Counselling has changed from taking place in a quiet room with a means of comforting to happening online, where you can turn on your mic and rely on your connection. Getting online counselling, also known as teletherapy, is helping many with its ease of access, convenience and flexibility. What is true for digital banking and online shopping is also true for counselling: it brings up privacy concerns.
Think about telling everything you feel to someone you’ve never met, via a webcam, and then you start to think about who might be eavesdropping. Where does the data end up? Could someone break into my mind and change my thoughts? These questions aren’t just about being fearful; they’re due to true, important concerns in the age of data. They are completely valid feelings.
In this article, we’ll jump into online therapy and focus on the privacy issues as well as how we can deal with them.
The Digital Couch: It’s Convenient but…
Counselling online is as easy as wanting comfort food, and you get it without having to go out. Those who live far from stores, have trouble moving or struggle with anxiety or time, will find this game changing.
When food safety rules aren’t being followed in your kitchen, how do you feel? Likewise, how therapy takes place online affects things just as much as what’s being said during the session.
Protecting your privacy involves considering who may look at your information, now or in the future, either by accident or on purpose.
Top Privacy Concerns in Online Therapy
1. The arrival of data breaches has turned into a nightmare for the digital world.
Mental health websites and apps can experience breaches in just the same way email companies and banks do. A security threat in a therapy app or platform might disclose very personal facts like your condition, notes from therapy and background history.
A real-life incident happened in 2020 when an attack on Vastaamo led to the exposure of patients’ therapy records. People received emails threatening to reveal their private details if they didn’t pay the ransom. The situation ruined trust in healthcare and caused stress and distress for those who were already weak.
What we see here is that having someone’s information accessed is only partly the risk; the key danger and loss are often trust and safety.
2. Is Your Security in the Cloud Really Secure?
It is dangerous for therapists to keep notes on the cloud if those services are not protected by encryption or HIPAA rules. Cloud computing may seem like a soft term, but behind the scenes it’s a network of secure servers.
Ask the question: Are my records kept in a certain location? What groups of people gain access to them?
If the therapist doesn’t use encrypted and private platforms, your emotional conversations could be seen by those you did not intend.
3. There are unsecured networks and devices that we use.
If you join a therapy session using public Wi-Fi or a shared computer at home, there’s a risk that others will hear your conversation. If your network is not safe and your devices are left open, your personal information is exposed.
Experts also need to be sure that their devices are kept up to date and secure. Therapy sessions are in danger when the online therapist does not have antivirus software, no firewalls or updated software on their personal laptop.
4. Eavesdropping at Home
There are other types of privacy threats apart from digital threats. Home-based online therapy can lead to a unique problem, the presence of uninvited people listening in. If you are sharing a space with partners, roommates or kids, they could accidentally learn about your finances.
Imagine that a client shares about their trauma from childhood, but they stop, because their partner can hear them in the next room. Therapy’s most important quality, openness, is no longer possible.
5. Fake Therapists and Unlicensed Platforms
There are dishonest websites that provide therapy. A few platforms may let people who are not adequately trained handle your data or overlook legal privacy rules. Terrible as it may be, some teams record your sessions and use them in an unethical or commercial manner.
You could say it’s giving your information to a lairy homing expert, only to have them convince you of something else and sell your files to a go-between selling ads.
Why Privacy in Therapy Matters So Much
Therapy isn’t just about having casual conversations. Many times, it leads us into places where our thoughts go unnoticed by others. Everyone is most exposed when they tell of their struggles, trauma or fears. If personal information ends up in the wrong hands, it can cause humiliation, anxiety or even risk to safety for those who suffer from abuse or domestic violence.
Being confidential isn’t optional; it’s what protects therapists in their work. Because of it, people feel safe to express themselves, get meaningful help and fully trust others.
How to Maintain Your Privacy in Online Counselling
However, the problems we worry about can be mitigated. Both clients and therapists have actions they can take to create a safe and protected setting for therapy.
1. Go for secure and encrypted networks whenever possible.
Your therapy sessions should take place over end-to-end encrypted systems, also following health privacy rules.
Don’t take part in sessions on WhatsApp or just Skype unless you’re told that the correct security protocols are applied.
2. Review the therapist you want to work with and the platform they will use.
Ensure you always look for:
The therapist should be officially licensed and recognised.
The policy on privacy for the Platform.
Looking into past announcements of breaches.
A trustworthy therapist will openly explain the methods of storing your data and who might look at it.
3. Always use secure computers and networks.
Don’t use public Wi-Fi.
Applying strong passwords and using two-factor authentication is best.
Ensure that your antivirus software and every other program are fully updated.
Try to find a room where you won’t be distracted or heard by others. Listening with headphones makes it harder for others to hear what you are watching.
4. Don’t forget to ask if the app will log or save your session data.
Always clarify:
Will the sessions be recorded?
Where has the information been kept?
Is it possible to ask for access to or deletion of my data?
It is up to you to decide how your information is managed.
Symbolically speaking, therapy is a safe place.
Think about therapy as a place where you lock away your deepest and most private ideas. In person, you will find the safe in a locked room, which is opened with just one key. Yet in online therapy, the safe passage of your messages is handled by satellites, routers and servers.
If you leave things open in the safe or let too many people into your secrets, they might get out.
Yet if we use the right tools, tough encryption, secure ways to access and ethical care, it can be secure.
What Happens to Mental Health When Therapy Is Not Positive
If someone learns their therapy notes were shared, it’s not just a violation; it’s a trauma for them.
People may:
Stop going to therapy.
Form trust issues
Go through anxiety or a panic attack
Feel as though you’re being judged by others
The result may be that months or years of progress that is lost.
Planning for a Safer Future in Digital Therapy
Mental health care is changing every day. Technology is improving, security laws are being made stronger, and therapists are adopting technology. Even so, we need to be alert.
The aim is to merge accessibility and privacy so that no one is forced to make a choice between safety and ease.
Conclusion: Always check to confirm what is said.
When we are alone, online counselling gives us hope, a feeling of belonging and comfort. It also encourages us to pay attention to what’s happening around us. Knowing about privacy risks does not mean you should fear; it actually empowers you.
A good rule to remember is not to disclose your inner thoughts and feelings to a program you haven’t checked over.
Ask questions. Read policies. Choose wisely.
Even though your truth should be spoken, in therapy, it should also be safeguarded.