You may be familiar with online working and meetings or this may be new to you. Online counselling has been proven to be very effective, but it is different to face to face in several ways. This information sheet is to help you get the most out of your sessions.
- The first thing to decide is which device you are going to use for the meeting, it can be your phone, a tablet, laptop or desk top pc. Ensure whichever device you are going to use has all the updates installed so that your machine is protected from virus
- Make sure you have a power connection and that your battery is fully charged – video conferencing can use more power than a phone call.
- It’s useful to have an alternative method of communication, such as a mobile phone where you can be contacted if the connection or first choice of device fails.
- Use a secured wifi signal & try to avoid using a public wifi service.
- Ensure the room you are going to use is private, comfortable and has a good wifi connection, with no chance of you being disturbed.
- It may be a good idea to bring a drink, a notepad a pen and some tissues to the room with you.
- Prior to your appointment you will be sent a link that you may click for on-screen instructions on how to join the ‘meeting’. On some devices it will ask you to download an app, so do follow the instructions & it will bring you to our ‘meeting room’. (Don’t worry if this takes you a few minutes the first time – it will be quicker next meeting). The counsellor will start the meeting as close to “time” as possible and if you are running late, we would be grateful if you could kindly let us know.
- At the bottom of your screen you should see a list of options that allow you to mute your mic or turn off your camera. The counsellor always set the meeting up so that these are turned on when we enter the meeting but if they can’t hear you or you them, this is where we can solve those problems.
- Most devices have a built-in mic and camera which will be more than enough for our meeting – counsellors use earphones to ensure best privacy, so you may want to consider this too.
- It can be helpful to have somewhere to place your device so that you do not have to hold it, and so that you can see the counsellor clearly.
- If we lose connection, the counsellor will contact you on the number you have provided.
- In our first session the counsellor will talk about how we will work and how the counsellor will ensure your safety.
- As with our face to face sessions, the counsellor will be responsible for timings and will aim to let you know circa 5-10 minutes prior to the end of our session so we are prepared for the session ending and so we may organise the next appointment where applicable
- Payment for online sessions are preferable prior to meeting and details of how to pay will be sent to you.