Tutorial 3:
How to Handle Problems That Could Occur

This page was written by Dan L. Mitchell,
Senior Counsellor at Therapy Online

Normal Delays

You can expect to receive a personal TherapEmail reply to your first TherapEmail message within three business days. To pick up your messages, login to PrivacEmail.com. Please contact us if you don't get a reply within that time-frame.

After your initial contact with your counsellor, he or she will schedule replies to you approximately once per week. You may, of course, send as many TherapEmails to your counsellor as you wish any time at all. Your counsellor will normally reply once per week as scheduled. If you mark a message "URGENT" in the subject line, your counsellor will make every effort to reply as soon as possible.

When I send a client a TherapEmail, I'm eager to hear from my client. I'm sure you'll have similar feelings when you send a TherapEmail to your counsellor. This waiting period will make your counsellor's reply that much more important to you when you get it.

On the other hand, waiting could be difficult at times. I want to speak right from my heart now: I really encourage you, right now, to pause and think about at least one other person that you can talk to about your counselling issues if you find waiting difficult. This person could be a trusted friend or family member. Make a commitment to yourself to contact that person if you need to.

Unexpected Delays

If you have waited more than three business days to receive your counsellor's first TherapEmail, or if you have not received your counsellor's reply on schedule, you can assume that something is wrong with the computer equipment somewhere. I don't want computers to get in the way! We're trying to use them to help you! So, if they get in the way, just phone us at 1-88-THERAPY-4 (1-888-437-2794). If you live outside Canada and the US, call 1-604-984-2393.

Don't Lose Your Work!

Every computer crashes once in a while. If it happens while you are in the process of writing a message using PrivacEmail, this can be extremely frustrating. There are two ways you can reduce the chances of losing your work:

1. The PrivacEmail system allows you to save your work-in-progress.

You can do this frequently by pressing the "Save draft" button. As you do this, your message disappears and gets moved to the "drafts" folder. So, in order to continue writing, you need to click the "Drafts" folder, click your draft message, and click Edit.

This is the most secure method.

2. You can use Notepad (a simple word processor supplied with Windows) alongside PrivacEmail. For maximum security, we recommend Notepad rather than a word processor because Notepad does not autosave, so there is no record on your hard-drive.

1. In PrivacEmail, select your counsellor's message and click Reply.
2. Click your mouse anywhere in the text of the message and use Ctrl+A to select the whole message.
3. Then use Ctrl+C to copy the selection.
4. Open Notepad (click Start, Accessories, Notepad from Windows)
5. Use Ctrl+V to insert into Notepad
6. Click Edit, Word Wrap (on).
7. Use an external drive and frequently save your work in progress.
8. When you're done, select and copy your work from Notepad.
9. Go back to PrivacEmail to the Compose window (that popped up when you used Reply), and use Ctrl+A to select the whole message.
10. Now use Ctrl+V to paste your work into PrivacEmail.

Make sure you format your floppy drive. (Use the help system that comes with Microsoft Windows if you need to learn how to format a drive.)

If you have any other technical problems related to PrivacEmail, please check our FAQ page.

Misunderstandings

It is possible that you may feel that your counsellor does not fully understand what you have tried to convey in your TherapEmail.

Feel free to call your counsellor at the number he or she gives you to clarify. Or you can call our head office at 1-88-THERAPY-4 (1-888-437-2794). If you live outside Canada and the US, head office is 1-604-984-2393.

Likewise, if your counsellor has a hunch that you are misunderstanding him/her, he/she may discretely telephone you.

Strong Emotional Reactions

Sometimes people who are in face-to-face counselling feel things more deeply than they expect. Your emotions might surprise you, or (rarely) become overwhelming while you are writing or reading your TherapEmail.

I urge you to develop a plan to handle this in case it happens. I have a few suggestions that you may find helpful. Most of all, I invite you to be aware that you are in control. Let me explain what I mean:

1. Choose a good time to read your counsellor's messages, not necessarily as soon as you get them.
   
   • Before you begin reading, check your own emotional state. Are you ready to experience yourself, your emotions, and your issues in an intensive way?
   • Next, check your circumstances. Do you have privacy? Do you have enough time to read and think about what your counsellor says? Do you plan to respond immediately, or read your counsellor's message a few times before responding?

2. Continue to pay attention to how you are feeling, and read or write as much as you want or can handle.
   
   • As soon as you see that you have received a message in your PrivacEmail account from your counsellor, it is a good idea to press "Reply" before you begin reading. This way, you can write to your counsellor about your feelings and reactions as they are happening to you.
   • Go at the pace that you can handle. Take a break if you want to. You can stop reading if it becomes difficult, so that you can take care of whatever you are experiencing.
   • Don't assume that you have to read or reply to the entire TherapEmail message your counsellor has given you. You can do it in several sittings.
   • Talk to someone about any strong emotions you experience or just give yourself time to prepare yourself before going back to it.

3. Recognize that you need to make your own decisions about what is and is not useful. Don't assume that your counsellor is necessarily right. Your counsellor will make judgements about your needs and the best way to address them. It's helpful if you tell your counsellor if you don't accept something he or she has said.
   
4. Plan in advance what you will do if you need emotional support when you read or write TherapEmail.
   
   • I suggest that you look up the telephone number for the Crisis Line closest to you, and decide ahead of time that you will call them for emotional support if you need it. Crisis Lines are normally listed on the inside of the front cover of your telephone book.

Please let your counsellor know if you have strong emotional reactions. Please describe fully what happened.

If you find that TherapEmail seems to be inappropriate for you, please tell your counsellor how you feel. Your counsellor can then help you decide whether face-to-face counselling may be more appropriate. Limited face-to-face appointments can be arranged with me (Dan Mitchell) if you live in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and if doing so appears to be a wise therapeutic decision.

Crises

Emergencies, such as someone considering suicide or homicide, need immediate attention. I want to make sure you realize that, if any kind of emergency is happening where you are located, you will need to handle it without the help of Therapy Online. It just doesn't make sense to send your counsellor a PrivacEmail message, hoping that we will be able to help you at that moment. Therapy Online's counsellors are expected to check for incoming PrivacEmail messages only once per day (Monday through Friday, excluding Canadian statutory holidays). I, and our other counsellors, can definitely help you with what happens after an emergency. But we are powerless to help you while the emergency is happening.

Because of this, we have prepared a web page especially to help people know how to get help in a crisis. Please take the time to view this page.

Congratulations! You have completed the tutorials!