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OLT TALKS 2015-16 at onlinevents.co.uk
A SERIES OF TALKS using speakers from Online Training for Counsellors Ltd. (OLT) who talk about how they integrate the internet into their working practice.
Monday March 7th 2015 1900-2000 (GMT)
The Internet and Me
Keeping My Head Above the Cyber Parapet
My Life Online
Suzie Mosson
In this interview John & Suzie will explore the impact of working online, offline and some thoughts on how they can be mitigated in order to maintain a work life balance. Bearing in mind the many roles each of have, whether they be parent, partner, colleague or friend it can be difficult to maintain connections without feeling overstretched. Cyberspace, having made our world smaller, can also have the ability to push our precious relationships apart. Therapy with both online clients & face to face clients in equal numbers on a working day is becoming the norm however our own circumstances may not allow us to be as flexible as email counselling suggests. Suzie will share how she manages her time in order to maintain balance in her life, dreaded (to some) social media tips and how actively taking control of the insistent pings & whooshes benefits her own close relationships.
Suzie has been part of the OLT Team since 2011. Together with Liane Collins & Maria O’Brien she will be picking up the reins of Online Training for Counsellors Ltd on the retirement of the current directors, Anne & Gill. She is a Sexual & Relationship Therapist, a casework supervisor and holds roles in both ACTO & OCTIA online. She also ensures the Scottish Association for Psychodynamic Counselling has a strong online profile. When not working Suzie can be found with family or friends, on her bike (which involves eating a lot of cake) or crocheting in her caravan.
#OnlineOLT
Working Online from Home – Gill Jones
Working Online from Home
Some of the challenges
This blog is addressed to all counsellors who use their computer to work from home whet
her they are meeting clients online or face to face. I began my counselling career working face to face first in an agency, then at home. Once I was working solely from home I found it difficult to feel that my working day had ended when the last client had left – there was no journey time between home and work to collect my thoughts and move from counselling life to home life. It helped to go upstairs and change out of my ‘work’ clothes into something casual but my counselling room held my piano and non-counselling books so the door wasn’t completely shut. In the early days of my 25 years in counselling I carried my clients with me day and night – in my head. I found myself thinking about them at all sorts of odd times. Gradually experience taught me that whilst it was important to think about and process the work I was doing, I could do this in my client notes, then mentally switch off that client until I saw them again when their presence in the room (and my notes) helped me recall the work we had done and were engaged in.
When I began working online in 2001 something else happened and I found it difficult to recall my clients. I had to re-read everything we had both written before writing my reply. This quickly turned an email reply to a client into a major reading project which lasted well over the allotted hour. So, even though there was a complete transcript of the work, I began making notes after each email much as I had done with face to face clients. This helped me recall the clients from my notes and continue the work without re-reading everything that we had written before. But working online from home brought other challenges – I found myself being available online to clients more or less 18 hours a day, 7 days a week and I never seemed to know when the day’s work was finished.
Have you done any of the following?
- Ended your day at the usual time only to check for client emails later in the evening because you were online again (shopping, or gaming, or skyping relatives in Australia)?
- Noticed a new email enquiry in your Inbox at 11 pm and decided to have a quick look and write a reply there and then? [thinking it would save time in the morning]
- Suddenly realised you had forgotten to add something to your online supermarket order and shelved the client email you were working on to add it whilst you remembered? [giving yourself more work when you went back to the client email, re-reading what you had worked on so far]
- Worked on a client email on a Saturday or Sunday even though your website clearly states that you work Monday – Friday? [to save time again]
- Checked for emails on a Sunday evening to clear the spam out of the way ready for Monday morning and found yourself reading a client email? And even if you decided not to answer it then, you kept thinking about it?
I’ve done all these but I’ve become stricter with myself recently. I set boundaries with email clients
– they know on which day of the week our ‘session’ is (when I will be working on their emails). Live session clients respect that I may be working with another client if they see I am online between sessions and use an email for their ‘quick word’ which I will acknowledge and keep until our next scheduled session.
If I find myself tempted to break these ‘rules’ I challenge myself “face to face clients couldn’t contact me between sessions other than put a message on the office answerphone; why should I treat online clients any differently?
Why set boundaries? – my beliefs
- I believe that clear boundary setting and holding is important both for me and my online clients.
- I believe they need time to process what’s happening in the work with me and if I respond earlier than agreed I am not allowing time for this to happen.
- I believe I offer them better therapeutic help if I know when I am working with them and when I am not.
- I believe that being available 18/7 to clients turns me into a relentless treadmill and stops me being the best online counsellor I can.
I realise this is my personal way of working and won’t suit everybody – particularly if you are working online with clients in crisis. (I negotiate a time-limited different level of contact with a client who finds themselves in crisis whilst working with me.)
What does help?
Have these boundaries solved the problem of switching off from online work? Not completely, if I’m honest. It’s still hard to ignore an email alert that arrives whilst I’m online. Email enquiries generally, galvanise me into replying that day if I possibly can. Curiously, emails from friends and family sit around in my Inbox for days!
What also helps is to have as much separation as possible between my online work and leisure activities. Not only do I have separate email programs for work and friends and separate programs (platforms) for webcam or text sessions with clients and friends, I also have a laptop for work, and a tablet for out of work, internet activities. Nowadays I can more or less let go of work each day, leaving it safely inside the laptop and use my tablet for my internet leisure activities.
If you have found a way to switch off from work each day, please share it here. Gill Jones
Internet and me – Setting up an online counselling service
internet and me – the online therapeutic relationship
A picture paints a thousand words by Gill Webb
You will be familiar with the adage ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ but I wonder how many of you trust yourselves to let the picture do the talking when working with online clients.
For some time now I have been toying with the idea of using images both paintings and photographs rather than using the language of metaphors to express thoughts and ideas which may be helpful to clients.
With the advent of smartphones it is becoming commonplace for people to take pictures of their experiences and to share them instantly with friends and family with little or no explanation and for the pictures to hold meaning for those receiving them, so I ask myself what stops me from making greater use of them in my work?
During OLT’s General course students are asked to choose a metaphor or image of themselves as an online counsellor and because I choose to include an image to illustrate my written description students have often followed suit and their choice of images have so accurately reflected their written word that it has demonstrated for me time and again how powerful pictures can be in transmitting not only ideas but also feelings.
I have chosen to focus on this theme now because I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2016 and to share with you the Christmas card I have designed for 2015.
Every year we each send and receive many cards and I often wonder how much time is given to reflecting on the images and the words contained in them. I guess all of us know those for whom sending and receiving cards is important and those for whom it is not.
If you have time take a few minutes to look at my card and ask yourself what meaning this picture has for you. Perhaps all you see is a wintery scene with three bells and a Christmas message.
For me it holds so much more. The scene is actually the view from my garden and the bell shapes have been cut out from a photo I took of a stained glass window you may recognise if you have visited Ely Cathedral. (I wonder if knowing the background of the picture makes a difference to the way you now look at it) Perhaps you have become a little curious and are wondering what the significance may be.
It has become so easy to lose the spiritual meaning of Christmas. By including the three bells and the stained glass images taken from Ely Cathedral I am able to acknowledge in my own way why this time of year is important to me, whilst at the same time allowing those who receive the card the freedom to read into the greeting what is important for them.
So I will leave you with this thought. Will the recipients notice the graphics or will it be the words that matter, perhaps neither? What may matter to them is that they have been remembered and are being thought about and how life changing that can be!
With heartfelt wishes to you all and to those for whom you care,
Gill Webb
Online counselling on Malta – Anne Stokes
I’ve just come back from Malta and taking part in the annual conference of the Malta Association for the Counselling Profession (MACP). On Thursday and Friday evenings my inputs concerned e-counselling, while on Saturday I led the day on ‘Setting up in Independent Practice’.
This is the fourth time I’ve visited the island; the first three visits were to teach on the Master’s programme in the university. Online counselling has very little presence within Malta with the possible exception of Kellimni.com which provides free anonymous online support for young people. I visited Kellimni.com’s physical home some year
s ago when it was in its early days and was delighted to make contact with two of its current staff on this visit. It was good to know that they are still in existence. One of the ‘hot topics’ we discussed concerned the issues which arise when working with young people online, whether offering support or counselling.
The day on Independent Practice was opened by the President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. As Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity, she worked with MACP and was extremely influential in bringing into being the Counselling Bill which was enacted in March of this year. The UK hasn’t got there yet!
The President had spent the previous two days in the Heads of Government Summit on Migration in Valletta. Security on the island was high. My hotel was actually changed the day before I left the UK! I was due to be in a hotel nearby the Parliament building and it was realised that I’d never get in and out of Valletta to the conference venues. So I was moved up the coast to a resort hotel with 5 swimming pools – as the weather was superb, I made good use of one of the outside ones! Can’t be bad.
I think what always stays with me after time in Malta is the huge energy within the counselling profession. It’s alive, forward looking and innovative, despite being located in a fairly traditional culture. And the other thing is the kindness and generosity of everyone I meet there. I am already looking forward to my next visit – whenever that will be.
Internet and me – counselling young people online
The beginning of the academic year – by Maria O’Brien
Recently I was reminded of a promise I’d made to offer my thoughts for this month’s blog. As it’s my first time in this arena I wondered about my choice of topic, would I focus on academia or stay with my love of experience? Or in the words of a person I admire greatly “Does it have to be one or the other” a question I still haven’t answered J
Like many of you I’m experiencing the transition from summer into Autumn/Winter and the beginning of the academic year.
A short while ago I had the opportunity to observe young children parents in tow, making their way to what was for some the first day of school. Their pristine uniforms, shiny shoes
and new schoolbag’s 
were compared and excitedly discussed!
“I’m ready to learn all the lessons the teacher will teach us” was one of the comments I overheard just as excitement turned to uncertainty about stepping into the unknown.
Watching and listening to these children reminded me of my personal journeys within organised educational environments, the majority of which I was chaperoned (and paralyzed) by feelings of nervousness, uncertainty and self-doubt, some of you may recognise these as comrades on your own training adventures!
Developing an antidote to these imposters has taken time, patience and understanding of the components necessary for my learning. As an online therapist, supervisor and trainer my tools for study are similar to those of the children I observed. I have a few pairs of shiny shoes, many bags and items of clothing but above all a dedication to ensuring I provide an environment which is warm, active and engaging from which clients, supervisees and students can learn.
At OLT this passion is shared with all members of the management and tutorial team. Whilst there are changes ahead both the current and future Directors of will strive to ensure these values remain solid.
As readers you’re likely to have noticed and borne witness to my transition into the world of online blogging, I thank you for your company 
and welcome any questions/ feedback you may wish to offer.
Maria.
Breaking news! Please read!
Gill and Anne decided last March that they would like to retire as directors of OLT from the end of March 2016. The company has grown so much over the last 15 years and we have enjoyed being in the ever changing world of online counselling. The next few years will no doubt bring changes and revolutions in the practice of online therapy and training, so we had to decide whether to stay and be part of this for another decade, or choose to move over while still thoroughly revelling in this ever expanding arena. We have gone for the latter choice.
We are delighted to tell you that three of the tutor team are buying the company and will take over from the end of March 2016. Liane Collins, Suzie Mosson and Maria O’Brien will be the new owners and we will work with them to ensure a smooth handover both up till March and for a little while afterwards.
The ethos and values will remain the same, and we have invited the new team to say a little about their vision in this announcement.
Smiling at Anne & Gills use of the word “vision” as this was our pivotal word when looking forward. J
We are thrilled to have been entrusted with this opportunity. Our aim is to maintain and develop the standards and integrity of OLT, in accordance with the ever-changing legal and ethical principles of teaching and learning within online counselling and supervisory practice. We are fortunate to have such a strong framework of courses and the support of the brilliant team to ensure strong personal and professional working relationships one expects from OLT
As people, counsellors, tutors and directors, we will strive to always do the best – and be the best – we can.
onlinetrainingforcounsellors 