There are several factors to consider when deciding which web conferencing to use for online counselling.  Today I want to highlight I will focus on choosing a web-conferencing platform that fits how you practice counselling. As someone that practices both traditional and online counselling I want to ensure the web conferencing platform I choose allows me to offer my clients online the same, or as close to the same experience as I would give a client in my own office.

Choose a platform that allows you to perform counselling in the same manner as you would in a traditional face to face session.

In order to effectively perform online counselling I need the ability to perform counselling in the same manner that I conduct an in person session. For example, if you are a therapist that utilizes a white board, illustrate psycho-educational material, draws diagrams, or gives homework assignments then you want to choose a platform that allows you to perform those tasks.

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As an online counselling session begins I welcome them to my office and familiarize the client with my office and environment that is not visible via the VoIP technologies. Licensing bodies in Canada have a daunting task in front of them determining counsellors’ use of online counselling. Where does the counselling session occur?

My insurance stipulates that I am covered to conduct therapy that occurs within the provincial boundaries of which I am registered. So this leads to the question, where does online counselling occur?  I could argue that the internet is the taxi, train, or jet plane that brings the client to my office. Others could argue that if my client is in Ontario and I (the therapist) am in Alberta, the therapy occurs in Ontario.  The third argument, suggests that the counselling session occurs in neither the counsellors office nor the client’s home but rather a virtual space where counsellor and client meet in the middle. I know for a fact that I would be in big trouble with my licensing body if I flew to Ontario and conducted a counselling session. Having stated this fact, I have to truly believe that the counselling session I conduct occur in my own province to ethically see clients outside of my province. What is the evidence and how can we determine that the appointment occurs at the counsellor’s office? Basically, because the client schedules an appointment with the counsellor, determines that the client is coming to the appointment as opposed to the counsellor coming to their residence.

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