Face to Face Counseling vs. Internet Counseling

When we hear the word "counseling" we automatically think of meeting a counselor in a white sterile office. As service professionals do not hear any information in school or at work about internet counseling. We live in a fast paced environment and people do not have time to go to a traditional session with a therapist. We have conducted sessions using the telephone which is more accepted through "emergency hotline numbers". Technology is becoming more advanced and social services needs to be included in this movement. Of course counseling through the internet comes with debate. What comes to mind: will the insurance companies pay for this form of treatment, will the information be kept confidential, we cannot see how the patient is reacting through body language, will the patient misunderstand what is being said by the therapist without visual cues, or will there be a language barrier. These are controversial topics which deserves more exploration and exposure. There is a research paper called "The Practice of Internet Counseling" written by the National Board for Certified Counselors and Center for Credentialing and Education http://www.nbcc.org/. It's an interesting read about a topic that is practically nonexistant.