Online therapy refers to mental health services and counselling that are provided via the internet or phone rather than in person. While some therapists conduct sessions exclusively online, many others see clients through some combination of video calls, phone calls, and in-person sessions.

Online therapy is very much the same as in-person therapy. You will still schedule a meeting with a therapist, often at the same time each week. The only difference is that instead of being in the same room, you talk over video chat in real-time over the internet. Research has consistently shown that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for most issues.

Marésa van der Walt specialises in providing online therapy services for both adults and Couples.

The benefits of online therapy

  • It saves time and money as you don't need to travel to any physical location.
  • If you are travelling, you can just plugin, log on and connect.
  • Some clients may find it is easier to open up about a specific topic and feel more comfortable talking over the internet as opposed to face-to-face therapy.

Next steps

Book a session

To view available therapy dates and times, please schedule your sessions at least 48 hours in advance. Book online here.

Before the session

You will be emailed information and also an online therapy consent form. The sessions are done through video chat using secure online platforms and will require that you have wifi access.

Initial session

In the initial session, Marésa will discuss your symptoms with you and a path to overcome them while seeing how she can work with you. Together, you will set goals for you to achieve throughout your online therapy process. A single counselling session takes about 50 minutes.

Follow-up sessions

These sessions involve an in-depth exploration of the problem. Through these session, Marésa will begin to understand the root cause of the problem together with your strengths and weaknesses. Occasionally, she will suggest activities and homework which are beneficial for the recovery. With these assessments, she will get an idea regarding the improvement of the client.