SPECIALIST IN REMOTE COUNSELLING
Accessible and Convenient Professional Support
There are many differences in the way we communicate online - sometimes very subtle - and effective therapy means recognising and working with these imaginatively and safely. There are also further ethical and legal considerations.
I have completed extensive additional training and assessment to certify my ability to effectively work with you online, and to belong to a professional body of online therapists. I also work only with supervisors who are appropriately qualified and experienced in the specialism of online counselling. If you think remote counselling might be for you but have some questions about how it works, please do get in touch.
ZOOM
Video Communication Platform
Prior to our session I will send you a link by email, which you should click on at the time of our session. This will take you directly to our private, secure, 1-1 meeting. Your experience will probably be better if you can use a computer, laptop or a tablet, but you could use a smartphone, if that is more accessible to you. As our sessions are 50 minutes, you may find it helpful to have your tablet or smartphone held securely in a stand, so that your arms don't ache and you don't suffer from motion-discomfort if you move it around!
In addition to excellent video and sound quality, the Zoom platform allows us to screen-share and file-share, so if such activities are an appropriate and productive part of your therapy, we are easily able to do so as we would if we were in the counselling room together.
Zoom is web-based, so you will need a stable internet connection. It is not essential that you download the Zoom app, as you can join a meeting through your web browser.
If you would like further training or guidance in using Zoom, please mention this in our consultation and I will arrange this for you, free-of-charge and not impacting our therapeutic session times.
TELEPHONE
Accessible 1-1 Talking Therapy
Some people find it easier to talk when they can't be seen. We will still arrange a specific time each week, and I will call you at that agreed time. It is very important to the efficacy of the therapy that you find somewhere private and without interruptions.
A telephone counselling session will be very similar to a Zoom session, but we might also utilise your email address to file-share if this becomes appropriate to the work we are doing together.
During your consultation we will discuss your needs and consider whether telephone counselling is appropriate - for example there are some therapeutic approaches that are heavily reliant on eye contact and body language.
EMAIL OR TEXT
The Therapeutic Power of Writing
For those individuals for whom speaking is just too much, I also offer Email or text (WhatsApp) therapy. Writing down feelings and seeing your words on a page can be a transformative experience, and I will respond with a considered therapeutic response to help you further explore your emotions. It can also help to have the written record of what has been said as a valuable support between sessions.
Like all therapeutic sessions we will schedule specific times to exchange emails or messages - but you will be free to craft what you want to say between our sessions and this will be the springboard for our next exchange.