Aaron Beeken (Ad Dip Psy C. Dip CST. Cert Hyp CS. BA (Hons). PGCE. MNCS. Accred.)
Counsellor & Psychotherapist
64 Fane Road, Walton, Peterborough, PE4 6ES
Email: [email protected]
Online counselling therapy is a way for you to engage in counselling and psychotherapy using internet technology such as email, online chat, telephone or webcam video.
You have autonomy over choosing the type of online counselling you wish to have. The decision to choose one way of working online over another can depend on which method of communication you are most comfortable with. You get to choose the time, the place and the pace of the counselling to suit your own personal needs.
Every effort is made to provide a safe and secure environment for your e-therapy by using encryption enabled technology which can provide peace of mind that your sessions are confidential and secure.
What are your choices for Online Counselling?
Within this digital age we are provided with more and more choices of how we may wish to communicate with people. The following is an informative guide about the types of online counselling that I currently offer to people that wish to engage in online therapy.
Webcam Counselling
Webcam counselling is essentially whereby two people are able to hear and see each other when communicating. You can access webcam counselling if you have a smart phone, laptop, tablet or computer with a webcam and microphone. Sessions will be held on Zoom which makes use of secure 'end-to-end encryption' during video calls which are ideal for ensuring every effort is made to keep your counselling sessions safe and confidential. If required, you will be guided on setting up your account with Zoom. Sessions are 60 minutes in length. With webcam counselling you get the benefits of being able to virtually see the body language and facial expressions of the other person. In this regard webcam counselling compares closely to working 'face-to-face' or 'in the room' where two people meet up physically in the same room.
Telephone Counselling
This is similar to video counselling because it is offered through the Zoom application but the video feature is turned off making it an audio call only. Sessions are 60 minutes in length at a pre-arranged time. Telephone counselling might be a preferred option for people that feel more comfortable talking without someone actually seeing them like in a videoconferencing call. Whilst we cannot see another persons body reactions, an therapist trained in working via telephone may be able to verbalise their body language as it can be a way to express empathy. A disadvantage of telephone counselling is that you need a private room where you will not be overheard.
Online counselling offers certain benefits but there are also limitations to take into consideration when deciding which form of therapy will be best matched up to your personal needs.
Chat Room Counselling
Should you choose the online chat room you will be directed to a secure login page that takes you to an encrypted area where you meet your counsellor at a
time that was prearranged beforehand. Your session is 60 minutes and a transcript is available afterwards allowing you to review what both you and your counsellor said. This gives you the opportunity to clarify any uncertainties you may have had from the session and also leaves you something to go back to and reflect upon as you process the information. You don't need to have a webcam for this counselling and you may choose to remain visually anonymous if you wish.
Email Based Counselling
Counselling using email offers you the opportunity to reflect on what you choose to say before you send it. In addition, email counselling offers the option of going back through the exchanges after the session which can be good for recalling what was discussed and further reflection upon the session. Your email sessions will be held on a secure encrypted email server; this may likely be an email set up specially and specifically for your counselling sessions. If you choose to have email based therapy I can guide you on how to set up a secure encrypted email for such work. Sometimes, email counselling is used in between sessions, be that face to face or video. Email communication is a supplementary and auxiliary way of working but it also has the ability to be used as the main source of communication should you so choose. A limitation of email counselling is that the response time for such emails is not immediate as in telephone or video counselling.
It is good to also have an overview of the benefits and things to think about regarding online therapy. This is so that you can make a well informed personal choice on how best to proceed forward for yourself and your personal situation.
Benefits
Things to Consider