Seeking Online Counseling? Ensure Your Counselor is Licensed

Online counseling can be very convenient. Also known as mental health teletherapy, online counseling provides services in the comfort of a client’s own environment. These services provide the benefits of saved time, protection for vulnerable immune systems, and more. When seeking out online counseling, it is important to verify that the provider is licensed to provide therapy in the state of the client’s residence. This is important for the safety and security of both the client and the professional. It also increase likelihood of therapy success.

Types of professionals licensed to provide mental health services include counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, and psychologists. Each of these professionals must hold a valid license to practice. This goes for both in person and online services. Most states require that a professional hold a license in their state to see clients from that state, whether the professional lives in that state (ZenCare, n.d). This is important for a client to know when seeking out services. If the client plans to travel regularly between states (such as in the case of a dual residence), the client may find it valuable to find a counselor licensed in both states. While professionals are advocating for cross-state licensure, it currently does not exist (Ritter, 2023). More and more counselors are becoming licensed in multiple states to provide client care, however.

Why is it important to see a licensed professional for mental health counseling? Licensure ensures that individuals have the level of education necessary to provide services (Our Lady of the Lake University, 2021). Licensure also holds professionals to certain ethical, regulatory, and legal standards (American Counseling Association, n.d.). These standards exist to promote good client care and to help protect professionals so that they practice from a place of safety and security. Clients and professional safety is important for therapeutic growth.

There are certainly a variety of services offered remotely these days. Sometimes licensure is important. Sometimes it is not. Mental health teletherapy is an area where licensure does matter, and should be an important factor for consideration when choosing a counselor.