Most people use Skype webcam to see me so we are also face to face in these online appointments. To begin with, some online therapy – that which is done by webcam – IS ‘face to face’. Doesn’t online therapy feel less personal than face to face sessions? Gay men often have histories of being judged for their body language or gender performance and I want to respect the stories they are prepared to share with me.

So I see my role as encouraging people to share their stories with me rather than to judge their behaviour. Also, I am not a psychoanalyst and I take the position that those consulting me know more about their own lives than I do. Some psychoanalysts interpret body language in their work but I prefer to work with questions and conversation. This question assumes that interpreting non-verbal communication is a high priority for all therapists. But how can you do therapy when you can’t read body language? But after several years of providing both online and in-person appointments to gay men and others, my experience is that both modes of therapy are valid and both have their benefits. How Does Online Therapy Compare with ‘Face to Face’ Appointments? Meeting with a counsellor online provides privacy, more flexibility in appointment times and the convenience of being able to keep up sessions if you are away from home or short of time. I provide counselling services over the Internet (online therapy) to gay and bisexual men, and women, around the world.

Gay skype exchange