Lectures

Lectures, seminars and workshops are tailored to each organisation to focus on what type of online communication is most suitable for their service and the client group or groups they work with. The content also takes into account the stage at which each organisation is with providing an online service, and what type of service is offered. Kate has worked with many types of organisation (click here for a list of previous clients), and has included counselling, psychotherapy, welfare, employee assistance, telephone counselling, telephone helplines, and befriending services.

Examples of what can be covered in lectures, seminars and workshops are:

• Introduction to online work in general
• Understanding this as a "new" method
• Types of online work - email, Internet Relay Chat, videoconferencing, forums, etc
• Theoretical models of online therapeutic support
• The concept of "presence"
• The Therapeutic Relationship
• The art of "netiquette" for mental health practitioners
• Using mobile phone text for therapeutic support
• Analysing sessions
• Criticisms of online work
• Practical issues when working online
• Boundaries
• Virtual Reality and avatars
• Cyberinfidelity - issues for practitioners
• The current state of play in the UK
• Case Studies
• Practitioner suitability
• Client inclusions
• Client exclusions
• Cultural issues
• The under 18 sector
• Contracting
• Legalities
• IT responsibility
• Confidentiality
• Fees
• Supervision
• Research matters

All lectures, workshops and seminars are illustrated by case studies