Navigating Support Online: A Phenomenological Study of Filipino Counselees’ Experiences with Virtual Guidance Counseling

The current study explored the experiences of counselees in the Philippines who participated in virtual guidance counseling sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a phenomenological framework, the study examined how students made sense of the provision of psychosocial services in a fully mediated context characterized by uncertainty and psychological distress. Eleven Filipino university students, aged 18 to 24 and with prior experience as counselees, were purposively selected so they could share detailed accounts of their experiences. The conversations took place through one-on-one, in-depth interviews where students described not only what happened during their counseling sessions but also the personal circumstances surrounding them. Their stories were examined through the main steps of phenomenological analysis—setting aside initial assumptions, considering different layers of meaning, and bringing these insights together to grasp the essence of their experiences. From these accounts, four themes gradually emerged. The first, motivations and preconditions for seeking virtual guidance counseling, reflects the personal pressures and needs that led students to reach out for support. The second theme, digital platforms as both enablers and constraints, shows how online tools made counseling accessible but also created limits in forming a genuine connection. The third theme focuses on the barriers to building a therapeutic relationship in a mediated space, including privacy concerns, hesitations in expressing emotions, and the emotional distance created by screens. The final theme, emergent insights and transformations, captures how students slowly developed self-awareness, coping strategies, and a renewed understanding of their well-being. Taken together, these insights illustrate how virtual guidance counseling helped students navigate a difficult period and point to the need for stronger systems to support online counseling in schools.