Practicalities of Online Counselling

How It Works

I offer counselling by email. Firstly you fill in the introductory form, then you pay for a session via the Paypal page which appears after you have submitted the form. I will reply within two days.

You can then choose between two options, which have emerged and been fine-tuned during the first year or so of my online therapy work. The options are explained below:

Session Time

If you choose the session time option, you can write as many emails as you want to during a given week. I will read them as they come in, and respond at a set time which we agree between us, devoting a full counselling hour, i.e. 50 minutes, to my response. This method offers the possibility of live exchange during the session, and certainty about when you will receive a reply.

Email Exchange (asynchronous)

If you choose the asynchronous email exchange option you will also be able to send as many emails as you like during a given week. I will reply to each one as I receive it (within 2 days, excluding weekends).

I will let you know at the end of each email how much time I spent writing it, and how much ‘session time’ we have used up. I will not go ‘over time’ and write into another session which has not yet been paid for, but let you know that the session time is up, and stop writing. If, when we decide to stop therapy, there is more than half of a paid-for session unused, I will refund you in full for the last session.

Some people find that this option offers a more relaxed and conversational exchange, which is easier to fit into their schedules. Responses may be more detailed without the pressure of time. It also removes the problems sometimes posed by differences in time zones when setting up appointments. I am, however, aware that there is also an issue of trust, as you have no way of verifying how much time I spend writing.

Flexibility

Once you have chosen an option to start with, you aren’t stuck with it forever. We can alternate these ways of working or we can switch entirely to another option if we find it suits better. I aim to be as responsive and flexible as possible, and adjust things so that they work the best for you, and adapt to changing needs.

Fees

• Session Time Option: One week of reading your emails and a one hour reply costs 45 GBP (British pounds).
• Asynchronous Email Exchange Option: 50 minutes of writing time in response to your emails constitutes a session and costs 45 GBP (British pounds).

The sessions must be paid for in advance, and you can buy up to six at any one time.

Payment Method

PayPal is preferred, but if you have an alternative method of payment that you wish to discuss with me, please email me a query. For clients from Britain, bank transfers may be a good option.

Refunds

If I have not had any communication from you for a period of three weeks, and you have not told me about this in advance, I will write to you to ask whether you wish to continue counselling. If I do not receive any reply after another week, I will assume that you would like to terminate our counselling relationship and refund any unused counselling hours to you in full.

If, during the ‘trial period’ of our work together, one or the other of us decides not to continue, or if you choose to terminate earlier than you planned, the same applies, you will receive a full refund of unused counselling hours.

If you should ‘disappear’ without supplying a valid email address or PayPal account, I will make every effort to refund you. However if 28 days pass after my first attempt to refund you, you will lose your money.