Event Details

 

Communicating with clients online in any form (whether this involves administration of your practice, setting up appointments, sending and taking messages about appointments or directly offering computer-mediated therapy) can plunge the therapist and the client into an ethical quagmire.

• How do existing ethical guidelines translate into the online environment?
• Is there a need for new ethical guidelines and are any in existence?
• What additional considerations do practitioners need to take into account?
• How safe is the online environment and how can we encourage clients to protect their privacy and confidentiality?
• How do practitioners set personal boundaries around their online activity and what do clients expect of us?

Questions such as these may arise on a daily basis within a contemporary practice environment.

In Event 2 of the series, Kate and Carole explored these themes and direct practitioners to a number of sources of support that can help clarify the issues, raise awareness of some of the pitfalls, and offer advice and possible solutions.

About Kate Dunn

 

I am a psychotherapeutic counsellor, supervisor, and consultant/trainer currently working in private practice both online and face-to-face. Whilst working as a counsellor in a university setting, I established an online service and subsequently carried out research into the Online Therapeutic Relationship, supported by Seed Corn Funding from BACP. I have shared ideas resulting from this research in journal articles (including Therapy Today, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, and TILT magazine) and in the book: "Psychotherapy 2.0: Where Psychotherapy and Technology Meet", Edited by P Weitz, Karnac Books 2014.

 

Website: Kate Dunn - Counselling in Chichester, West Sussex

 

About Carole Francis-Smith

 

I am a counselling psychologist working in private practice. I currently provide therapy and supervision both face-to-face and online, run trainings for therapists considering working online (and other mental health/staff resilience areas), and business coaching for therapists setting up an online practice. My doctoral research was in the Online Therapeutic Relationship from which I also became fascinated by online communications in broader contexts, especially where these impact on the work of therapists and the experiences of clients. I'm an advocate of Compassionate Mind training/Compassion Focused therapy and have recently been taking a look at what can happen to compassion when communicating in online contexts. The Netiquette guidelines I produced are in the process of being adopted by the Compassionate Mind Foundation as good practice.

I have recently been taking a look at what can happen to compassion when communicating in online contexts and after a personal experience, produced a set of Netiquette guidelines which have been adopted by several organisations. I research and write articles which particularly focus on the therapeutic relationship in online spaces, and look to support fellow therapists by keeping up with current dilemmas.

 

Website: Dr Carole Francis-Smith - Counselling Psychologist
Twitter: @Diamondleaf_Tr
Facebook Page: Diamondleaf training