This is an excellent question, although not a simple one!
Let me start by saying that I am confident that there are competent online counselors and that online counseling may be the best choice for some people.
You are the best judge of how well your counseling sessions meet your particular needs. At the same time, there is great complexity surrounding the ethics and efficacy of online counseling.
Especially if your focus involve relationships, face-to-face interaction with a counselor may be more beneficial. Online relationships inherently involve some degree of distance and anonymity. That can hinder success when you try to extend your insights and efforts to "live" relationships.
I tend to think of online counseling as an alternative for people who cannot attend face-to-face counseling for reasons of disability or severe anxiety. You use the term "almost addicted" to online counseling... that raises a red flag for me and I urge you to discuss that concern with your counselor.
For around the same cost, it can't hurt to try in-person counseling to see if it might work for you.
I'm curious to know what others think about this topic. And please let us know what you decide to do.
