An examination of the similarities and differences in mental health status, working alliance, and social persence between face-to-face and online counseling

This study examined the similarities and differences between online and face-to-face counseling with regard to general mental health, working alliance, and social presence. The research questions focused on possible differences between current online and face-to-face counseling clients, the demographics of current users, and possible relationships between the measures of social presence, working alliance, and mental health. Participants included 50 current counseling clients (37 face-to-face, 13 online) who were recruited through online means. Chi square tests, t-tests for independent means, and Pearson correlations were used to analyze the data. Results indicated a significant difference between the face-to-face and online counseling groups indicating that online users perceived a significantly stronger working alliance on the total measure as well as the Goal subscale. Other results indicated no significant differences between the groups on general mental health or social presence. A significant positive correlation was found between the working alliance measure and the social presence scale within the face-to-face counseling group as well as within the total sample. These results support the contention that a strong working alliance can be developed through online counseling and that the counseling field should continue to develop understanding of online counseling.