Counsellors who have completed a recognised counselling training, to work face-to-face (in person) with people, and who have gained some experience, may decide they would like to offer online counselling too. There are recognised and approved Online Counselling Courses available – see http://www.acto.org.uk
There are some differences in working online with a counsellor, though it is thought that online counselling is equally as valuable as face-to-face counselling. Some online counsellors are trained to work with people using webcam, voice only, instant messaging and email. Some are trained to work with webcam and voice only so it is important to make sure the counsellor you want to work with has the relevant training to meet your requirements.