 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Frequently asked questions
How might online psychological therapy help me? In much the same way as face to face therapy, therapists listen to what is worrying, frightening or depressing you. They may ask about previous and current aspects of your life and /or invite you to engage and explore issues through a variety of creative medium. The dialogue is often illuminating and may enable you to see the problem in a different way. People can feel trapped or ‘stuck’ in a pattern of behaviour or a relationship and can't find any alternatives. Working with your therapist, alternatives can be investigated and a better way forward can be considered. Your therapist may feel that online therapy is not the best way for you to get help, in which case s/he will help you find a suitable alternative. What type of problems can online therapists help with? Most of the problems you would consider taking to a face to face therapist can be worked on with an online therapist. Many therapists list their areas of special interest on their websites and you can check out if your issue is among those listed How do I choose the right therapist for me? Choosing a therapist you feel you can work with may depend on how they 'sound' on their web page. If you are choosing a therapist from our Directory, we suggest you follow the links to the therapists' personal websites and check out several before making a decision. Individual websites give you information about a therapist's areas of special interest (is your issue among them?) or particular way of working; their charges; their qualifications and experience of working online and how to get in touch with them. What happens if I do not like my therapist? You can change to someone else. But we recommend you think carefully before doing this. Sometimes it is necessary for therapists to tell us things that we would prefer not to hear, or encourage us to look at things that we would prefer to forget and this is all part of the work. If you are having problems working with your therapist you should mention this to her/him to see if a solution can be found before making the decision to change. You make an individual arrangement with your online therapist regarding payment Do any therapists offer free counselling? Check the Directory listings. These will show you who offers free counselling and who doesn't What times do therapists have appointments available? ACTO is not an agency and all our therapists work independently as freelance therapists or for organisations. If you need an appointment you should arrange this with your chosen therapist or the organisation concerned. How confidential are the sessions that I have with an online therapist? Confidentiality is the cornerstone of psychological therapy. Everything you tell us, and everything that you discuss with your therapist, is totally confidential. On rare occasions it may be necessary to involve a third party but, in the unlikely event of this happening, your therapist would make every effort to discuss it with you first. Online therapy is no more or less secure than a telephone call. Email and Messenger communications can all be intercepted if someone is determined to. Online therapists take steps to ensure that their virus protection is adequate and up to date and their computer's firewall is turned on (so no-one can see they are online). If you are worried about keeping your online therapy private you should discuss this with your therapist before your work together begins. How can I ensure my anonymity is protected? This issue is best discussed individually with your online therapist What is meant by a Code of Ethics? This is a list of principles to which we adhere in our client work. There is a whole page about the ACTO Code of Ethics which explains exactly what these are. Click on this link to see ours. How do I set up a Hotmail account and/or MSN Messenger ? Go to www.msn.com. If you are having difficulties ask your therapist and he/she will send you an attachment which explains how to do it. What happens if I have a breakdown in my computer system ? Your therapist will discuss this with you at the beginning of your work together and you will set up an agreed emergency contact procedure between you. What happens if I book a live session and my online therapist is ill or if I cannot keep my online appointment? Your therapist will discuss these and other potential problems with you before you start work. What if I have concerns about things my online therapist is saying to me or if I want to make a complaint about her/him? In the first instance, please try to discuss your concerns with your online therapist. If you feel you cannot resolve the issue between you and your online therapist is a member of ACTO, you may write to our Professional Conduct Officer stating that you wish to make a complaint about an ACTO member. Our
guidelines
explain the procedure that will be followed if you do this. |
