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Level 1 Cybercounselling

Spring registration is now open! Use the link below to register!

Instructors

Paul Parnass, Lawrence Murphy and  Sue Allen
(meet the instructors)

"Cybercounselling - Level 1" is a three module course designed for experienced counselling practitioners who want to offer professional, ethical online counselling to their clients.

Modules can be taken separately, or you can take the full 3-Module course. We cover video (Module 1), live text-chat (Module 2) and email-style (Module 3) communications methods. Pick one or two. Or take all three! Certificates are issued upon completion of each Module.

The full Spring 2022 course will run April 8 to June 30.

  • Module 1 (video): April 8 - May 5
  • Module 2 (chat): May 6 - June 2
  • Module 3 (email): June 3 - June 30

Course Description

Participants will improve their online counselling skills and professionalism. The course is highly interactive and personal with a low student/teacher ratio. Online group and dyadic processes are used so that the entire course is a forum to practise text-based communication skills. Participants from around the world will study and discuss assigned readings, learn about and use video, chat and secure e-mail technology, practise a diverse range of therapeutic communication skills and tools, engage in role-play, and receive clinical feedback once each Module.

The course employs a "practitioner-researcher" model and covers the three areas that are essential to the provision of professional, ethical, and effective online counselling services:

  • Enhancing the therapeutic alliance online
  • Ethical, practical and clinical issues
  • Technological knowledge and skills

 

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Clients need to know you exist!

And you need to make sure you're marketing! But how?

Learn more about what we offer:

Email Lawrence Murphy

Each week we check in, review video and written lectures, engage in online activities, and review and comment on journal articles or other relevant materials. Some weeks employ role-play and small-group activities. The 12 weeks are broken into three 4-week Modules which you can take separately or as a full course:

    Module 1
  1. Course overview and introduction
  2. Online ethics
  3. Ethical and practical issues in video counselling
  4. Clinical activity: Video counselling roll play with clinical feedback
    5. Module 2
  5. Enhancing the therapeutic alliance in text
  6. Clinical questioning techniques
  7. Ethical and practical issues in text-chat
  8. Clinical Activity: Live text-chat role play with clinical feedback
    9. Module 3
  9. Clinical activity: Text-based counselling role-play
  10. Clinical activity: Pracitioner-Researcher analysis
  11. Clinical activity: Mock client with clinical feedback
  12. Self-Assessment and graduation

At the end of each Module (after weeks 4, 8 and 12) personal clinical feedback is provided by the instructor.

Assignments are given on a weekly basis. Every Friday evening a new session will be activated by the course facilitator on our Online Learning Platform. Students watch an overview video, review the lecture along with the course materials appropriate to that session and complete the assignments by the following Thursday.

Individuals complete their course work in an asynchronous manner. Because of this, participants can fit the course work into their individual schedules to complete each session's assignments within specified deadlines. Participants who have plans to travel while the course is underway will be able to continue their participation, as long as they have Internet access. The only exception is the clinical Video and Chat exercises during which you must be online at the same time as your partner to complete the activity (takes about an hour).

The workload involves approximately three to five hours per week. Please carefully consider your ability to schedule these hours into each week.

Read the Orientation Document to learn more.

Learning Goals and Expected Outcomes:

Participants who complete the course will be able to

  1. Use encrypted email and live chat technology in professional counselling relationships
  2. Use online client registration and tracking tools
  3. Demonstrate, in simulated online counselling relationships, effective use of at least five counselling skills that are unique to text-only cyberspace
  4. Provide resolutions for at least three ethical issues that are unique to each of the three online counselling modalities
  5. Critique or comment on at least six practical considerations that are unique to the delivery of video counselling
  6. Explain to a simulated online client at least eight unique characteristics of online counselling (i.e., client orientation to online counselling)
  7. Demonstrate, with a simulated client, the use of the practitioner-researcher approach to evaluating the online counselling process
  8. Evaluate their level of preparedness to deliver online counselling in his/her current counselling practice

Participant Feedback:

"It is an empowering and professional course that I would encourage all therapists to participate in."
- Phyllis, Ontario

"You [the instructors] were wonderful. The layout is clear and sequential. I found it a blessing to have such structure.... I appreciate the way that I can 'hear' your voice in your instructions."
- Victoria, China

"There is nothing that I can think of that I had hoped we would learn but didn't. I was most interested in learning clinical skills. I believe that I got that and much more."
- Peter, Ontario

"I really enjoyed the Cybercounselling course and have mentioned it each time I have spoken around Australia about my research. "
- Carole, Australia

Experiential Learning Activities:

Participants will

  • continually practise online text-only communication and relationship building skills in their interactions with other participants and the instructors
  • provide online counselling via role-play in the appropriate format
  • use the PrivacEmail system, including many of its features, in their interactions with other participants and the instructors. (There is no charge for the use of PrivacEmail Professional for duration of the course and 30 days beyond.)
  • receive feedback from peers and instructors, as well as one-to-one eSupervisionTM

Course Prerequisites:

  • A Master's degree in counselling or a related;
  • OR an equivalent combination of education and experience (Please email Lawrence or call him at 519-831-9141 to inquire about equivalency).
  • Comfort with, and extensive experience using a computer with at least the last 5 years using e-mail and the internet.
  • Membership in a professional association and adherence to their ethical code.

    • Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements:

    Both Windows and Apple computers may be used. Dial-up Internet access is slow. High-speed access is recommended. For the use of Chat the computer you use must allow Secure Sockets.

    Tuition fees for Level I

    (all amounts in Canadian Dollars):

    The total cost for the Level 1 training is $1287 (plus taxes as applicable). Fees may also be paid per Module as the training progresses.

    Module 1 $429
    Module 2 $429
    Module 3 $429

    Discounts may apply! See the payment form for details.

    The full Spring 2022 course will run April 8 to June 30.

    • Module 1 (video): April 8 - May 5
    • Module 2 (chat): May 6 - June 2
    • Module 3 (email): June 3 - June 30

    To review the Terms and Conditions and register click here.

    For Questions please contact: Lawrence Murphy or call (519) 831-9141