
Professional counselors are licensed mental health therapists who provide assessment, diagnosis, and counseling to people facing a variety of life stresses and psychological problems.
They help people with relationship issues, family problems, job stress, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, and many other challenging problems that can impact feelings of well-being and happiness.
Characteristics of Profesional Counselors:
1. Communication Skills
Effective counselors should have excellent communication skills. Counselors need to have the ability to listen and be able to clearly explain their ideas and thoughts to others.
2. Acceptance
Professional counselors must be able to relate to clients with an open, nonjudgmental attitude. Counselors need to be able to convey acceptance to their clients with warmth and understanding.
3. Empathy
Counselors must be able to display empathy. It is the ability to feel what another person is feeling. Compassion and empathy help the clients feel understood and heard.
4. Problem-Solving Skills
Counselors must have excellent problem-solving skills. They must be able to help their clients identify and make changes to negative thought patterns and other harmful behaviors that might be contributing to their issues.
5. Develop Strong Relationship
Counselors must be able to develop strong relationships. They must be able to cultivate trust. Counselors need to be able to focus on what their clients are saying.
6. Flexibility
Professional counselors have the ability to adapt and change the way they respond to meet the clients’ needs.
7. Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the ability to look within and identify your own unmet psychological needs and desires. This ability prevents the issues from affecting or conflicting with those of the clients.
8. Multicultural Competency
Counselors must display multicultural competency and adopt a multicultural worldview. It means that counselors try to relate to and understand their clients regardless of their race, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs or socioeconomic background.

Why Online Counseling?


Does Online Counseling Actually Work?
Through online counseling, you can get a trusted counselor to moan and groan. You can get input to address your problems. Express your feeling is important to stay mentally healthy. Read more “20 Ways to Stay Mentally Healthy” here.

Cons
No interaction occurs directly. This condition limits the counselor to understand the counselee’s body language which is a part of his/her feeling expression.
Have you ever done online counseling? What do you like and dislike from online counseling? What is your opinion about online counseling? Please write your comment and I will be more than happy to reply to your comment.
Please share this article if you find it useful for others. Sharing is caring.
Hi Melani and thank you for sharing this helpful information about online counselling. When watching the video posted on your page, the speaker mentions that online counselling is appropriate for most mental health problems. I was wondering what one or two examples would be of mental health problems that are not suitable for online counselling? I would imagine things like anxiety and depression would be common issues to receive help online, but I’m wondering: are they the less common mental issues in general and would they require a type of specializaed counselor? Thanks so much! Kevin
Hi, Kevin.
Online counseling is beneficial for BASIC mental health issues. It is not appropriate for serious mental problems such as bipolar disorder (the patients experiencing suicidal thoughts). Since online therapists are distant from the client, it is difficult to respond quickly and effectively when a crisis happens. If a client is experiencing suicidal thoughts or has suffered a personal tragedy, it can be difficult or even impossible for the therapist to provide direct assistance.
E-therapy can be useful for a variety of situations, but not when it comes to more serious psychiatric illnesses that require close and direct treatment. It is also not appropriate for people with complicated problems.
Thank you for this fantastic article on 3 tips to get the most of our online counselling.Online counselling has many benefits than face to face counselling in many ways.
When I first talked to my online counselor I was free and I told her anything about my problems because I knew I will not meet her face to face but with a physical one I could hide some due to many reasons.
Hi, Julienne. Thank you for sharing your experience in doing the online counseling.
Mental health and wellness is perhaps the biggest first step to becoming successful. It’s always good to have an outlet and someone to talk to. Thank you so much for providing your readers with an option that doesn’t require all the hassle of tracking someone down in your local area, finding a counselor that you trust, and then having to have face to face personal contact with someone.
I know many people in today’s modern age can be uncomfortable with speaking with anyone in the first place. This is a huge step in the right direction. Offering this type of service via smartphone really cannot be beat.
I know I personally live in a high traffic area, and I work long hours. Finding the time to go out of my way to get into an office visit is always a nightmare. Sometimes it’s good to be able to chat via web/smartphone and it actually is much more relaxing in my opinion because you can be in your own safe space at home.
I like that this also removes the awkwardness between you and friends. You don’t have to sneak away if you want to keep the fact that you need someone to talk to under wraps.
Thanks for helping us to understand that this option is available! It’s very appreciated and will most certainly be utilized.
Hi, Dalton. You are right. It is a good option for introvert people live in big cities. Thank you for your comprehensive and supporting comment.
Before reading this article I had no clue that Online counselling has these many benefits. This article explained it very well why online counselling is useful, essential and what are the benefits of online counselling.
You had a very reasonable points to support the case about online counselling. Thank you so much for sharing this article.
Hi, Sujandar. Thank you for your encouraging comment.