Online counselling and art therapy FAQs

First of all, don’t be offended, but you’re wrong.  We are creative beings!  It can’t be denied!  I know you have it in you, and we’re going to find it together!

Secondly, You don’t need to be.  Stick figures or scribbles on a page are just as useful to online counselling and art therapy work as the most photo-like pictures.  My own artwork is almost always abstract.  It’s not about what I think or see, it’s about your meaning and experience.  It isn’t even about the finished product at all, the process is much more important.

Read more here.

Arts Therapy is not only about art making.  There will probably be talking too, if that’s ok with you.  Or you might do some art or bring some kind of image to the session for us to work with.  Maybe it’s something you made, or maybe it’s a photo.  It doesnt matter too much because it’s not the finished product that matters but the meaning it has for YOU.  Thats right, its not about what I think either! 

If we use some movement or dance, we might experiment with positioning the camera so I can see you while you move.  We can definitely figure out a way for this to work online, and work well!

Read more here.

It means we’ll meet using the internet – on a secure video platform.  Don’t worry about it, I have several secure options we can use, and I will send you the link!

You may have heard terms like these, but they all mean the same thing: skype counselling, e-counselling, e-therapy, telehealth, i-counselling, and my preferred – online counselling.

That’s totally up to you.  If you want to use our time in this way, I support that.  There’s benefit in our being able to process your experience as it’s happening.  But if you don’t want to use our time together that way, we can use art you have made just before the session or any time previous, or we can use image and metaphor in our ‘talk time’.  We’ll negotiate this!

Read more here.

ART Therapy is usually limited to visual art, but ARTS therapy, or expressive arts therapy or creative therapies are not limited to just visual art.  I believe there is creativity in everyone, and although you don’t need to be ‘artisitic’ to benefit from online counselling and art therapy,  some people have creative strengths in other areas, and I want you to tap into your place of power!

No, sorry.  My practice is online only.  If you are unsure about this online thing, book in for the Free 30min intro session and just see how it goes.  You’ve got nothing to lose, no obligation and… it’s free!

The platforms I use for our online counselling and art therapy video chat are secure and encrypted.  I use an encrypted email platform also.  I will ensure there is no-one at my end who can overhear, or interrupt.  It is up to you to take care of your end, but we will discuss the things you should consider about this. 

If you don’t care who hears you, then that’s fine with me.  It won’t change my own commitment to confidentiality.  This means I will not discuss your personal details with anyone at any time, EXCEPT for these two situations:

1. If I am concerned you might hurt yourself or someone else, I may have to speak to your emergency contacts or local police (or other appropriate body in your country).  I will not do this without speaking to you about it first, unless I’ve tried all avenues and had no success.

2. In my part of the world it’s considered essential for all counsellors to have ‘supervision’ with a more experienced clinician.  This means I talk to them about my work on a regular basis.  I will not disclose any identifying details, but we may discuss the types of things you and I are working on in our counselling.  This keeps us both safe and ensures the best service for you.

Read more about working online here.

There isn’t a straightforward answer to this.  Many people find that between 6-12 sessions is what they need, while some find significant change in just 2 or 3.  Some more complex work might take even longer.  It depends on what you want to achieve.

In general – YES! It’s one of the cool things about being online.  We are not limited by location.  What does matter are the laws about this in your country.  My qualifications and membership in my professional body (ANZACATA) allow and insure me to work with people from any country.  If you live in another country we will have to check to be sure there are no laws in your country that prohibit it, but if that’s all good, then we can do this!  How cool is that?

For this reason, I’m sorry, I can’t work with you if you live anywhere in USA.  

There will always be some chance that the technology might fail us or provide a barrier.  I talk about some of these potential problems here.  In our first session we’ll make a plan about what we’ll do if this happens. We’ll decide how many disconnections we can put up with, if we will go to voice only, or text only and what alternative platforms we might try.  We will also make a plan for if one of us disappears into the cyberspace void completely.  If I have concerns about your safety at a time such as this, I have a procedure I’ll follow.  I have outlined it on the working online page.  

The most important thing I need you to know is that I’ll NEVER give up on you.  If we lose contact you can be sure it was something out of my control and I’ll do all I can to make contact again. 

I get it.  It’s a big step.  And you don’t know exactly how it’s all going to go.  Maybe you’ve never tried counselling before, or maybe you have and it wasn’t that great. 

I believe strongly that counselling works best when we’re a good match.  That’s up to both of us, not just me.  You need to figure out if you like me, trust me, believe working with me can make a difference.  I need to be sure your needs are able to be met online and that I have the skills/experience for your specific needs. 

We can cover some of that in email, and a phone call is possible, but the best way is actually to see and talk to each other.   That’s why I offer a free 30 min intro session.  It’s to introduce both of us!

With this online Intro, you won’t need to go anywhere to do it (bonus!), and it gives us a clue as to if the online thing will work for you in the longer term as well!

If you decide not to go ahead and book a regular appointment after that, I will not be offended. And I promise I will not let it be awkward!  In fact I’ll do all I can to help you find the kind of support you’re looking for. 

Both of us have some things to consider before making the decision to embark on this journey together.  I have put some of them a together in one place for you to think about.  We can discuss any concerns you have in our Free Intro session, before you go ahead and book a first full session. 

I need to consider whether there are safety concerns, and whether I have the skills and experience you need in a counsellor.  I will make my decision during our first meeting.

Then comes the fun stuff!  If you want to make art at any point (in or out of session) you need to gather some supplies.  Here’s a bit of a guide with some ideas and a bit more information about art supplies.

If you choose to, you can take 10 – 15 mins immediately before each session to do a quick image expressing how you are feeling or what has been going on in your life.  We can begin our session looking at this.  But don’t worry about that for our first meeting!

I’ve found in my work that gender is not as important as a good match in the ways we think – the way we are in the world.  If you think we will be a good fit, I’m more than happy to work with you.  Don’t worry, I have worked with other men, you won’t be my guinea pig!