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Level 1 Cybercounselling: Micro-Credentials

Registrations are ongoing

"Cybercounselling - Level 1" is a three micro-credential course designed for experienced counselling practitioners who want to offer professional, ethical online counselling to their clients. We cover video, live text-chat and email-style counselling methods. Certificates are issued upon completion of each Micro-Credential.

Participants can take a single Micro-Credential or choose all three! TO REGISTER , use the links below.

For questions, please email Lawrence Murphy

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 online communication skills. Participants from around the world will study and discuss assigned readings, learn about and use video, secure e-mail and chat technology, practise a diverse range of therapeutic communication skills and tools, engage in role-play, and receive clinical feedback at the completion of each Micro-Credential.

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!

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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 Micro-Credentials.

Courses can be taken in any order. Once you register you will be provided with login information.

    Micro-Credential 1 (Video)

  1. Course overview and introduction
  2. Online ethics
  3. Ethical and practical issues in video counselling
  4. Clinical activity: Video counselling role play with clinical feedback
  5.  

    Micro-Credential 2 (Chat)

  6. Clinical activity: Text-based counselling role-play
  7. Clinical activity: Pracitioner-Researcher analysis
  8. Ethical and practical issues in text-chat
  9. Clinical Activity: Live text-chat role play with clinical feedback
  10.  

    Micro-Credential 3 (Enhanced Email)

  11. Clinical questioning techniques in text
  12. Enhancing the therapeutic alliance online
  13. Clinical activity: mock client with clinical feedback
  14. Self-Assessment and graduation

At the end of each Micro-Credential 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 review the lecture along with the course website section 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 Chat exercise during which you must be online at the same time as your partner to complete the activity (this comprises one hour of the total course). The work load involves approximately three to five hours per week.

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., perform a 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 communication and relationship building skills in their interactions with other participants and the instructors
  • provide online counselling via role-play in video, chat and email
  • use well-known secure apps like WhatsApp and Hushmail.
  • receive feedback from peers and instructors, as well as one-to-one eSupervisionTM

Course Prerequisites:

  • A degree in counselling or a related field and experience providing counselling and/or therapy
  • Membership in a professional association and adherence to their ethical code.

Tuition fees for Level I

(all amounts in Canadian Dollars):

The total cost for the Level 1 training (all three Micro-Credential courses)is $1287 plus taxes as applicable. Fees may also be paid per Micro-Credential as the training progresses.

Micro-Credential 1 $429
Micro-Credential 2 $429
Micro-Credential 3 $429

Discounts may apply! See the payment form for details.

All courses run 4 weeks and conclude with a test of your knowledge. Start dates are:

Micro-Credential I: Video Counselling; November 22; January 10; February 14; March 21; April 25; May 30
Micro-Credential II: Chat Counselling: November 22; January 10; February 14; March 21; April 25; May 30
Micro-Credential III: Enhanced Email: November 22; January 10; February 14; March 21; April 25; May 30

To REGISTER Use this link to review the Terms and Conditions, cpomplete the Registraiton form, and pay through PayPal.

For Questions, or if you would prefer to pay through e-transfer, please contact: Lawrence Murphy