Research shows that online coaching are effective and also has advantages over face-to-face meetings.
For example, there is greater ease of "triggering" as all of us are now used to video calls or video conferences, while we are less so when it comes to entering a room with a stranger to start a path of personal growth; the phenomenon of “online disinhibition” was studied by John Super, of Rider University (Psychology of the Digital Age, 2016, Cambridge University Press).
Note that several studies have found that video sessions have the same effect as regular face-to-face sessions. In particular, a study by 2018 found that "the cognitive behavioral therapy provided by the Internet is effective."
In addition, a person willing to find an online coach will be able to access the best professionals available regardless of their local area, which is no small advantage!
While it is true that research shows that in distance coaching it is possible to work less on the level of emotions, at the same time this emotional dimension is not entirely absent, while the cognitive dimension can even benefit from a distance: the number of words that the online coach and his/her client exchange every minute of conversation are usually greater than the "amount of communication" that happens in face-to-face relationships.
It should also be remembered that coaching is an art rather than a science, similar to the ancient one that Socrates had called "maieutics" (the art of the midwife) and that, passing through dialogue , he was able to make the pupil "come up" with absolutely personal thoughts, desires and goals, unlike those who wanted to impose their point of view on others with rhetoric and the art of persuasion. And in this maieutic work the digital tool can be a useful ally because it allows the quick sharing of many resources (exercises, mind maps,…) easily available through a PC.
So, about online coaching: try it for yourself!
Comments