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Telephone and Online Counselling

Telephone Counselling

Telephone counselling is a relatively new form of counselling. Telephone counselling usually occurs when clients can telephone a counsellor to discuss their problems.  There are telephone counsellors available who specialise in many different issues. The service may be available during certain hours only, or it may be 24 hours a day. The client may have to book an appointment to talk to the counsellor, or it may be a helpline which they can phone whenever they want to. Helplines are usually free. They enable callers to contact counsellors who offer assistance in a wide range of areas. Examples include: confidential help with bullying, child abuse, domestic abuse, quitting smoking, crises and so on.

The benefits of telephone counselling are that:

  • It is more convenient.
  • There are no geographical limits.
  • There is no need to make other arrangements to make appointments (e.g. childcare, time off work, etc.).
  • It gives a greater sense of anonymity.
  • It is ideal for people who find travelling difficult.
  • It can provide an effective way to access counselling that may not previously have been available for the person.
  • The person is doing something positive.
  • It removes the stigma of physically attending a counselling session.

Telephone counselling is not always suitable for some clients at certain times.

Online Counselling

Online counselling is an even newer form of counselling than telephone counselling. Online counselling has grown rapidly in recent times, but counselling from a distance is not that new a concept, Freud made use of letters to counsel some of his clients. Online counsellors help clients to overcome their personal problems using counselling techniques, as they would with face-to-face counselling.  Clients may have to book an appointment online to ‘talk’ to their counsellor, or more usually, they may email them and await a response.

Online therapy is also known as e-counselling, e-therapy, cyber-counselling and tele-therapy.  It involves psychological support over the internet.  This can occur through emails, video conferencing, internet phone services (such as Skype), or online chat. It can be conducted in real time i.e. internet phones and online chatrooms, or there may be some delay e.g. responding to emails.

Online therapy will not replace traditional therapy. Online therapists cannot diagnose or treat mental illness online, but they can offer advice and support to people experiencing difficulties in their life and work.  Some have argued that online counselling is actually more like life coaching.

Online counselling does have its limitations, but it does offer a way of helping more clients and providing services to clients who may not have received them in other ways.

Online therapy can include:

  • Emails.
  • Real time chat.
  • Internet phones.
  • Instant messaging.
  • Video conferencing.

Online therapy has been viewed with some scepticism by mental health professionals, but many clients have reported that they have found it a useful form of counselling.

There are advantages with online counselling:

  • The client can access the counselling at any time. Many online counselling services will offer a 24 hour service.
  • The client will still receive the same ethical and confidential standards as with face-to-face counselling.
  • There are no geographical limits.
  • The client can access the counselling without leaving their own home. So it is very convenient.
  • Often clients do not have to commit to set times for the counselling, but some online counselling services may insist on prior appointments.
  • Most online counselling services will aim to respond to any emails within 24–48 hours.
  • The client may send an email or submit questions via a forum. They will have time to think and reflect about the counsellor’s answer and the advice given. They also have time to ask questions.
  • Online counselling is cheaper than seeing a counsellor face-to-face.
  • Online counselling gives anonymity to the client, which many clients will find important to them. They may be willing to disclose their issues more clearly than they would face-to-face.
  • Writing down problems in an email can help clients to really think about what they are saying, how they phrase it and so on. This is thought to be an important part of the counselling process.

However, there are also disadvantages with both online and telephone counselling:

  • With online counselling, there is not always an immediate response. A person may want that response to help them at that time.
  • There is minimal non-verbal communication from the client and the counsellor. The counsellor may not pick up on signals that they may have done with face-to-face communication. The client can also not see how the counsellor is responding to them, so this may cause them some confusion.
  • As with any written communication, there is a chance of misunderstanding or miscommunication. The counsellor may think that a particular issue is more important to the client, where another issue is actually more important. The client may also misunderstand what the counsellor is saying.
  • Online counselling demands that the client is computer savvy and able to express their views with the written word (if using emails and chatrooms). Similarly they would have to be dexterous.
  • Often insurance companies will not pay for online and telephone counselling, which can affect whether a person can access that form of counselling.
  • Online and telephone counselling is not always appropriate for clients with complex or serious conditions.
  • It may not be appropriate also for clients with serious psychiatric conditions.
  • Whilst online or telephone counsellors will have the same ethical guidelines as others within  their own country, they may not be the same guidelines as the client’s country. For example, the client may be in country A, whereas the counsellor could be in country B, where there are different ethical guidelines or standards.
  • A practical difficulty that can occur with online counselling is if there is a problem with the internet connection. If a person loses their internet connection, it can delay their treatment, responses and emails, which can have an effect on them. The counsellor and client should agree what they would do in this situation.
  • As with any use of telephones or online, there are potential security issues if someone hacks their computer, so confidentiality may be an issue.

So, as with any form of counselling, it is up to the client to determine whether the form of counselling they choose is suitable for them.

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