INFORMATION UPDATED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC ON THE HOME PAGE.
As we are all part of the digital age Psychotherapists have embraced these changes and there are more and more therapists choosing to offer counselling online.
Online therapy is much the same as face to face therapy with a few things that need to be ensured before counselling can begin.
Please note that because I communicate via email and offer online counselling and supervision I am registered with ICO, the Information Commissioner’s Office here in the UK.
The platform used needs to be discussed and agreed. Skype, WhatsApp and Facetime appear to be secure options but there are even safer options such as Zoom which are the preferred option recommended by the BACP.
As a therapist I will ensure that the time we meet online I will be in a confidential and quiet place. Usually in my practice which is discreet. The onus is therefore on the client that during the hour set aside for their therapy they will also be situated in a quiet area without any interruptions to allow the client to feel emotionally safe as they would actually visiting my practice.
When seeking counselling or supervision it is important to realise that we do not have to be in the same country. My indemnity insurance offers world wide coverage and the BACP suggests that online therapists work according to the governing body of the country in which the therapist is. I am therefore bound by the ethical code of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists online and across borders, as much as in face to face counselling. Best practice would dicatate that a therapist/supervisor offering counselling would of course become familiar with the ethical code for psychotherapy in which ever country the client/supervisee resides. I have offered add-on supervision in my area of professional interest and experience Trauma from England to South Africa.
The last thing to consider is that payment cannot be done in person and so therefore a bank transfer or paypal payment is usually completed before the decided therapy time.
