In my part of Canada summer took its own sweet time arriving.  It is here now though and we are grabbing all the sunshine we can.  As the lazy summer days roll by it’s hard to imagine [dare I say it?] September is just around the corner.  

Where does the time go?  I remember way back in June how I set goals for this summer.  I was going to get so much reading done. You too?  Well, there is still time!

Here’s a couple of suggestions for a little light summer reading on the topic of online counselling.

First up, the excellent (if somewhat dated) “Psychology of the Internet” by Patricia Wallace.  She examines the ways in which the online environment can influence the way we behave, which then becomes part of the Internet’s psychological environment for others.  It’s a fascinating read, addressing the ‘disinhibition’ effect.  Her style of writing is quite accessible so it’s great for summer reading.

Go to International Society for Mental Health Online https://www.ismho.org/home.asp and cruise the News & Events section.  Just this week an article was posted on Web-based programs for behaviour change and self-management. ISMHO also has the draft copy of the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology.  Now that’s a great beach read [grinning].   

Always an interesting read – the latest issue of Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology (TILT) is out.  It’s published quarterly by The Online Therapy Institute/Online Coach Institute in the UK.  http://www.issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltissue11

Enjoy the rest of summer – whatever you choose to do!

Dawn Schell, MA, CCC, CCDP is an affiliate counsellor with Worldwide Therapy Online Inc.  http://www.therapyonline.ca

I’ve been writing, reading and thinking a lot about the use of text messaging in counselling situations.   Some of the articles I referred to in the past two blog posts discussed the need to develop policies and procedures for preserving privacy and confidentiality in text messages.  

Let’s start at the beginning – the CCPA Code of Ethics states “Counselling relationships and information resulting therefrom are kept confidential” & “Counsellors follow all additional ethical guidelines for services delivered by telephone, teleconferencing, and the Internet, including appropriate precautions regarding confidentiality, security…”.  (Sections B2 & B17)

I don’t have the answers. Just some thoughts about the issue as a whole.

I have an iPhone and Apple tells me my messages have end-to-end encryption, so “your messages stay safe and private”.  Likely that’s true of other devices as well.

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As I mentioned in my last posting I am sharing a number of studies or projects where text messaging is being used in counselling.

One interesting application was Project O, based in Singapore.  This project was designed for students doing their “O” level exams and was launched to 40,000 O-level students through 163 secondary schools. The aim of the project was to assist students in coping with exam anxiety.   Social Workers and educational psychologists provided email counselling and an SMS buddy support service.   As students were preparing for their exams they could send text message to Project O and receive immediate support.  

Youthline, a New Zealand helpline for young people, starting using text-based counselling in December 2004.  As mobile phones and text-messaging became more widely accepted they found youth increasingly requesting text-messaging as an option for discussing their concerns. Early on Youthline’s suggestion to counsellors was to encourage youth to phone in after 5-6 text message exchanges.   These are a few of the responses from youth.

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A recent discussion thread on a LinkedIn group covered the issue of whether or not training in online counselling is necessary.  Some feel no training is needed.  “After all”, they say, “I’m a competent counsellor and I know how to use email and Skype.  How hard can it be? What would I need to train for?”

Working within one’s scope of practice is an important ethical consideration.  What does that mean in this context? 

Online counselling is a developing field.  Digital communication technologies are continuously evolving. There are technological and therapeutic aspects to online work no matter what your theoretical orientation or specialization.

I believe we need training in clinical, ethical and legal issues.  We need to learn the relationship skills we need to counsel online.  We need to develop a high level of comfort with the technology.  We need to be clear on confidentiality and privacy issues and how to address them.  And we need to understand the legalities.  Understanding legal issues is huge.  The situation with respect to laws, jurisdiction, certification and insurance is also continuously evolving. (see CCPA’s webpage section on E-counselling http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/en/ecounselling/)

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Whether I am doing face-to-face, asynchronous email, or video counselling I like to incorporate creative approaches in my work.  Here’s some of the creative things I have tried with my online clients.

Collages – I give my clients specific directions for creating a collage (e.g. creating a vision of their preferred future). Then they can either scan or photograph it and send me a copy so we can discuss it in session. Recently I was introduced to www.polyvore.com as a way to do digital collages.  It has distinct possibilities.

Poetry – when it seems relevant I have given clients poetry to read and reflect on.  Clients have also shared poetry with me, either their own and another’s.  Last year one client even shared songs he had written about his break up. 

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