tips & tricks

5 tips for successfully providing online counselling

March 1, 2021 by Sarina Arefzadeh

Online counselling is on the rise. In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, most counsellors are now offering online services. Whether it’s through video or voice call, counsellors and their clients are realizing that not only is online counselling possible — but with the right tools, it’s highly effective. Now that counsellors and their clients have discovered that virtual therapy works, it’s here to stay. But counsellors continue to look for tips and tools to make online counselling a better experience for themselves, and their clients. Here are some tips, tricks, and tools to do just that.

1. Stay adaptable

For a lot of clients and counsellors, online therapy is brand new territory. We’re all figuring this out together, so it’s important to stay flexible with your client’s needs. While some may benefit most from a video call, others might feel more comfortable with a voice-only call, or text message check-ins. It all depends on the client’s current situation. For example, those living with families or roommates might prefer text to maintain privacy. But for those living on their own, audio and video on loudspeaker might feel most effective. The beauty of online therapy is how adjustable it is for every client’s unique needs — so be open to discovering which combination of video, audio, and text works best for each individual. Not only is online counselling convenient, but with the right tips and tools, it’s accessible to clients everywhere. Everyone’s needs are different. So meet your clients where they are, virtually.

2. Incorporate technology into your practice

When it comes to homework compliance, using digital tools and technology can be a huge benefit to your clients. A digital homework app like Therachat can help you with a whole host of benefits like checking in on client progress, sending daily homework reminders, check-ins, emotion tracking, and skill-building activities. Over time, better homework compliance helps clients reach their goals faster. And, clients already have access to what they need most on their smartphones. That’s why having counsellor check-ins at their fingertips feels natural and accessible. It’s about delivering care in a way that’s familiar to clients.

3. Balance technology and traditions

While using technology to your advantage can be helpful for counsellors and clients, it’s best to keep certain aspects traditional. Amelia Larson, MSW, RSW is one of Wellin5’s successful online counsellors. She recommends balancing technology with traditionality for best results.

“Im sort of old school. I take notes in a notebook. When we introduce technology into a therapy setting, it can divide the attention differently. In my sessions, I always use a notebook because I want to avoid clicking away on the keyboard while a client is sharing some of their toughest moments with me.”

Amelia’s strategy allows counsellors to take notes that meet regulatory requirements, while staying engaged with clients throughout the session.

4. Ensure clients feel comfortable

The intimate nature of counselling means clients are often unpacking the deepest parts of themselves. It’s best to ensure they are comfortable, so emotions can flow more freely, and so they feel supported in those moments. Encourage clients to intentionally set up their physical space to feel as safe and cozy as possible. Whether it’s setting the right ambience with pillows and lighting a candle — or practical things like finding a quiet space or putting on headphones. Whatever helps clients feel they are in an environment that’s safe, supported, and open.

5. Embrace small moments

When appropriate, counsellors can connect with their clients on a personal level to build a trusting relationship over time. Counsellors can do this through chit chat and small talk before diving into the more heavy topics. It may sound insignificant, but small moments of connection like chatting about goings-on in the city or hobbies is an easy way to build rapport and solidify connection. It goes a long way in helping clients feel less isolated, especially while many are still isolating at home.

“Clients will appreciate that you’re a real person. Find moments to be human. Be real. Be expressive. It’s about finding ways to be in the room when you’re not physically in the room,” said Amelia.

The small things can make clients feel supported in a big way — particularly while providing care at a physical distance. It enhances the sense of community that’s so important for mental health during these times.

Find success with online counselling tips

Shifting from in-person to online counselling can be an adjustment for everyone — but it doesn’t have to be stressful. With the right tips and tools in place, counsellors and their clients can successfully meet their goals together. For more ways to elevate your client’s online counselling experience, check out Therachat’s innovative features.

How counsellors and clients can look forward to 2021

January 2, 2021 by Sarina Arefzadeh

It’s time to look forward to 2021. Entering a new year is always exciting — full of goals, possibilities, and new adventures. But this year feels a little different for everyone. Some may almost hesitate to look forward to a new year after wrapping up one like 2020. We want to help you and your clients overcome that reluctance in practical ways.

Lessons learnt in 2020

In our last article, we covered what counsellors learnt in 2020, and what they can expect to take into 2021. Here’s what we found:

Be flexible: Meet clients where they are. Whether that be in-person sessions, video calls or jumping on a phone call.
Virtual counselling is here to stay: The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light just how critical technology continues to be in keeping us connected. Now that counsellors and their clients have discovered that virtual therapy is possible and effective, there’s no going back. The convenience and accessibility is important to clients.
Digital tools are a necessity: As the industry and it’s clients embrace virtual counselling, digital tools like Therachat are essential to ensure clients are staying on-track between sessions and meeting their goals.

For the full breakdown and more details, read the article on our blog.

How to look forward to 2021

For many, this year felt unpredictable, stagnant, and stressful — but it also came with many lessons. As we enter the new year, many clients, and even counsellors, may be concerned about similar themes. Here is what we expect will come up, and how to maintain a positive outlook.

Focus on what you DID do.

Not on what you didn’t. Many clients are struggling with the fact that they didn’t accomplish as much as they would have liked to. Maybe there were goals that were glossed over, or impossible to reach given the circumstances. Let us be loud and clear when we say: that’s completely okay. The world was not in its ‘normal’ state this year, so it’s unfair to expect ‘normal’ levels of productivity from everyone. Know that while wanting to meet all desired goals is great, it’s perfectly fine to not have met every single one — in a global crisis, no less. Just surviving and getting through the year is more than enough, and clients should be proud of themselves for that.

Thank yourself for how far you’ve come

This year hasn’t been easy. Maybe your clients didn’t get to do absolutely everything they wanted to. Maybe they had to cancel plans, or grieve losses. But the sheer fact that we all made it to the end of the year is an accomplishment in itself. Perhaps paused growth in specific areas left more room for clients to grow in others. For example, if they didn’t get their dream job, but they developed healthy coping mechanisms they could reach for in times of stress — that’s something to be celebrated.

Don’t put pressure on this upcoming year

While the world is moving towards normalcy, it’s not all the way there yet. And it won’t happen overnight. Instead, expect a slow and gradual shift to what we’re used to. That being said, encourage clients not to put too much pressure on this upcoming year, and themselves, to pile on goals for 2021. Remember that not every year has to start with a bang — taking slow and steady strides is an amazing first step. That way, clients can get really clear on what they really want to accomplish rather than rushing into half-baked aspirations.

Use technology to your advantage

As we enter a new year, counsellors can embrace digital tools to keep their clients on track throughout 2021. Therachat is a digital homework app that counsellors can use to support their clients from a distance. With innovative features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises, counsellors and their clients are always connected. Support your clients as they meet their goals, with Therachat.

Moving into the new year

For some, entering a new year feels exciting, with the promise of new experiences and opportunities. For others, it can feel stressful like a lot of pressure. As you and your clients look forward to 2021, we hope these practical tips can help remove negative thoughts and bring a sense of calm.

4 Tips for Journal Therapy – How To Get The Most Out of Journaling

July 24, 2018 by Admin

So you’ve had a few sessions with your therapist and they introduce to you the concept of journal therapy. Their goal is to keep a log of your progress, feelings and emotions to help further your reflections on your condition as you go through it as well as to create actionable ways to combat reactions. Week to week, chances are your therapist will lack insights into how your condition affects you and this can be very useful once in the hands of a practitioner.

Journals have been used for many years to help a running log of a person’s life or emotional state and the popularity of journals is only growing as their reputation spreads. Journal therapy is very similar to the popular technique of talk therapy used by many therapists to help you express your emotions by vocalizing your experiences.

We’d like to recommend a few ways that you can start using a journal to master your day.
These are all recommendations and advice for newbie journal users. Let’s dive in.

Starting Your First Journal Entries

Your first few entries will be difficult, what do you write about…?! And how do you go about writing it? One of the best starting points is to date your piece. This simple and routine task will help to determine the date to which you’re writing on and will help you in the future to see the progress you’ve made.

Many people start their first entry off with a short outline of why they’ve been asked to create a journal. This is a very open way to begin your journal and can help set the tone. After this introductory piece, the first entries will be easier to write.

Writing up your feelings and emotions can be a good starting point, whatever stage you are in treatment. The act of journaling is to be reflective but also present, so sharing your current state of mood can help towards building the best outline of you journal.

From positive to negative emotions, making sure to log all entries to how you feel will capture all of your moments. Covering all of your potential drawbacks to the best of days, the journal will give your future self a view into your thought process. This can be extremely valuable as you reflect on your condition and ever feel the need to understand or look back on your emotional state later on.

Making sure you complete your journal on a routine basis during treatment can be tricky, with all of the many other things to do during your day, it’s another to add to the list. Setting a simple routine reminder on your smartphone or using the reminders of your journal app, can help you to not forget when you have to fill in your journal entry.

Now, you’re sold on journal therapy, let’s dive into some useful tips for making the most of your journal.

Writing Tips for Journal Newbies

1. Picking A Journal App

Using an attractive journal will make writing a lot easier to come back to as a habit.

Thanks to the digital world that we live in today, it doesn’t have to be a physical notebook. There are plenty of ways you can log all of your emotions and thoughts digitally, securely too. The smartphone in your pocket can become a tool for collecting those valued moments for later analysis. If you’re looking for a strong journal application, we’d recommend our own, Therachat.

Using this free, secure journaling tool with journal activities created by therapists, you can collect emotions, thoughts and document your state through this application. It’s recommended by many therapists and comes with built-in reminders. An added bonus for your schedule means, your smartphone is portable and easily accessible allowing you to add notes at any time of the day.

2. Being Open

The best results of journaling come through being honest.

Inside of your journal, being as clear as you can with your emotions is valuable. Honesty in your journal breeds an opportunity to truly reflect on your emotional state. This open approach to your journal will help in real-time by providing you with the effective way to reflect on the events of the day or your feelings at that current time.

Getting started could be much harder when you need to be reflective. There are a host of prompts that can be made available through your therapist or even online allowing you a strong starting point to kick off your entries. Here’s a great list of journal prompts to get you started.

3. Morning Entries

One of the recommended times to enter into your journal is in the mornings. This potentially quiet segment of your day provides a window to add to your journal, distraction-free. Many journal takers love to enter their thoughts during this period of the day, after a long sleep allowing them a feeling of creativity to kick off their day.

A popular author and leading podcaster, Tim Ferriss recommends to start off your journal practice in the mornings for 15-minutes. With a cup of tea or coffee, he’ll sit down and enjoy his practice reflecting on his thoughts at that current moment.

Of course, you are able to enter entries multiple times during the day, however, a morning entry could push start your day with a sense of control by reflecting on the day before, or the day ahead.

4. Set a time limit

Your journal is a place to reflect. Once you get started, the practice is yours to adapt.

Setting a time limit for your entries is a good way to condense your writing and recap your emotions without the need for long entries. Many journal fans use time limits to keep things simple, setting a timer between 10 – 20 minutes long as a guideline to freely write about their emotions. If you see yourself as a slow writer, not a worry, set the timer to 30-minutes.

This has helped many of those journal users to keep on task and express all of their experiences in a healthy piece of writing.

Using your Journal

Your journal practice will get stronger and stronger over time. Taking your journal with you across the day is important. Capturing the stressful moment, concerns, and experiences will help to provide a window of control and venting. A lot of journal users love to have a portable journal in their bags to grab at any point to share all of their experiences.

Coming back to remind yourself to do your journal. A recommendation is to download a popular task manager like Todoist, or even Reminders on iOS to set recurring daily reminders on a routine, like journaling. Or you can use the built-in reminders a lot of journaling apps offer.

This will help reduce stress around making sure you are taking the time to do this.

Where to write?

We’d recommend going with what suits you best. Many people use notebooks, others have migrated towards the digital applications. Digital tools can be scary. The act of downloading an application, writing on your iPad feels very alien to those who love the feel of a notebook, but it can appeal to many lovers of technology because it comes with added benefits of all entries being available 24/7, having built-in reminders and many more.

There are a host of digital journal tools available now for your iPhones and Android phones making your practice portable to wherever you go. The power of your devices allows you to add photos, videos, day information and much more about your day to your journal entries. If you’re a tech lover and following therapy, you can also recommend to your therapist. Through Therachat your journal entries will immediately be shared with your therapist so they can follow you in between sessions and provide actionable feedback, giving you the best result from entering into your journal.

So whether you’re keen to use your journal on your iPad or on a fresh-new notebook, it all works!

How can your Therapist use your journal entries?

Bringing your journal to treatment will help your therapist towards tailoring the session. Remember your therapist isn’t going to be there during the week so they will not know about all of the experiences that you encountered.

Like with anything new, journaling will become easier to adapt to your daily routine. Making sure you add your entry will slowly become a habit, and your pieces will evolve into a fluid piece of writing perfect for assessment from your therapist if that’s the path you choose. Rounding up, through the use of a journal, will help to fill in the gaps and help to customise future sessions with you accordingly. For many therapists, clients (you) having a journal is a perfect way to enhance your treatment and further extend your homework to benefit your condition.

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Journal therapy is one of the many helpful resources for those suffering from mental health issues as it helps to develop a healthy routine of reflection and documentation. Make sure to follow along with our Blog to keep updated with all of the journal-related advice you need!

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Let us know in the comments below about whether you’ve ever tried a journal or have considered it? Or if you’re a journal pro, feel free to share what works for you!

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