Advanced Stress Management

A phone counseling session is just like a sit-down counseling session. You set an appointment, and at that time, your therapist calls you on the phone and give expert counseling advice for 50-60 minutes. The difference is that you don’t meet face-to-face.

Just How Private Is Phone Counseling?

For the most part, phone counseling is as private as you make it. In a Nielson privacy study, they found out that the larges privacy breach with any online activity happens in the home. You read that right. The personal privacy scare is certainly a threat, but the most current research would shave that concern down dramatically. Basically what they are telling us is that mom, who was purchasing a phone counseling session online at a website, leaves that website open and her child sees the web page and inquires about it. This is the kind of breach we’re looking at. The other privacy potential problem is having someone pick up on the telephone line you’re using for your session. Keep these things in mind as you start phone counseling.

How Is Phone Counseling Different Than Face-To-Face?

There are pros and cons of each. Often individuals assume live counseling is the best option but here are some issues for you to consider. In phone counseling a client will often share up to three times more personal information than in a single live session.

Here is some very interesting information about phone counseling. Phone clients are much more apt to cut me off when heading down the wrong path. I love that!! Why? Because we get to what counts much quicker.

What is the outcome of ‘cutting to the chase’ and sharing pertinent information up front? Therapy sessions are shorter in duration and the total number of sessions are often less than traditional therapy. Interestingly, phone counseling has helped me address these issues in live counseling, so, the wisdom learned from phone counseling can be experienced more readily now in my personal therapy sessions.

Phone Therapy Is Convenient!

Can we count the ways you can do phone therapy? How about in the car? What about on lunch break? Can you talk in your private office in the midst of a business day? How about in your pajamas? Can you work in a call while your child is taking a nap?

We all live in a busy world with busy lives. This is one way practitioners can adapt to people’s lives. Clients are very grateful for it. Other clients suffer so severely from issues such as agoraphobia that they cannot leave the house. We’ve counseled and prepared people to leave the house while on a cell phone and work directly with their anxiety right in the moment. Now that’s meeting a client exactly where they are at.

Is Phone Counseling Expensive?

You will be happy to find that phone counseling is no more expensive than sitting down for a live session. In fact, it saves you money! When you factor the costs associated with taking time off work, travel to and from sessions, child care etc., you begin to see the savings really add up.

Can You Really Get The Right Connection Through Phone Counseling?

The rapport between therapist and client is the highest predictor of counseling success. I use to be a non-believer and you will find many therapists that crucify phone counseling for this very reason. The problem with these therapists is that they have never done an official phone counseling session. The fact is that I have been personally shocked at the connection I can develop over the phone in just one session. It’e remarkable and it makes sense then that phone counseling is very successful.

Does Insurance Cover Phone Counseling?

In a word, NO. And that’s too bad because insurance companies could actually save money on mental health services if they did. However, it’s always okay to call and ask. I have been approached twice in the last two years by employee assistance programs requesting that I contract to provide email counseling and phone counseling. We now have renewed those contracts two years now. In the near future I see all insurance companies offering different levels of coverage for phone counseling services.

Do you really want your insurance company to get involved? The ugly truth is that there is a national health record database. This database can be used to deny you insurance due to “pre-existing conditions.” Of course we’d be hard pressed to get an insurance company to admit this, but many of you have already been laid victim to the nasty “pre-existing condition” clause. Keeping therapy private can be a huge life saver when you don’t get turned down because you’ve sought out mental health care in the past.

Can Anyone or Everyone Benefit From Phone Counseling?

Phone counseling is definitely not for everyone. Clients who are suicidal or afraid they might hurt someone should seek immediate help from a quality, local counseling center. In fact, these folks should seek emergency care immediately. The other gray area is working with someone under the age of 18. We get requests from teenagers for phone therapy and we do work with some of them. As long as they seek permission from their parents and we get the appropriate consent forms signed it can work. It does take longer as we expect a notarized consent form in the mail before we’ll even consider working with a teenager.

That being said, it should be obvious by now that phone counseling works. In one study, over 97% of those who’d sought online or phone therapy would do so again. It’s fast, efficient, private, flexible and affordable. If you’re struggling it’s definitely a try to contact a phone counselor.

Tags: Stress Management