We can offer you our support using secure internet platforms designed for confidential therapy conversations. Some research suggests this method of counselling can be just as effective* and we believe it even has some advantages over therapy in our practice:

• You basically beam your therapist into your living space, which can make the transfer of skills learned in sessions easier
• Your therapist can get to know your home environment better if you would like to show it, thus helping create a more rounded impression of the life you lead
• You can practice creating a safe and mindful space for yourself, free of distractions, a great skill to incorporate into life at home
• All barriers concerning your mobility are overcome
• The physical distance to the therapist can help some clients feel more open so it is easier to identify and work on core issues

Mixed online and live therapy sessions

Online counseling differs from personal psychotherapy live in the practice in many ways. Your psychotherapist is generally going to get a less rounded impression of you from online work. Usually some components are missing that help us to form an overall impression of a person e.g. your style of social contact and many movements of the body that are not visible on the screen. It is therefore common to have at least one session in person before continuing work online.

Good conditions for online counselling 

We never expect perfect conditions  but here are some things that make it more likely to be a good experience:

• a good internet connection, if possible with a fixed connection via an ethernet cable at the back of a PC
• a private room where you are unlikely to be disturbed
• a backup telephone/cell phone line should the connection be lost
• a headset to make the conversation more confidential and improve sound quality
• someone to go to nearby after the session should you be likely to feel upset by themes you are bringing up or other safe strategies to take care of your emotions

* Germain, V., Marchand, A., Bouchard, S., Guay, S., and Drouin, M. (2010). Assessment of the Therapeutic Alliance in face-to-face or videoconference treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 13(1): 29–35.