With increased access to internet services, online counselling has become a popular tool for individuals to receive mental health therapy.
However, it’s important to note that not all services offer the same benefits and professional care.
Some online counselling services offer prices that may be much lower than other professional services. This primarily boils down to the qualifications and focus of the professional that clients will be engaging with. When considering the possibility of online counselling, be sure to research the qualifications of the professionals offering the service; specifically, if you will be working with a life coach or a therapist.
Therapists are professionals that have specialized in mental health education. They are regulated by an oversight board, such as the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario or the College of Psychologists of Ontario, and are expected to maintain high standards of ethical and professional conduct. Therapists focus on the long-term benefit and help clients recognize and understand thoughts, moods, and behaviours as they influence a client’s state of wellbeing. These professionals are trained to help clients work through life changes and struggles, mental health problems, relationship problems, family concerns, trauma, and a wide variety of other problems spanning through past and present.
Life coaches differ from therapists in both regulation requirements and overall objectives for clients. These individuals often are not required to be regulated by any supervising body and typically focus on motivating clients to make change in the present stage. This can include assistance in recognizing life goals and creating plans to help individuals achieve that goal.
Online counselling is not only convenient but can be just as effective as face-to-face counselling for certain individuals.
The effectiveness of this method of therapy is dependent on various factors. The specific needs of each client should be assessed to ensure that online counselling is appropriate to the situation. The location of clients and quality of internet access should also be considered. Consistent internet outages or long buffering times can interrupt the therapeutic process and impact effectiveness.
Clients should also be aware of their own ability to engage in online counselling. While being in the safety of a home can make starting the therapeutic process easier, it can also increase the amount and likelihood of local distractions. Pets, other phone calls, multiple web browsers, and other stimuli can all be sources of distraction that may interfere with your allotted session time and impact the effectiveness. Minimizing these diversions and committing to session time greatly increases the effectiveness of your session time, the therapist, and the overall process of online counselling.
Therapists maintains privacy through encrypted devices and private spaces.
When considering face-to-face therapy, professionals are guaranteed to offer a client a safe space in which to share their stories, thoughts, and emotions. These locations are specifically chosen and set up to ensure complete privacy for the client. However, online counselling changes this dynamic by removing the physical space. With online counselling, your therapist maintains privacy through encrypted devices and private spaces.
As the client, you should ensure you also have access to the same level of privacy and security offered by in-person therapy. This can include setting up or locating a space that is private, one where you cannot be overheard by others. Your sessions and communications with your therapist should preferably be done through a device that is not shared with others. If these options prove difficult, discuss some privacy options with your therapist in the first session.
Online counselling is a useful tool for individuals struggling with various problems. Its services are best attuned for those who find it difficult to attend face-to-face therapy. This can include working professionals with busy schedules, full-time parents, those living in rural communities with limited access to local therapists, or those who may find the process of an in-person session daunting.
This offered service allows clients to work with therapists though a wide range of problems, but there are some restrictions to note. Online counselling is not currently being offered for those with severe mental health problems, those struggling with suicide, or for highly conflictual couples counselling. It is also only currently being offered for those aged 18 years or older. These specific situations require more in-depth services that online counselling simply cannot meet with a degree of confidence and satisfaction. For those seeking therapy in one of these related areas, please call Bayridge Counselling Centres at (905) 319-1488 to discuss access to the appropriate service to fit your needs.
ONLINE THERAPY IS NOT TO BE USED FOR EMERGENCY OR CRISIS SERVICES. IF YOU REQUIRE EMERGENCY HELP, IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING COMMITTING SUICIDE OR THINKING OF HARMING YOURSELF OR OTHERS, CALL 911 OR NOTIFY POLICE OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY SERVICES OR GO TO YOUR LOCAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM.
Online counselling is not only convenient but can be just as effective as face-to-face counselling for certain individuals.
When meeting with a therapist, it’s common to inquire as to the education, experience, and focus of practice that they might have. Therapists typically have minimum education requirements such as master’s degrees in a psychology- or social work-focused field. This educational background equips therapists with the knowledge and skills to assist clients not only with life struggles and transitions, but also with mental health problems and disorders.
Each therapist expands their scope through relevant training and/or experience. The regulatory body of a therapist’s region, combined with ethical standards of practice, ensures that therapists only practice within the scope of their abilities. As such, not all therapists provide services for all possible problems. This ensures that therapists enhance their skills for their focus area and become competent and capable of assisting in that area. Forexample, some therapists focus on couples and relationships, others focus on anxiety and depression for individuals, while still others focus on working with children
Each therapist expands their scope through relevant training and/or experience. The regulatory body of a therapist’s region, combined with ethical standards of practice, ensures that therapists only practice within the scope of their abilities. As such, not all therapists provide services for all possible problems. This ensures that therapists enhance their skills for their focus area and become competent and capable of assisting in that area. Forexample, some therapists focus on couples and relationships, others focus on anxiety and depression for individuals, while still others focus on working with children
Across the country, therapists are typically registered with a supervising body or college. This registration ensures that therapists are following the regulations, as well as the ethical and professional standards of their field, and provides an external committee in areas of dispute. As such, registered therapists are required to only practice in the provinces or states in which they are registered and are in good standing or be familiar with the regulations in the province you are living in. This will ensure that therapists understand and maintain the laws set out within each regulating province or state.
Like face-to-face therapy, those engaged in online counselling can expect the same degree of warmth and non-judgmental listening offered by all our Bayridge therapists. Our therapists aim to work with you to sort through whatever emotional, mental, or behavioural struggles you may be facing while providing you with opportunities to have your story heard with empathy and understanding. Therapists will also work with you to identify and create goals and treatment plans, and will occasionally recommend relevant techniques or tools to assist in your journey to well-being.
To book an appointment, please call Bayridge Counselling Centres at 905-319-1488. You will be connected with an intake coordinator who will assist in matching you with an appropriate service. In this initial call, a brief intake will gather some relevant information to the issue you are seeking to address and pair you with a therapist that is trained and experienced to assist.
The specific credentials of every therapist vary slightly based upon education and additional training. Each province has it’s own registration requirements of therapists. If you are looking for a therapist that possesses specific credentials or are just curious as to which credentials your therapist has, you can look at our therapists’ profiles on the website or ask our intake coordinator when booking your appointment. They will provide you with not only the credentials of each therapist but also provide you with that therapist’s area of focus.
Although online counselling can be conducted from anywhere, it is strongly recommended to find an alternative location to a workplace to have your session. A workplace environment typically reduces the individual privacy that would be required for an online session. If the workplace is the only available location to conduct your session, there are some precautions that should be considered. First, attempt to use a private device for your sessions. Use of work devices can increase the risk of accidental information sharing or interruptions. Second, it is important to minimize the chances of being overheard. Locating a secure location, such as a soundproof room or your car, will help ensure that your privacy is protected.
Whether Face-to-face, Online or phone, all share the same expectations about informed consent. The informed consent makes clear that all information shared between therapist and client will be kept by the therapist in a secure and private format and will not be shared with anyone without the explicit consent of the client. It is important to understand that a therapist always has the safety of the client and others in mind; however, there are select situations, mandated by regulated bodies and the law, where a therapist would be required to break this confidentiality, with or without the client’s consent.
- If at any point the safety of any individual (client, therapist, or other persons) is at risk, the therapist is required to inform the proper services to ensure the continued safety of the individuals.
- If throughout the conversation it becomes apparent that a child’s safety is in danger for any reason, the therapist is required to inform the appropriate children services centre as to the situation.
- If it becomes apparent that a medical professional, such as a physician or chiropractor, is behaving in an inappropriate manner or is risking the safety of individuals, the therapist is required to inform the appropriate services or regulating body as to the circumstances.
- If the therapist receives a legal subpoena from a judge about the contents of sessions or access to session notes, the therapist is legally required to comply with the request.
The therapist will occasionally seek out professional assistance relating to a case or may be required to meet with a regulating professional as to the contents of their case. In these circumstances, a therapist may disclose relevant information with other psychological professionals to improve the treatment plan for a client. These professionals are bound to the same confidentiality requirements as your therapist and private information is excluded from conversation.
