How can Online Counselling Help?
Like face to face counselling, Online Counselling can be effective for dealing with a wide variety of concerns and issues, as well as helping get the most from life.
Online Counselling is particularly useful where distance, lack of transport or a physical condition makes it difficult to attend sessions. It can also be helpful where someone finds it very difficult to contemplate talking to a counsellor, face to face.
How does Online Counselling work?
Online Counselling sessions are conducted either through email or a specially encrypted (secure) chat room session.
Just like a face to face session, Online Counselling sessions are arranged in advance for a specific time and payment is made in advance through the online shop. You can pay for one session at a time, or a batch of 3 or 6 sessions. You would also need to complete a short form to provide some basic information about yourself.
Online Counselling using a Secure Chat Room
Online Counselling using a secure chat room is probably the nearest online equivalent to meeting in person. We 'meet' at a pre-arranged time in the chat room. A typed 'conversation' takes place in real time, as if we were talking. Sessions last for 30 minutes.
You will need a reliable access to the internet, and to make sure there will be no other distractions or interruptions during the session (eg other people or pets won't interrupt or need your attention, and it is strongly recommended that you switch off your phone and close down other computer applications that might distract you, such as email, social networking sites and other chat rooms).
At the end of each session, we can book the next session, or series of sessions, if you wish.
Online Counselling by Email
Online Counselling by email allows more time for reflection and to gather your thoughts, and is probably more like writing a series of letters than talking to someone. The advantage is that you can write your email whenever it is convenient for you, instead of at a pre-arranged time, can pause at any point and come back to it later, and it won't matter how good your keyboard skills are.
After making an arrangement for the email version of Online Counselling, you would send your first email, in which you would introduce yourself and the issue(s) you'd like to look at, in whatever way seems best to you. I would then reply, within 2 working days of receipt (not including weekends or public holidays), and I allow 30 minutes for me to read, reflect on and reply to your words.
Further email exchanges can be arranged (in advance), and it is generally best to plan on 3-6 email exchanges initially, to allow a 'conversation' over time to develop. For the greatest effectiveness, each email after the first one should ideally be around 400 words maximum, as longer emails can be difficult to respond to effectively.
You will need a regular access to the internet, and ideally a private email in-box, so that no-one else will be able to read the email exchanges. You may wish to set up a folder in your email program to store your outgoing emails and my responses in one place.
Alternatively, some people may prefer to have a separate email programme and/or email address that they use just for this. There are plenty of free services including, for example, Googlemail, Yahoo Mail and Hotmail. If you prefer more security, you can sign up for a free encrypted online email account with Hushmail.
We don't need to arrange a specific session time, and you can email at whatever intervals feel right for you. However, to keep things uppermost in our minds, it is usually best to leave no more than a week's gap between emails.
How do I arrange an Online Counselling session?
The Online Counselling facilities are being developed and should be available soon.
In the meantime, do consider if a face to face appointment will suit.
About Jacky Walker
I have a particular interest in working with
- stress, burnout and work-life balance (with a special emphasis on the particular needs of high achieving professionals and people in the creative arts)
- quality of life issues (including mid-life crisis, life goals and spiritual values)
- the creative process
- getting the most from life through personal / professional development.
The combination of skills I offer is fairly unique in Norfolk, and I am probably the leading practitioner locally on stress, burnout and work-life balance.
More about Jacky Walker Arrange an initial session