Issues and Challenges of Online Counseling Services During Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the quality of counseling services. During the pandemic, e-counseling emerged as a vital and transformative approach to mental health support. With social distancing measures and lockdowns restricting in-person interactions, traditional counseling services faced significant challenges in maintaining accessibility and continuity of care. A significant effect can be seen in counselors' online counseling services through technology. The study aims to investigate the issues and challenges that arise in online counseling services and identify the advantages and disadvantages of these services. A quantitative approach was carried out when a questionnaire was sent to 100 registered counselors across the country, asking two (2) main questions, namely the experience of issues and challenges they experienced in conducting online counseling sessions and their opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of online counseling. These answers are collected and then analyzed with the support of previous studies. The study findings found that confidentiality issues and managing disabled clients are among the main challenges.