In 2018 - 2019, Childline helped over 250,000 children and young people in the UK online! That's over a quarter of a million young folks who voluntarily reached for their phones to talk over text or phone-call to a volunteer! Kids need the online service. They want to the service. And being online doesn't stop them from talking.
In fact, it's arguable that being online is a major factor why so many young people contacted Childline. It's confidential, accessible and very very handy. But not only these great things, being online in general naturally has a certain level of anonymity, which, while definitely bringing with it a whole host of problems(!), certainly works in favour of counselling.
Out of the more than 250,000 young people who contacted Childline in 2018 - 2019, over 34,000 told the Childline volunteer they spoke to that they were the first person they had talked to about their problem. The fact they did not know the listener on the phone and would never see or meet them in real life meant children felt able to open up and get their concerns off their chest.
And we know that the concerns young people face are huge! Common topics and experiences young people contact Childline about include feeling uncomfortable receiving attention or gifts, feeling lonely or unhappy, being persuaded to share sexual images online, being threatened and - the one that pains me in a unique way - not knowing where to go for support or being too scared to ask for help!
Young people and children in general are online and are comfortable talking and offloading to a trusted person online (like Childline volunteer or a proper counsellor).
Being online doesn't stop children connecting with their therapist.
Why would it?
Young people today all around the world spend a lot of time online. Almost 9 in 10 children aged 10 to 15 years said they went online every day according to the England and Wales Census (year ending March 2020). Children use the internet for everything - from watching videos online to messaging to studying or doing homework to socialising and more. The 'and more' entails the ugly, the bad as well as the good. But the point is -
Children and young people are used to being online.
I understand a reason for needing therapy may be because of something that occurred online. Understandably, being online may be a trigger and may make working therapeutically online more of a challenge than being in person. And that's fine. Help is available in person. But note - since life is progressively moving online, being online with a secure, professional who cares and respects your child, may be just the way for them to work through what it is that happened online and learn that not everyone or everything online is dangerous or threatening.
This brings me onto my first point - online THERAPY is safe.
I stress 'therapy' because I don't believe being online in general is necessarily safe. Of course not. Therapy - however - is something else. It's not general internet territory, where young people are fighting through the trenches. It's a meaningful supportive relationship with a caring professional that is boundaried.
Not only is your child going to be in good hands with a counsellor online, the way in which they meet is secure too. Therapists should only use GDPR approved video conferencing technologies like Google Meet and Zoom. These platforms regularly undergo independent audits of their security, privacy, and compliance controls to ensure one's safety, so rest assured there is little chance of worms wriggling their way into your child's session. If you are looking for online therapy, both for yourself or for your child, always make sure your therapist uses technologies that are independently verified for security and privacy, like Zoom.
You make be asking, but does online therapy actually help?
What can I say besides noting that if a person were not ready or willing to be in therapy, then no - online therapy will not help. And nor will face-to-face therapy.
When a person is ready and willing, online therapy does help. And it can be as effective as face-to-face therapy. Numerous studies have found that online treatment is just as effective as face-to-face treatment for depression, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder. The list can continue. The effectiveness of therapy in general, which - of course - developed face-to-face, is not compromised online.
In fact, there may be unique benefits being online
Online therapy can provide services for children who otherwise would not be able to see a professional. Through online therapy, children and teenagers can get the help they need from qualified professionals without any hassles.
Online therapy means you and your child don’t have to travel anywhere to get the help you need, which not only saves time and money but also removes the stress of travelling and or issues regarding mobility. Especially if there are struggles present which make it difficult to leave the house or if you live in a remote area - being online can be the only option.
Adding to this point, online therapy helps to relieve any worries that someone will see or hear your child travel to or from the therapist's centre. Not needing to travel means you and your child don’t have to worry about being followed from a therapy centre (yes, it's happened) or, less sinister, bumping into someone you/your child knows in a waiting room. Online sessions mean you and your child have the peace of mind that you have complete privacy, without risks or hassles of travelling when you feel vulnerable.
Even if there are no risks or challenges of traveling with your child to therapy or if you child is confident and able to travel on their own, working online therapy means they can get support in the place they feel comfortable and at ease. This is a huge deal! Therapy is hard enough that some children and young people may want to bolt - we want them to be able to sit in their bedroom with their favourite teddybear or gadgets, in comfortable clothes feeling as relaxed as can be. Frankly - whatever appropriate means to make a person feel comfortable and secure in therapy is what is necessary.
Overall, being online is private, safe, comfortable and convenient. Your child will most likely be competent, if not more competent, working online than in person. The 250,000 plus children and young people who reach out for help online prove that it suits them.
Written by Lily Llewellyn
9th January 2023
Lily is a psychotherapist trained and educated in person-centred counselling to master's level and achieved an MA in anthropology. Her areas of interest include our relationships with ourselves and others as well as the ways in which we relate to objects, such as food and money, and activities, such as shopping and work.
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