A Study of Mental Health Counselors’ Use of and Perspectives on Distance Counseling

Using a survey measuring 21 factors proposed in recent literature to be advantages or disadvantages of distance counseling, with a sample of 854 mental health professionals, we investigated perceptions and use of counseling by telephone, e-mail, text chat, and videoconference. Most participants reported using distance counseling in some form, but they perceived more disadvantages than advantages. Recommendations are provided for professionals considering the practice of distance counseling.