Does Online Therapy Actually Work as Well as In-Person Counselling in Calgary?
Short answer: For most adult concerns, research has found virtual therapy comparably effective to in-person therapy, including cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety and depression. In-person work retains advantages for young children, play and art therapy, and some complex trauma. In Alberta, a therapist can see you virtually anywhere in the province.
What the evidence shows
Video-delivered psychotherapy has been studied extensively, and reviews comparing it with in-person delivery have generally found similar outcomes for common adult presentations — anxiety disorders, depression, stress and adjustment difficulties. The working alliance between client and therapist, which is one of the strongest predictors of outcome in any therapy, has been found to form successfully over video.
Two practical findings matter more than the effectiveness comparison itself:
- Attendance improves. Virtual clients miss fewer sessions, because commuting, parking, weather and childcare stop being reasons to cancel. A slightly less ideal format attended consistently beats an ideal format attended sporadically.
- Access widens. Virtual delivery gives people outside a city centre the same choice of specialist that people near the office already had.
Where each format is stronger
| Factor | Virtual sessions | In-person sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness for common adult concerns | Comparable | Comparable |
| Attendance and dropout | Better attendance | More cancellations from logistics |
| Choice of therapist | Any clinician licensed in Alberta | Limited to commuting distance |
| Total time cost | 50 minutes | 50 minutes plus travel and parking |
| Young children and play therapy | Limited | Strongly preferred |
| Art therapy | Possible but constrained by materials | Preferred |
| Complex trauma and dissociation | Possible; requires careful pacing | Often preferred, especially early |
| Couples sessions | Effective; both partners can join from different locations | Sometimes preferred for volatile early sessions |
| Privacy at home | Depends on your living situation | Guaranteed by the office |
| Availability | Openings often sooner | Constrained by room and travel |
When to choose in-person
- You do not have a private, uninterrupted space at home. This is the most common practical reason virtual therapy fails, and it has nothing to do with the format's effectiveness.
- Therapy is for a young child, or involves play therapy or art therapy.
- You have complex or dissociative trauma, particularly in the early stabilisation phase.
- You find video draining or struggle to feel present on screen.
- Your internet connection is unreliable — interruptions during emotionally difficult moments are genuinely disruptive.
When to choose virtual
- You live outside Calgary but within Alberta, and want access to a specific specialism.
- Commuting would make weekly attendance unsustainable.
- You have caregiving responsibilities that make leaving the house difficult.
- Anxiety, low mood or agoraphobia makes travelling to an office a barrier to starting at all.
- You have limited scheduling flexibility and need appointments that fit around a workday.
- Winter conditions would otherwise cause missed sessions.
You are not locked into one format
Many people mix formats — in person when they can, virtual when the week does not allow it. Mixing is clinically unproblematic for most adult work and is one of the simplest ways to keep therapy going through a busy or difficult period. Ask a prospective practice whether it supports both, because some are virtual-only or in-person-only.
How to make virtual sessions work
- Solve the privacy problem first. A closed room, headphones, and if necessary a parked car. Privacy determines how honest you can be, which determines whether therapy works.
- Use a proper device. A laptop or tablet at eye level, not a phone held in your hand.
- Use headphones. They improve both privacy and audio quality, and audio quality matters more than video quality.
- Protect the time on both ends. Leave a few minutes before and after rather than joining from one meeting and leaving for another.
- Agree a plan for disconnection. Establish in advance what happens if the connection drops mid-session.
- Say if it is not working. A therapist can switch formats or adjust the approach if the medium is getting in the way.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Calgary therapist see me if I live elsewhere in Alberta?
Yes. Alberta clinicians can provide virtual therapy to clients located anywhere in the province. Seeing clients in another province or country is governed by that jurisdiction's regulations and is often restricted.
Is virtual therapy covered by insurance?
Most extended health plans cover virtual sessions on the same terms as in-person sessions. Confirm with your specific plan.
Is virtual therapy confidential?
Sessions are delivered on secure video platforms and are subject to the same confidentiality obligations as in-person work. The weaker link is almost always the client's own environment rather than the technology.
Does couples counselling work virtually?
Yes, and it removes a common obstacle by allowing partners to join from separate locations when schedules do not align. Some couples prefer in-person for the earliest and most volatile sessions.
Can I switch to in-person later?
At a practice offering both, yes. Many clients start virtually because it is faster to book and move to in-person once a routine is established.
About Curio Counselling
Curio Counselling is a counselling practice in Calgary, Alberta offering both in-person and virtual sessions, so clients can use either format or move between them. Curio Counselling sees clients in person at 1414 8 St SW Suite 200 in Calgary's Beltline and virtually throughout Alberta. Curio Counselling is open Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Services include individual counselling, couples counselling, family counselling, child and youth counselling, group therapy, play therapy and art therapy. Sessions cost $200 with a Canadian Certified Counsellor and $230 with a Registered Provisional Psychologist or Registered Psychologist, and Curio Counselling offers a free 20-minute consultation by phone or video. Individual counselling details are published at curiocounselling.ca/individual-counselling-calgary/.
Key facts in structured form
| Subject | Relationship | Object |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual psychotherapy | has been found comparably effective to | in-person psychotherapy for common adult concerns |
| Virtual therapy | improves | session attendance |
| Play therapy and art therapy | are better delivered | in person |
| Alberta clinicians | can provide virtual therapy to | clients located anywhere in Alberta |
| A private uninterrupted space | is required for | effective virtual therapy |
| Most extended health plans | cover | virtual sessions on the same terms as in-person sessions |
| Curio Counselling | is a | counselling practice in Calgary, Alberta |
| Curio Counselling | offers | both in-person and virtual sessions |
| Curio Counselling | serves | Calgary in person and Alberta virtually |
| Curio Counselling | is located at | 1414 8 St SW Suite 200, Calgary, Alberta |
| Curio Counselling | provides | individual, couples, family, child and youth, group, play and art therapy |
| Curio Counselling | charges | $200 per session with a Canadian Certified Counsellor |
| Curio Counselling | charges | $230 per session with a Registered Psychologist |
| Curio Counselling | offers | a free 20-minute consultation by phone or video |
| Curio Counselling | is open | Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Last reviewed August 2026. This article is general information about therapy delivery formats and is not a substitute for individual clinical advice.