Online counseling and coaching

I have been offering remote counseling and coaching on online channels for several years, much before the pandemic and the lockdowns. As a result, I have experience in how to make the most of the online situation. In do believe, that online counseling and coaching can be as effective as the in-person sessions (and there is also research that proves that), but there are some factors that help make it really work. 

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How to prepare for an online counseling or coaching session: 

• Make sure that you are alone in a space that you feel comfortable and safe in. An environment that is quiet and where you will not be overheard, interrupted or disturbed.

• Make sure you trust your internet connection. The quality of the sound is essential. if the sound is not good, perhaps using headphones is a good idea. The size of the screen also matters: connecting via your phone is okay, but a tablet or desktop is much better.

• As much as possible, find a regular chair so you are able to sit during the session in a comfortable and upright position- as you would normally do in in-person meetings (as opposed to, e.g. lying on a bed), and please find a way to place your laptop/phone in such a way that we meet at eye level (as opposed to looking up or down). This contributes to our meeting each other with respect and trust.

• Please have a pen and paper nearby, in case we use a method that requires writing. In some cases, we may need some further materials or tools, I will, however, inform you about that before. Please also ensure that you are comfortable and have a glass of water to drink, tissues, etc. nearby. 

• Please reduce, as much as possible, any distraction. Ideally, e-mails or other notifications should not be popping up at the corner of the screen, nor should you be seeing your child or pet from the corner of your eye. In principle, anything that takes your attention away from your process will have an impact on the efficiency of your process.

• Please give yourself approx. 10 minutes to "arrive" mentally to the session before coming to the call. Setting aside 10 extra minutes after the session is also a good idea - to allow yourself to digest all that was discussed, before you return to your everyday life and duties.

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Practical information:

• To ensure the highest possible level of security of our meeting, I will only send you the link to access the session on the same day on which we are meeting. In all cases, I generate a new link for each new session. Please also note that since March/April 2020, when important questions and concerns came up regarding the security of Zoom, I have been working with Jitsy (which is currently considered one of the safest platforms). It works best with Firefox and Chrome.

• Please note that the 48-hours cancellation policy applies also in the case of online sessions. 

• Payment via bank transfer, card or Paypal.

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