multiple emails. Second, chat programmes in which an appointment is made and generally paid for before counsellor and client “meet” online, using solely text based exchanges for a specified amount of time. This is evolving into secure Web based messaging. Third, video or audio links in which counsellor and client are visible over a Web based camera (Webcam).