Online Counselling and Psychotherapy
Erich Keller Counselling established its Online Counselling & Psychotherapy services in 2018. Initially offering support to people living abroad and seeking an Irish based therapist. The service spread to those living remotely in Ireland and who were unable to access suitable psychotherapy and counselling services locally.
More recently the service expanded and broadened to offer online counselling and therapeutic support in response to changes in lifestyle, working patterns and environment .
Why chose online counselling & psychotherapy?
Advances in online applications, better (and more widely available) internet access and the continuous updating of smartphone technologies have made counselling and psychotherapy services available to people who would not normally be able to attend regular weekly in-clinic meetings.
For example, it is now possible to live and work remotely - away from urban life and therefore away from some urban services.
Online counselling and psychotherapy bridges that gap and enables people to avail of these services without having to take long journeys, time off work, or incur large time and travel expenses.
The Irish modern working environment is nearly unrecognisable to 10 or 20 years ago as companies increasingly offer flexitime, part and three-quarter time jobs, and job-sharing possibilities. Online counselling and psychotherapy can suit those working
irregular shifts, people on zero-hour contracts, week on / week off patterns, night shifts etc. where committing to a fixed in-clinic weekly appointment is next to impossible.
More frequently we hear of people who have the option to work from home one or two days per week as working trends change.
IT and Pharma services in particular have home based employees across the country logging in from their living rooms to do a day’s work.
Often Counselling and Psychotherapy clinics are located in inaccessible buildings to those who are mobility impaired, who find stairs difficult to manage and/or are unable to travel.
With this shift in work patterns has come the need for practitioners of Counselling and Psychotherapy to re-evaluate the demand for remote and online services.
Online Counselling & Psychotherapy services suit:
Remote working
Visually impaired
Mobility impaired
Working from home
Living remotely
Shift workers
Social anxiety or agoraphobia
People living outside Ireland wanting to work with an Irish therapist (English speaking)
Worldwide access
Inaccessible clinics
Having issues with childcare
Update/ Social distancing COVID-19
Update/ Quarantine COVID-19
Will online counselling & psychotherapy suit me?
Your mental health is important and unique. Sometimes we need help overcoming life's obstacles and challenges. When talking to family or friends is not enough. Talking to an experienced professional can offer the support that you need. We provide a confidential safe environment where you can talk about all the difficulties and challenges you are experiencing.
Our online services place competency, safety and therapist-client connection at the core of the experience. Every effort will be made to help you feel that you are being heard, supported and offered the same open, non-judgemental, professional service as an in-clinic appointment.
What you need to know about your Online Counselling Sessions:
Sessions are 50 minutes
Available on several platforms, Zoom is my preference but please ask for more options/details
You will need a working camera and microphone on your device
Initial session will allow for extra set-up, settling time
Sessions are allocated to you just like an in-clinic appointment
Punctuality is important, we will need to start at the allocated time
You will receive confirmation, appointment and payment details before your session
Payment is made prior to the appointment
Cancellation Policy : once the time/date is agreed 24 hour cancellation policy applies
Please fill out the enquiry form here to arrange an appointment
Before your session:
Check that your device is charged enough to last the duration of your session
Turn off notifications on your smartphone
Position yourself in a comfortable, quiet and private space in your home/office
Have your smartphone, laptop/computer ready to begin before your session starts
Turn off all background noise (tv, radio etc.)
Make sure you will not be disturbed for the duration of your appointment
Working to Best Practice
The Irish Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (IACP) is one of the governing bodies for qualified, practicing and licensed counsellors and psychotherapists in Ireland, and with whom Erich Keller has achieved Accredited Membership.
Recently the IACP issued some information and guidelines for members offering Online Counselling & Psychotherapeutic supports.
Online professional trainings:
Intro to working as a therapist online, by Michael O’Carroll who is the founder of TherapyHub.ie which is an online therapy platform and Therapy Academy.
Also, Telephone and e-counselling competences and curricula, an online self-taught course provided by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) which teaches a framework for delivering effective counselling via the telephone or e-counselling.
Psychological Processes relevant to Telephone and E-Counselling, Assessment of Clients for Telephone and E-Counselling, Contracting and Boundaries for Telephone and E-Counselling, Communicating with Telephone and E-Counselling, Text-Based Communication and Creativity in Telephone and E-Counselling, Managing Risk when Telephone and E-Counselling, Endings and Supervision.
The below paragraphs are taken from the www.iacp.ie website and are included here as an indication of best practice intention at Erich Keller Counselling:
The principal focus of the IACP guidelines:
Practitioner Competence and Training
Contracts and client suitability
Specific issues relating to working online
Professional and legal considerations and issues of jurisdiction
Client confidentiality and security
Protocols for security and appropriate platforms to assure safety and misuse
Focus of these Guidelines
These guidelines are of relevance to all practitioners engaging in distance counselling and psychotherapy, and should be read and considered alongside the IACP Code of Ethics and Practice for Counsellors/ Psychotherapists/Supervisors.
Positive aspects of working online with clients
“Clients with certain problems, including isolation, disability or social phobia, for example, will obviously benefit from the provision of online help”
Online therapy suits some clients, especially those, who, for one reason or another prefer the comfort and seclusion of their own homes. Other clients may value the anonymity certain forms of online counselling provide. In addition, online therapy is by definition, available over a large geographical area which means that clients are offered a wider choice of therapists.
The flexibility in terms of timing is also attractive to many clients. Clients with certain problems, including isolation, disability or social phobia, for example, will obviously benefit from the provision of online help. These guidelines are meant to address a range of issues which are specific to distance technology and the provision of psychological therapies. They are not designed to suggest that this mode of delivery is preferable to conventional face to face counselling and psychotherapy. Most practitioners understand the evolving nature of therapy and concede that it is no longer limited to face to face personal interactions with clients.
www.iacp.ie