Online Therapy / Online Counselling
Counselling by Teams
What is Teams?: Teams is a free, high quality video conferencing program that allows us to see and hear each other using your computer and a webcam and microphone. It also allows text. Teams is free to download off the internet, easy to install and set up, is free of adware/malware/spyware etc and most importantly is confidential. Teams is a “Live” medium i.e. that we will communicate in real time.
Counselling by Teams is for one hour at a time agreed between ourselves. Once we have agreed a day and a time I will send you a Teams invite. .At the prearranged time I will contact you via Teams. Teams sessions can be recorded if you would like them to be so you can go over them again at another time. However we will discuss this aspect before we start counselling. I would however ask you to bear in mind that at all times our counselling communications are confidential and should be treated as such and not shared with any third party.
Technical Issues: When dealing with technology, unfortunately anything can go wrong. Although in my experience these times are very few. However, if you were unable to get online you may wish to leave me a text or telephone message on 07563 210718 and I would do the same for you on the number you have provided.
Confidentiality: Online sessions are bound by the same code of ethics as f2f counselling in that both parties agree to keep the details discussed within a session confidential. As an ethical counsellor I do attend supervision in order that I can give the best possible service to you. However this again is totally confidential and any details discussed would be anonymous. I follow the Guidelines for Good Practice for my professional body for which I am member.
Working online is a very secure medium, providing some basic issues are put into place before counselling starts. For instance it is not desirable to use a shared or work computer. However sometimes this may be unavoidable so if this is the case it is essential to take some of the precautions to keep yourself safe such as making sure you are not overlooked or disturbed – so ideally a secure and quiet environment should be sought.
Charges and How to pay:
Live session (60 minutes) – £42.00 per session
You can pay by bank transfer (details provided) Please note, to gain maximum therapeutic benefit, we need to be in regular contact.
Online counselling cannot provide an emergency service for clients.
About me, the way I work and what I can help you with:
My name is Jean Watson and I am an integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist. This means that I do not subscribe to a “one size fits all” style of counselling but use approaches that best suit each of my clients.
Counselling provides you with a confidential opportunity to explore your thoughts and feelings in safety in order to assist your learning, healing, understanding and growth. My role is to help you through this process without judgement or telling you what to do. I encourage my clients to be independent and to discover their own strengths. I will help you also to have the knowledge and internal resources to achieve that.
The counselling process involves your commitment, your honesty both with yourself and myself and a genuine desire to change. On my part I provide a genuine healing intent. I provide commitment, honesty and utmost respect for yourself as an individual as well as my therapeutic skills.
I work with adults over 18 and whilst I am a general counsellor and can help you with most areas of your life, I also work closely with clients who have either have a problem with alcohol or gambling together with their families and friends.
Guidelines for Emergency Contact:
In the event of an emergency arising whilst you are engaged in online work, I would discuss with you the appropriate support that you could access during this period.
If you found yourself in a major crisis and were considering serious self harm it would be vital to get immediate help. This could include contacting your GP, or your nearest accident and emergency service (A & E).
You could also call the Samaritans on 0345909090 or email jo@samaritans.org.
Confidentiality:
Online sessions are bound by the same code of ethics as f2f counselling in that both parties agree to keep the details discussed within a session confidential. As an ethical counsellor I do attend supervision in order that I can give the best possible service to you but any information discussed under supervision would be anonymous. I follow the Guidelines for Good Practice for my professional body of which I am member.
There are however an exception to this in line with ethical practice. If, in exceptional circumstances I felt that either you or someone else were in danger or at risk of harm, whilst I would first attempt to discuss with you the possibility of breaking confidentiality, if the risk was serious enough I may have to break confidentiality.
Ethical Standards:
I am a member of the NCPS, CNCH & GHSC . I am bound by their code of ethics, copies of which can be provided to you. I take your individual boundaries seriously and seek to work in the most ethical way.
Sessions:
If for any reason I have to cancel a session I will aim to provide you with 48 hours notice. Likewise I will expect you to give me 48 hours notice if you are unable to attend. I reserve the right to charge for a missed session where no or insufficient notice is given. If it is an emergency or a technical issue, we agree to make contact
In addition you have a responsibility to attend online sessions without being highly intoxicated from either alcohol or substances. I reserve the right to cancel or end sessions early should this become apparent. I also reserve the right to charge a full rate for the session. Where you are attending for alcohol or substance misuse as the primary issue, we will discuss together what is, or is not, acceptable use whilst in therapy sessions.
Number of Sessions / Ending Counselling:
When therapy is open-ended it is important that ending therapy is not sudden so we will regularly review progress to help determine the duration of our work together.
Record Keeping & Security:
All client materials are treated in complete confidence and are removed from my computer at the end of our work together. Electronic records are stored on a password protected device and/or kept in a locked filing cabinet. No identifying names or material is retained on these records as client ID initials are used to replace such information.
It is not permissible to publicise the content of our exchanges or share them with a third party.
Insurance:
I hold both public liability and professional indemnity insurance.
Complaints:
Should you wish to make a complaint about the service you have been offered please contact my professional bodies under whose conditions and ethics I work. A list of these will be provided on request.
*************************************************************************************************************
If there is anything you are not sure about, please just ask but if you are happy to proceed with online counselling, please complete the following information below and return the agreement to me by email having first completed some basic information regarding yourself and some brief details of the issues you would like to explore in counselling .
