• Do you want to think, reflect on and express your own narrative and get it heard?
• Do you want focused and goal orientated sessions which could get results fast?
• Try Email Counselling and… discover the power of the written word!

PLEASE NOTE:

If you are currently feeling suicidal, my email counselling will not be suitable. Please contact The Samaritans on 116123; call your GP or please visit A&E at your local hospital where qualified Psychiatrists will be able to help you. 

What is Email Counselling?

Email Counselling takes the form of a series of exchanges, rather like corresponding by letter. Another way to imagine it, is like having a diary/journal that answers back with reflections, observations and exploratory questions. Perhaps you are looking for help for a specific problem or you’d like to explore and acquire a deeper understanding of yourself. Either is welcomed and everything in-between. 

The Benefits

• Available worldwide, 24 hours a day.
• Sessions are securely conducted via encrypted email.
• No need to book a session time, just pay and send your email.
• Email Counselling may benefit people who might find face-to-face counselling difficult for any number of reasons, perhaps due to lack of childcare; location; inability to travel; shyness; shame; hearing loss; disability; mobility or other constraints. Email counselling can also benefit Expats seeking counselling in countries where their native language is not spoken. You may live in shared accommodation or have family around you that makes it difficult to find a safe and confidential space to talk. Email Counselling might suit you simply because you love to write, are introspective and like to express yourself non-verbally. 
• Email Counselling is easily accessible and convenient. You can express your thoughts at any time, (i.e. whilst sitting in the park, on a train journey, during a break at work, whilst abroad or while relaxed at home). You decide where and when you write to your counsellor and how frequently.
• You can write about your thoughts, feelings and experiences at the very time they occur – therefore allowing your counsellor to also experience a little of what you feel. This is a massive benefit as often in face-to-face sessions, by the time a person relays their experience – the raw emotions have passed by. 
• You have unlimited time to reflect on your situation and put your feelings and thoughts into words.
• The act of writing out thoughts and feelings can be therapeutic in itself and seeing them in black and white before you can be a powerful acknowledgement and help to build acceptance of your feelings and experiences. 
• It may be easier to disclose difficult feelings or information from the comfort and safety of your own environment and without physically seeing a therapist reaction. 
• What can sometimes take two or three weeks to cover in face-to-face sessions is often addressed in one email, meaning that the overall number of sessions required is reduced, reducing the cost of therapy. 
• Your counsellor has time to carefully consider your problem before replying. 
• You have access to a written response that you can re-read and consider before responding.
• There is less pressure on you to respond to any question or suggestion, as there is in a face to face sessions.
• You have the choice between using a computer, smartphone or tablet for sessions.

The Drawbacks 

Of course with email counselling, non-verbal communication cues such as body language and facial expression is not present in sessions. Partly for this reason, email counselling is not appropriate for more serious mental health issues, including severe eating disorders despite this being my specialism. 

I am able to assist somebody with a mild-moderate eating disorder via email counselling but strongly recommend that you have regular medical monitoring done by your GP and input from a dietician also. If things continue to deteriorate you should step up your support to telephone/face-to-face sessions either with myself if I have capacity or with another eating disorder specialist. Notably, if you are rapidly losing weight; under a BMI of 15 or have concerning blood test results due to an eating disorder, it would be best to seek the support of a multi-disciplinary team (and can do this via your GP). If you have an eating disorder and are unwilling to accept telephone/face-to-face Counselling/Psychotherapy, email counselling may seem less intimidating and a good first step. It is also much better than not reaching out for support at all. 

Requesting Email Counselling and setting things up: 

After you’ve made a request for E-Counselling via my ‘Contact’ page and we’ve had a brief exchange via email, you’ll be emailed an electronic Personal Details Form/questionnaire which you’ll need to complete and return to me. You may encrypt this initial document before emailing this back to me if you wish (to ensure data safety in transit). Once it hits my email account however, it will automatically be encrypted. Alternatively, your Personal Details Form can be completed over the telephone (07902 032 413). 

This form includes contact details, demographics, GP details, mental and physical health difficulties. You can share what your area of concern is, how your problems have affected you and briefly outline historical events leading up to this.

I will consider this Personal Details Form free of charge before confirming whether or not I feel Email Counselling is appropriate for you. If I feel it is, I would then ask you to register a free and secure email account with Tutanota.com as using an ordinary email is not a secure way to share personal information. Tutanota is an easy to use secure email service with built-in end-to-end encryption and state of the art security features. Both of us using such a system is essential for Email Counselling and gives peace of mind that your privacy and confidentiality can be maintained. 

After setting up your Tutanota account – you can then select the number of sessions you want to purchase (see fees page), make your initial payment and send your first email (up to 1000 words) within 4 days to the email address provided. You will receive a response as soon as possible and I aim to respond to you within 72 hours (3 days). Please ensure you check your spam/junk folder regularly as well as your inbox. 

Please do not hesitate to write to me with any questions you may have about your sessions, even if you feel they seem trivial. It is important to me that you feel totally comfortable about me and my service at all times. Any and all questions, comments and suggestions are both welcome and invited both now and at any time during our exchange.

Beginning your treatment

Once we’ve begun sessions, you are welcome to type about anything, in the way that you feel comfortable. It is your space to share your thoughts and feelings and an opportunity to express yourself freely and honestly.  

Each email received is allocated a therapy hour where I would thoughtfully read and reflect on your email and reply to it therapeutically. I will respond to your typed thoughts, feelings, problems and concerns with empathy, honesty, respect and without judgement. My response will also aim to facilitate new perspectives; insight and steps towards positive change. Please note I do not offer ‘standardised’ or ‘routine’ replies. Each response is tailored towards you as a unique individual with a unique set of circumstances. 

If you find our initial exchange helpful and want to continue with my support, you can purchase another email counselling session or purchase a block of sessions with discounted fees. I would then reply to any subsequent emails.