Online counselling
Just as in face-to-face psychotherapy and counselling, for online counselling, you need to take some things into consideration. If this is the first time you are looking for therapy for yourself we suggest you read our general guidelines on individual counselling and psychotherapy.
Online sessions suit people working away from London, living abroad, managing childcare or a health condition, or who simply find the journey to Pimlico difficult.
As with face to face psychotherapy and counselling, privacy is extremely important. Our practitioners work in a safe, private environment with no interruptions, so it will be necessary that you find a quiet and private space, with no interruptions as well, where you are both able to maintain privacy when the online counselling is occurring.
Although online counselling can give you a little bit more of flexibility in everything related to time and schedules because you would not have to ask for permission to leave work early or leave your house as long as you have a computer or a smartphone and privacy, the commitment you have with your online psychotherapy should be the same as the one with a face to face psychotherapy, so punctuality and being there for all of your appointments is also important.
Your counsellor may suggest at some point that you move the therapy offline and meet face to face. Although for some people online counselling is equally beneficial, some may benefit more from being in the room.
Our counsellors and psychotherapists use a platform called Zoom, as it offers more security and privacy than FaceTime or other consumer video apps. It requires an installation of a small program to your computer, tablet or smartphone. A larger screen i.e. laptop or desktop would help you to see the counsellor better. Although it is inevitable that occasionally technology may not deliver a hundred per cent results, it is important that we keep our computers up to date, have a good Internet connection and position our devices close to routers. For more information on how to set up Zoom for your first online counselling session, please follow our advice for our sister practice in Kensington.
If you think online therapy could be a good option for you, check our directory of practitioners, choose one and get in touch with them to arrange an appointment.
Ways of working at a distance
Video sessions
Most online work happens by video, on Zoom, for the same 50 minutes at the same time each week. Seeing each other keeps much of what happens in the room: expression, posture, pauses.
Telephone counselling
Some people prefer the telephone, and some weeks it is simply the practical choice. Telephone counselling works without a camera or a stable connection, and being unseen makes it easier for some people to speak freely. Sessions are booked and paid for in the same way.
Therapy by chat and email
Therapy by chat and email is written rather than spoken. You write when you are ready and your therapist replies within an agreed time, usually once a week. Writing slows things down, which suits people who find it easier to put difficult things on the page than to say them aloud, and people in time zones that make live sessions hard.
Online couples counselling
Online couples counselling works well when partners live apart, travel for work, or cannot both get to Pimlico at the same hour. You can join from one room or from two. The same guidance about a private space applies to each of you.
Not every practitioner offers every one of these. Their profiles say how each of them works, and it is worth asking when you first make contact.
