What can I expect from online counselling?

Today everything is really too much for me. Enough is enough. Now I’m going to tackle it.

 
Only what is actually happening here?And will this really get me anywhere?

What happens here is determined by you and your personal psychologist. It is an exchange in which you determine the content and pace. The counselling is tailored entirely to your wishes.

Whether it moves you forward in your concern depends on several things: Does my own timing fit, my motivation, the goals that are set? It’s the perspective that makes it!

A good contact with the counsellor is the basis for this.

Is my problem big and important enough for counselling?

Whatever conflict you are carrying around – whether it is bugging you that as a woman you wear a size 43 and can’t find shoes, the demands at work are just too much for you, or that you are at a loss because as a father with several children your wife has run away from you.

Every concern is suitable for counselling. There is no right and wrong here.

 
It is always right to get impulses on regain clarity, strength and new courage.
Suppose your concern is too complex and crisis-like. In that case, this will also come out in the counselling, and you will make a plan together with your personal counsellor so that you can also get good support on the spot.
In any case, you can only get it right here. Talking openly about it is the only default.

How does such a consultation work?

After choosing a psychologist together with our Welcome Assistant, you will be immediately referred to your psychologist of choice. Your chat room then becomes the common counselling space. There, an initial counselling session takes place, which you can experience in the form of a joint appointment (chat with writing, audio – optionally with video) or time-shifted messages. Here we discuss what you want, what your concern is about and what the counselling person can contribute to it – and when you can arrange a further conversation. Thus the counselling can really get started.

Then it goes there weekly. Step by step to your solution.

What does an online psychologist actually do with me?

The most important thing is listening (or reading).

In your chat room you have a safe place to unload everything for once and to sort out thoughts and feelings while telling (writing or talking).

 
This will bring you initial relief and clarification of the situation. Afterwards, depending on your concern, you will get suggestions to help you in your case . Depending on the focus of your work, your online psychologist will master valuable methods for clearing your chaos: Soothing and encouraging conversation, mental strategies, reflection tasks and simple exercises. Up to relaxation sessions in live chat with video: the range is vast and you can try out what does you good.

How often does a conversation take place?

Because you pay the tariff weekly, you also have weekly credit that you can now use by appointment or time-shifted messages.

 
Counselling is particularly effective if you make weekly chat appointments. This is the closest you can get to your counsellor and the quickest way to get to the root of the problem.

Is online counselling different from counselling in a practice?

Of course, counselling in front of a technical device feels different from sitting face to face in a room. Physical/energetic presence, body language and non-linguistic messages play an essential role in Face2Face counselling and therapy.
That is why online counselling should be seen as a very effective complement.

In counselling, above all, one’s own abilities are stimulated to reflect, to think, to mentally and emotionally order.

 
In addition, the quick contact via the messages has a very emotionally supporting effect and provides a structure that one particularly needs in stressful phases.

Does online counselling have particular advantages?

In general, with online counselling, you are flexible in terms of time and space and anonymous as a counselling seeker.

In addition, the apparent distance brings a paradoxical proximity effect, which brings you closer to your topic more quickly.

Every medium that you use in online counselling has further advantages:

• When you write asynchronous messages, you are flexible in terms of time and can then jot down your thoughts when it suits you. When writing alone, the feelings and mental tangles order themselves – and some order comes into the chaos. A “letter contact” with the psychologist can thus guide new reflections and insights.
• If you are less fond of writing, the audio chat will be very pleasant for you. Everything can be told, and feelings can be expressed directly. In this way, much information can be conveyed in a short time – which is very relieving and effective. More closeness and connection can take place here.
• If you prefer to sit face-to-face in practice but are prevented from doing so for various reasons (availability on-site, time problems), video chat is recommended. It facilitates emotional connection and support when you need it most.

What makes this counselling different from therapy?

The main criterion for counselling is that you have stresses that do not have disease value.

You should feel able to tackle your issue independently in everyday life with this help.

 
Without being massively restricted. Psychotherapy or psychological treatment claims to treat a psychological illness in a healing way. Online counselling cannot fulfil this claim.
On Instahelp, you will find clinical psychologists who have the expertise to recognise when people seeking advice are sufficiently stable and when (additional) therapeutic support on site is appropriate.

How long does counselling take?

The counselling lasts as long as you want it to.

 
You can decide weekly how to proceed. It is helpful to clarify your expectations regarding duration and intensity right at the beginning. Jointly set goals provide orientation.

What if I am not satisfied with the counselling?

Whether you are satisfied with the counselling can depend on several things, such as:

• Uncomfort with the counselling process as stressful issues come up
• Unclear or overly ambitious goals that cannot be achieved
• Inappropriate medium (written/audio/video)
• Insecurity in dealing with app and terminals
• Problems with meeting deadlines
• Not satisfactory contact with the counselling psychologist

There is a solution to everything: address your concerns directly in counselling.

 
Accompanying solid feelings may be heeded all the more!
Change medium, rate or make new arrangements that are tailor-made for you. If the relationship doesn’t want to work out in rare cases, changing psychologists will also help.

What if I want to pause or end the counselling?

Every journey together has an end – or not.

 
Some people seeking advice take a break for professional, private reasons and get back in touch months later. With the weekly cancellable tariff this is quite simple. The data-secure chat room always remains intact and accessible for you and your psychologist. That’s the beauty of it.
Even a goodbye doesn’t always have to be final. The “sparring partner” for a particular phase of life may continue to wait in the background on standby.

Change takes time. A first conversation can already make you feel better. Give it a try! Find a psychologist