Online Counseling

• Do you love technology and want to discover a new application?
• Do you need to talk but don’t have the time to go to a counselor’s office?
• Do you live in a small town and don’t want to see the only counselor in your community?
• Do you like talking on the telephone, reading books, emailing and chatting online?
• Then online counseling may be the right choice for you!

Online counseling sessions are conducted via secure and encrypted technology insuring privacy and confidentiality. The venues vary and clients may select either telephone, video/chat or email exchanges.

Telephone sessions are a viable replacement to the face-to-face office visit and allow more flexibility for both the client and therapist. Clients need to schedule a time slot that will allow them to be undisturbed and focused for the duration of our telephone conversation.

Therapeutic email exchanges allow you to share details about your situation, taking the time to formulate your thoughts and clearly communicate your concerns and goals. Once you have submitted your email to me, I will return an email with feedback, suggestions and recommendations.

Video-Chat has the look and feel of face-to-face counseling with one simple caveat the sessions are conducted via real time utilizing technology. This is in contrast to email which is not in real time.

The venue should suit your personality and should allow you to feel comfortable with our exchanges and the delivery of the information you receive.

Benefits of Online Counseling

• Flexible Scheduling Options- Choose telephone, video-chat, email or a combination.
• Convenience- Schedule and conduct a session from your home.
• No Commute- Online counseling is green! Reduce your carbon footprint!
• Anonymity – While I know who you are and I verify your identity, online counseling provides a sense of anonymity that may allow for easier disclosure.

These are but a few of the obvious benefits of online counseling. With ease in scheduling and the ability to conduct sessions from home, people that might not ordinarily seek out counseling can now benefit. For people that are differently abled including mobility issues, online counseling is a perfect solution. For people with busy schedules and long days, online counseling offers an alternative. People who live in rural communities will find online counseling a beneficial resource. Now technology can provide people with access and choice.

When you select online counseling services, you will be asked to set up a free Hushmail account. This is a secure messaging system that provides unparalleled privacy protection. Using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol and server encryption, Hushmail offers the highest possible protection for email and file attachments.

Firewall Protection

I use both hardware and software firewalls to prevent unauthorized external access to my computer. If you are concerned about privacy, I encourage you to add a firewall to your own system.

Password Protection

If others have access to your computer, you can use a password to stop them from viewing your documents and other information that may be stored on your hard-drive. I also recommend any session information or personal journaling stored on your hard drive be encrypted. Consider Cryptainer, free software that allows you to secure your data and ensure absolute privacy. For those with a Mac simply turning on the encryption software already installed on your computer insures privacy from prying eyes.

Workplace Computers/Email Privacy

Since employers usually have a legal right to view data on company computers, I advise you to protect your privacy by avoiding the use of workplace computers for online counseling.

Other Privacy Considerations

If you are in a relationship that is abusive or someone you live with does not respect your basic right to privacy, please be aware that the same programs employers use to view data on employee computers is available to individuals as well. These programs record every keystroke made on the computer even if a program such as Hushmail is being utilized. If you have reason to suspect someone of going to such extreme measures, then online counseling may not be a suitable option at this time.

Free email with automatic encryption, virus scanning and spam filtering. Sign up for Hushmail now!