Considerations for Email Therapy

Considerations for Email Therapy

An asynchronous way to communicate what’s going on for you may be a preferred way of trying out therapy to see if it’s something that would work for you, if talking face-to-face feels daunting or not an immediate way to process things. 
However, this form of therapy can inhibit the black-hole affect of putting yourself out there across the internet and not being able to know when or how the information is being received.

How it works

 

When writing confidential and private information via email, your therapist will provide a secure email address or platform to send messages to. This is a measure taken especially when emailing from shared devices and password protected to prevent any accidental or intentional access from others. 

With the information being provided via text, it would be beneficial to send up to 500 words at a time to your therapist so things can be processed and reflected back in a way that is useful. If an email under 500 words doesn’t feel enough to reflect what’s going on for you at the time, perhaps using a journal alongside therapy will help to process internally first before sharing the significant parts where you feel stuck and would benefit from a therapists perspective and insight maybe helpful. 

An advantage of email counselling is the disinhibition effect, of feeling able to share information without concern of how the therapist may respond. It also provides a space to process like a journal in seeing what comes up and on re-reading the process, editing parts that don’t feel as significant as they may have when once held in mind.

A disadvantage of email counselling is that you may not get the immediate response required when seeking assurance or in a moment of crisis. This is when a 24/7 text messaging or email services such as SHOUT or Samaritans may be the best option to meet the needs required at that time. 

 

Benefits

  • Flexibility to write what you want to share when it feels most useful.
  • Emails can be written from your own home, whilst on a park bench, or anytime you feel it’s useful to send an email.
  • Secure email inbox that for confidentiality and peace of mind
  • No chance that you may be seen entering the counsellors practice or worries about travelling to and from the centre
  • Some find it easier to express their thoughts and feelings when not sitting in front of or talking to someone (disinhibition effect)

 

Things to consider

  •  Are you comfortable having to wait up to 48hrs for a response?
  • Would you prefer building up a therapeutic relationship face-to-face?
  • Do you feel you can express your feelings effectively using words?
  • Do you feel your situation is too complex to be understood via a single message?
  • Have you tried using a journal as a way to process thoughts and feelings initially?
  • When there are no non-verbal cues or body language for you or the Therapist to interpret, do you think this can lead to misunderstanding in what it is you need in a response?

Booking in an initial consultation over the phone or via video provides an opportunity to see how it feels talking with a potential therapist and assessing your comfort levels first before agreeing to initiate email counselling. Things may change, and that’s OK. If at any point you would want to try face-to-face therapy, you can always check in with the therapist if they would be flexible to do so or can refer you to a counselling service that matches your needs.

Considerations for Telephone Counselling

Considerations for Telephone Counselling

Considerations for
Telephone Counselling

You direct your counselling by selecting the method of communication you feel most comfortable with. You choose the time, the place and the pace of your counselling to suit your needs with telephone counselling.

How it works

This is similar to webcam counselling as it happens through the Zoom system, or via a handset, but without the visual aspects. You can choose to remain anonymous and the conversation is encrypted if held on Zoom. Every effort is made to provide a safe and secure environment for your online therapy with encryption software to protect your confidentiality and secure.

An advantage of telephone counselling is that non-verbal communication can be carried in your tone of voice or the pace of speech which can be picked up by your counsellor.

A disadvantage of telephone counselling is that you need a private space where you will not be overheard. Telephone counselling offers certain benefits but there are also limitations that are worth bearing in mind when deciding which type of therapy will best suit your needs.

Benefits

  • Flexibility to chose counselling therapy at a time that suits you
  • Calls can take place from your own home, sitting in a parked car, or whilst on a 1-hour walk
  • Secure telephone line that offers confidentiality and peace of mind
  • No chance that you may be seen entering the counsellors practice or worries about travelling to and from the centre
  • Some find it easier to express their thoughts and feelings when not sitting in front of someone (disinhibition effect)
  • Access to counselling sessions may be more immediate

Things to consider

  •  Are you comfortable talking on the phone for 50-minutes?
  • Would you prefer to see your counsellor face-to-face?
  • Do you feel you can express your feelings effectively using words?
  • Do you feel your situation is too complex to discuss over the phone?
  • Is there somewhere you can go to for a private conversation without interruption?
  • There are no non-verbal cues or body language for you or the counsellor to read this can lead to misunderstanding 

Booking in an initial consultation over the phone provides an opportunity to see how it feels talking with a potential therapist and assessing your comfort levels. Things may change, and that’s OK. If at any point you would want to try face-to-face therapy or move to online video, you can always check in with the therapist if they would be flexible to do so or can refer you to a counselling service that matches your needs.

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Amanda Salvara MBACP

Accredited Counsellor, Psychotherapist and NLP Coach

Contact

+4420 8106 0776
hello@amandasalvara.com

Considerations for Online Coaching

Considerations for Online Coaching

Considerations for
Online Coaching

Moving from face-to-face sessions, or even starting online can feel like a strange experience. As we adapt and evolve into various ways of connecting, here are some consideration for working with your coach online or over the phone.  

Time and Energy

Your coaching sessions should fit around your time schedule. It helps to factor in the following when scheduling your sessions.

  • Be ‘realistic’, ask yourself how much time do you actually benefit from having a coaching session for it to be productive? 
  • Have you found working in snippets of 30-minutes a few times a week, or a 2-hour session is more effective?
  • Does the routine of weekly sessions stress you out or motivate you with regular accountability check-ins?
  • Would bi-weekly be more realistic for your needs?

Noticing when you’re feeling drained versus feeling energised over online video sessions is a good cue to know how often or long coaching session should be for you. Only you will know when there’s not much energy left to be able to work effectively with your coach.

Sitting at the Screen

Staring at a screen for many hours in the day can be difficult for some and not so tiring for others. Before joining into a coaching session, ensure you take the time out away from the desk either way to get a beverage, close your eyes for a quick nap, or simply exercise the muscles around the eyes by mindfully looking around the room or during a short walk outside. Give yourself the opportunity to join your next session refreshed and reset. 

If you’ve been at the desk all day, I’d suggest having your coaching session on a walk to have a dialogue based exercise. Working with movement and the body to experience new perspectives whilst processing whatever comes up from the conversation.

Sharing the Bandwidth

If you’re in a household with online gamers, video streamers or have common internet bandwidth issues, find or request a time when there won’t be heavy streaming usage for the chance of a more stable video connection. 

If it’s not possible at home, try moving online sessions to work in a private space or room. It may also help to alternative the coaching format to telephone and email communications with guided exercises online. Adaptability is key in finding what works for you here.

Not familiar with working online

Everyone’s got to start somewhere, why not with online video chat? There are many useful documents and video guides online that can help with getting set up.
Here is a quick video guide from Zoom on how to accept and join a meeting online.

It’s useful to practice using Zoom before a session and see how the background and sound looks so you don’t have to think about those during the coaching time. 

https://youtu.be/hIkCmbvAHQQ

When working online, tech issues can arise from time-to-time. Always let your coach know if you’re having any issues before or during your session to get help with the setup. You also have the option to transfer the sessions to your mobile phone if it’s easier to work with.

Recent Articles

Amanda Salvara MBACP

Accredited Counsellor, Psychotherapist and NLP Coach

Contact

+4420 8106 0776
hello@amandasalvara.com

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