About the Events
“Behind the Screen” – An Introduction to a Series of Events Running through October and November Relating to Living and Working as a Therapist in a World of Online Communication
This session offered an introduction to a series of 4 events that followed during October and November 2017. The aim of the events was to provide an up-to-date overview of the opportunities and challenges that existed for therapists working in a technological age in 2017.
Each individual session responded to a different theme. The complete series helped therapists to make informed choices about the use of computerised technology within their work, explore safety concerns, reflect on ethical challenges and direct them to sources of support, advice and further training.
The events were of interest to counsellors who incorporated a variety of technological approaches into marketing their services, managing their practices etc. They were also aimed at practitioners who were offering (or considering offering) online therapy, perhaps through web-cam/video sessions, audio or telephone communication, via instant messenger (IM) or through email.
Kate and Carole aimed to make the events interactive. At this first session, they introduced themselves, described their backgrounds and interests within the field, as well as set the scene for the programme ahead. Those who attended live had a chance to raise points of interest for inclusion in the subsequent sessions.
“Behind the Screen” – Session 1 – Online Presence and Social Media for Therapists: Setting Up an Online Practice in a Technological Era
These days many therapists consider setting up an online practice, a consideration which is often driven by client demand. Setting up online has its own challenges and may feel overwhelming, especially for those less familiar with technological approaches. There are many easy-to-use solutions available to help us run and promote our businesses positively.
Thinking about our online presence is a good place to start; after all it could be where a client first encounters us. There are practical, ethical and personal factors to consider, such as;
- What am I planning to offer and how?
- How ‘visible’ am I comfortable with being?
- Do I work with a website and where do I start with this?
- How do I feel about using Social media?
- Am I familiar with online Netiquette?
These and many other intriguing queries crop up regularly when at the set-up stage of an online therapy business. Kate and Carole reflected on their combined experiences to illuminate areas of interest and provided guidance for prospective and existing online practitioners.
“Behind the Screen” – Session 2 – Ethical Issues, Boundaries, and Contracting: Exploring Matters of Safety for Practitioners and Clients
Communicating with clients online in any form (whether this involves administration of your practice, setting up appointments, sending and taking messages about appointments or directly offering computer-mediated therapy) can plunge the therapist and the client into an ethical quagmire.
- How do existing ethical guidelines translate into the online environment?
- Is there a need for new ethical guidelines and are any in existence?
- What additional considerations do practitioners need to take into account?
- How safe is the online environment and how can we encourage clients to protect their privacy and confidentiality?
- How do practitioners set personal boundaries around their online activity and what do clients expect of us?
Questions such as these may arise on a daily basis within a contemporary practice environment.
In Event 2 of the series, Kate and Carole explored these themes and direct practitioners to a number of sources of support that can help clarify the issues, raise awareness of some of the pitfalls, and offer advice and possible solutions.
“Behind the Screen” – Session 3 – Working Therapeutically from a Distance Using Email or Other Methods Involving Asynchronous Communication
Do you engage in email communication with your clients?
Do you sometimes find that your client has told you something by email that they might not have told you face-to-face?
The first online therapies were offered by email, often with surprising results. Both Kate and Carole have researched this area in depth and proposed that asynchronous (or ‘time-delayed’ counselling) approaches might facilitate access to therapy for a wide range of client groups. They might help a client who was struggling with an existing face-to-face engagement to open up to his or her therapist. Working in this medium could also create dilemmas as a result of what Kate and Carole described as ‘through the looking glass’ effects. This was an opportunity to find out more and share your own ideas and experiences. This event proposed that asynchronous approaches remained relevant and dynamic in 2017, providing fertile ground for innovative and alternative approaches to therapy.
“Behind the Screen” – Session 4 – Working Therapeutically from a Distance in Real-time or Synchronously
“I sometimes offer the occasional Skype™ session…”
Is this you, or have you heard colleagues say this and wondered whether this is something you might do? Or perhaps you have questioned the process or felt uncomfortable with the idea?
Providing online synchronous therapy has become much more popular in recent times, as information technology has advanced. Many more of us are using Skype™, FaceTime™ and other apps in our private lives. Should we also consider offering these (or perhaps safer clinical equivalents) within our therapeutic interventions?
Therapists increasingly meet clients online in real time via webcam and instant message. Both approaches pose a variety of questions concerning suitability and efficacy. Working in real time in this way is often seen as most closely reflecting what happens when therapist and client meet in person in the therapist’s consulting room. However, it is important also to contemplate the differences that may arise both for practitioners and clients when they are located at a distance, behind a screen. There is much evidence that clients seek the convenience of engaging with a therapist from home or work locations, and perhaps part of the therapist’s remit should be to ensure that their client has thought carefully about the pros and cons and that both parties enter this arena mindfully and with awareness.
Kate and Carole looked forward to engaging in this exciting and contemporary debate.
“Behind the Screen” – Myth-Busting and Q & A Session
Following the “Behind the Screen” series, this additional session took the form of an open discussion forum where Kate and Carole were available to help with any queries that you might still have relating to the use of information technology in your practice and/or working as an online therapist.
We have been collating the questions that have been raised in the chat room during each of the live events and also responded to any new concerns that might have arisen since then. We liked to extend a further opportunity to separate the reality of online work from some of the myths that might exist in the imagination of both practitioners and clients.
These questions helped direct ideas for CPD opportunities that Carole hoped to be able to offer in the future through her training organisation (Diamondleaf Training), which she liked to structure according to the wide-ranging needs of therapists in 2017. This was your opportunity to let her know what kind of information and experiences you would value.
“Behind the Screen” – On Being An Individual Working in a Technological Age, How Can I Retain Authenticity as a Therapist in a World of Compliance?
Kate and Carole recently presented a series of interviews: “Behind the Screen” with John and Onlinevents, where they explored the many and varied ways in which we engaged with information technology in our work as therapists in 2018. They looked at the opportunities and challenges that arose out of its involvement in our working and private lives. Much attention was given to the codes of practice, necessary competencies, training protocols, and regulations that have emerged not only for therapists but for all of us as we strove to negotiate our communications with each other safely and ethically. We actively seeked guidelines and sometimes needed the provision of rules to maintain safety and professionalism.
At the same time, creativity was at the heart of what made us uniquely valuable to our clients and enabled our therapeutic relationships to evolve in individual, authentic, and meaningful ways. Were we effectively supported by guidelines and regulations or did we sometimes feel stifled by demands for compliance?
Kate, Carole, and John encouraged you to join them in a discussion where they explored ways of balancing our needs as therapists in an online world for guidance, regulation, and shared principles with an acknowledgment of and respect for individuality, creativity, and autonomy. Examples were brought from your practice that you might be willing to share any questions you liked to raise with your colleagues – they hoped to stimulate a lively discussion.
Kate Dunn
Kate is a psychotherapeutic counsellor, supervisor and trainer/consultant working in private practice, both face-to-face in the room and online using digital technology. She previously worked in a Higher Education setting as a counsellor. She has been working with clients and supervisees online since 2008 and has a special interest in the online therapeutic relationship, which has been the subject of her research, which has been published in a number of books and journals.
She and John, together with their colleague, Carole Francis-Smith, have presented a number of workshops and events for Onlinevents which can be found at https://www.onlinevents.co.uk/behind-the-screen-event-series-video-replays/
Website | Kate Dunn – Counselling in Chichester, West Sussex
LinkedIn | Kate Dunn
Carole Francis-Smith
I am a counselling psychologist working in private practice.
I currently provide therapy and supervision both face-to-face and online, run trainings for therapists considering working online (and other mental health/staff resilience areas), and business coaching for therapists setting up an online practice.
My doctoral research was in the Online Therapeutic Relationship from which I also became fascinated by online communications in broader contexts, especially where these impact on the work of therapists and the experiences of clients.
I have recently been taking a look at what can happen to compassion when communicating in online contexts and after a personal experience, produced a set of Netiquette guidelines which have been adopted by several organisations.
I research and write articles which particularly focus on the therapeutic relationship in online spaces, and look to support fellow therapists by keeping up with current dilemmas.
Website | Dr Carole Francis-Smith – Counselling Psychologist
X | @Diamondleaf_Tr
LinkedIn | Dr Carole Francis-Smith
Facebook | Diamondleaf training