Online Counselling (Zoom, Telephone and Email)
The counselling offered is an anti-oppressive counselling and therapy approach, based upon the Working Within Diversity model and practice of anti-oppressive counselling and therapy.
*** Please note that in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I do not offer online counselling sessions via Skype. Instead I offer online secure video, instant messaging and web-telephone counselling sessions using Zoom. Zoom is a secure platform which complies with the security requirements of the EU GDPR and HIPAA ***
What is Online Counselling?
Online counselling provides an opportunity to explore a personal difficulty in a confidential and supportive environment. This may include expressing feelings that are painful, and which many of us experience during certain times in our lives. When this happens, it can be difficult to stay positive and cope with everyday life.
Online counselling is available to individual adults and young people (aged 10 years and above).
What can Online Counselling help you with?
Online Counselling may be able to help you with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, bereavement or relationship difficulties.
Not all types of issues can be resolved through online counselling and Myira will advise you if face to face counselling or some other form of support might be more suitable for you. Where Myira feels that online counselling would not be the most suitable means of support, she will make every effort to assist you in a referral and/or signpost you to suitable alternative means of support.
How does Online Counselling work?
Online counselling is offered via email, Zoom (instant messaging, video or call) or Telephone.
We will agree a weekly 'appointment time'.
For Zoom and Telephone counselling, this will be the agreed time to meet on Zoom or the telephone.
For email counselling, this will be the time you will receive my reply email. As I will need some time to read your previous email before I can send my reply by the 'appointment time', I will need you to send your email at least 48 hours before I send my reply (i.e. 48 hours before the appointment time).
Confidentiality and Security
I store your name, address, email address, telephone number and/or mobile number, and any information that you provide me on the Online Agreement Form. This form is kept in a password protected file.
All client session material is treated in complete confidence and is removed securely from my computer at the end of our work together.
Session notes are also kept. These are anonymised and kept securely to your personal information collected on the Online Counselling Agreement Form. As a requirement for my insurance, notes are kept for a period of 7 years and are then securely destroyed.
The content of your emails will not be communicated with a third party except for the purposes of supervision of my work. In this instance your identity will not be revealed. It is not permissible for clients to publicise the content of our exchanges or share them with a third party.
In respect of online counselling (Zoom and Email), the UK police force and other international government authorities can ask for access to an individual's email/ Zoom account where there is suspicion of illegal or terrorist activities. On this basis I am not able to guarantee confidentiality in circumstances which lead to access being granted by Zoom or a client's email provider.
I am legally bound to make a disclosure to the police authorities if a client reveals that they intending to cause serious risk of harm to others. In addition, if at any point during counselling you were in need of emergency support, I may ask for your consent to contact your GP or recommend alternative avenues of support other than online counselling.
For email counselling:
I recommend that online clients use an encrypted email server for sending and receiving email exchanges, this helps to ensure that our communication will not be intercepted by a third party. A free and secure email provider is www.hushmail.com If you choose email counselling we would exchange emails using this service. I will provide further details of the arrangements after we have made initial contact and completed an assessment form.
For online (Zoom) counselling:
You will need to have Zoom downloaded on your computer.
You can download Zoom for free from: https://zoom.us/
I would also suggest that you do not reveal your full name or any personal address details etc on your Zoom profile whilst we are engaged in online counselling appointments as this helps to maintain the privacy of your sessions.
How much does online counselling cost?
For Zoom or Telephone Counselling:
£60 per session (50 minutes) for individual Adults and Young People.
£40 per session (50 minutes) for FE college / university students, unwaged and counselling students/trainees.
For email counselling: £90 for 3 emails.
Payment is processed via PayPal invoice. An invoice will be emailed to you once a session has been booked in and confirmed. The invoice will need to be paid before the start of the session. PayPal accepts all major credit/debit cards. A PayPal account is not required to make payment.
To contact Myira about online counselling:
Telephone: 07864 523 545
Email: myira @myirakhancounselling.co.uk
