Online Counselling Guidelines

 
 

Online counselling or therapy refers to therapy conducted via the internet or telephone. Some people use technology to speak face-to-face and some use audio only. Whatever your preference, I will support you to work online by answering any questions you have and by making it as easy a process as possible.

Possible benefits and challenges

Some things you may enjoy about online working are:

  • You may feel more comfortable in your own home

  • You may find it easy to talk, focus and express yourself

  • Avoiding travelling to sessions may allow more flexibility to attend

Some of the challenges we may face with online working could be:

  • Having access to reliable technology, including a strong and uninterrupted internet connection

  • Relying more on spoken communication, as we will see only parts of each other or nothing at all

  • Spending time on a phone or on screen may be demanding, especially if you do this in other parts of your everyday life

Creating your own therapy space

It can be helpful to treat an online session as you would an in-person session by doing the following:

  • Find a comfortable setting, whether that’s an armchair, your office desk, garden or cushions on the floor.

  • Find a private space. For those who live with others this might involve finding a separate room, a little-used public space or going for a walk. It might also involve using headphones or earphones.

  • If indoors you may wish to put a note on the door of the room you’re using, asking that others don’t disturb you except in an emergency.

  • You’re welcome to bring a soft drink or a cup of tea/coffee with you to the session. However, please avoid alcohol and drugs prior to and during the sessions.

  • Please close other applications and browser windows on your devices before the start of the sessions, and mute or turn off any phone that you aren’t using (just as we would do in person).

  • Give yourself time after the session to gather your thoughts before re-joining those around you or going back to work.  

Technical information (phone)

  • I will call you at the pre-agreed time on the number that you provide. I will always call from a withheld number.

  • Our calls will not be recorded.

  • If you need to speak from a specific location to ensure your privacy and comfort, it can be useful to check the level of reception your phone has in this area in advance of our first session.

Technical information (video)

  • I use a video conferencing platform called Zoom to protect our privacy and confidentiality.

  • Our calls will not recorded.

  • In advance of each appointment, you will receive an email containing a link for you to join the session at the scheduled time. Please remember to keep this link private to avoid anyone else gaining access to the session and session details.

  • Please remember to log off the call following the end of each session, for security reasons.

  • You may like to download Zoom prior to our first session, however no prior download is necessary. If you do download the app, please remember not to automatically save your password on a device that others might have access to.

  • If you do not want to see yourself on screen during the video session feel free to set Zoom to ‘Hide Self’ using the menu.

  • The call quality on Zoom is usually very good. It can be improved by you using an Ethernet connection as opposed to Wi-Fi, however, Wi-Fi or 3G/4G will usually work well too. Usually, if your internet is good enough to stream YouTube or Netflix, it is good enough for video sessions. I recommend closing all other browser windows and programmes running in the background to make the call quality as good as possible.

Troubleshooting

  • If, for any reason, I am unable to reach you by phone at our session start time I will try to call you again after a 5-minute interval. After this time, I will send you an email you to check in. 

  • If, for any reason, I am unable to reach you by video at our session start time I will stay on the call for the duration of our session. I will send you an email you after 5 minutes to check in. 

  • If, for any reason, our phone call is disconnected during a session, I will try to reconnect three times before sending you an email to agree whether to reschedule or try a different method of communication.

  • If, for any reason, our video call is disconnected during a session, I will try to reconnect three times before sending you an email to agree whether to reschedule or try a different method of communication.

  • If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or keep a note of them for us to discuss when we next speak.