Online Counselling
If you have a difficulty accessing our base premises for whatever
reason whether you work full time, cannot manage the journey into
Online counselling is simply
communicating with a qualified, professional counsellor/therapist
by email or chat through your computer using services such as MSN or Yahoo
messenger which allow for instant communication.
Therefore, if you have regular access to a computer and are
comfortable communicating via the internet then you might find this method of
communicating agreeable and effective.
My Contract for
Online Therapy
Basic Requirements
You are over 18 years of age
A resident of
You are not involved with mental health services or in any other
form of therapy
You are not at risk of harming yourself.
Emails
Emails will be sent on a weekly basis with a reply to your email
sent within 3 working days. Acknowledgement emails would also be sent immediately
on receipt of emails and I would appreciate one in return to my own.
Instant messaging appointments, where we can talk in real time,
can be arranged during office hours and each session would last for 50 mins, normally on a weekly basis but subject to
negotiation.
In case of a break down with technology, I would appreciate an
alternative email address that I could use to get in touch with you. In
addition, I would also like to be provided with your telephone number and home
address. Please be aware that this information would only be used in
emergencies when I was unable to contact you through our agreed normal
channels.
Confidentiality
To prevent potential breaches of confidentiality I use encrypted email
technology to store all my files. If you are concerned that someone who has
access to your computer will find out that you've have been participating in
online counselling, you can regularly delete the
online history of your browser. Free firewall software is also available on the
internet. It is not wise to email from your place of employment.
In spite of any of these security measures, absolute
confidentiality cannot be ensured. I will do my best to maintain my computer
files and hard copy files of our correspondence with the utmost security
measures in place.
Safety
If I feel you are in danger of coming to harm or that someone you
are in contact with may be harmed, generally talking about child protection
issues, I will need to break your confidentially in order to protect you or a
third party. However, I will discuss this with you and involve you in the
process.
Supervision
I may discuss aspects of our work together with my supervisor.
This is to ensure a high standard of work and to abide by the guidelines and
ethics of the British Association of Counsellors and
Psychotherapists (BACP).
