COVID-19 Counselling

Counselling

All the Help You Need to Support Your Mental Health During COVID-19

To our valued clients,

We hope you are well and managing to steer through these trying and constantly changing times. During this period of uncertainty, it is important for us to care for our basic needs of health and safety, including our emotional health. Mental health during COVID-19 is an increasingly common challenge for many and we are eager to help our community through COVID-19 counselling. The health, safety, and well-being of our clients is our top priority. We are following the lead of Ottawa Public Health authorities to ensure we are providing safe and therapeutic environment.

COVID-19 Counselling Offered Through Virtual Sessions

As the COVID-19 emergency is a rapidly evolving and changing situation, we have made the decision to conduct the majority of our appointments online for the foreseeable future. This direction has been made following the directives issued to us by our provincial and federal government to remain at home and shut down all non-essential businesses. Our professional Colleges have encouraged us to provide video conferencing counselling as much as possible.  As psychotherapists and social workers, we understand how important continued psychotherapy care and counselling services are for you, especially to overcome mental health issues during COVID-19. Please know that we would prefer to be able to continue providing you with face-to-face therapy but at this time, we need to put most in-person sessions on hold. All COVID-19 counselling is offered through virtual sessions, or e-Counselling. Please speak with your therapist directly if video conferencing or phone sessions are not possible for you.

Ways to Maximize the Benefit of Your Counselling Session During COVID-19

Our psychotherapists and social workers are using different secure platforms that allow us to communicate with you through video conferencing or by phone. A few simple steps will help you take advantage of your e-Counselling session during COVID-19:

  • It is important for you to prepare for online psychotherapy sessions by setting yourself up in a quiet room.
  • We understand that many of you have children at home and you may by interrupted by your child needing your attention. We ask that if you can, please have your partner or an older child manage your young children for the duration of your session.
  • We may also suggest saving a special movie time for your children for the duration of your session (not something we suggest all the time, but we understand that your therapy session is an important time for you).

What You Should Know about e-Counselling COVID-19 

While communication and psychotherapy services involving electronic technology has numerous advantages (convenience, ease of scheduling, availability when both parties are not local), there are risks to privacy and the limits of confidentiality. Please be assured your therapist is using video conferencing or e-Counselling service which complies with current privacy standards required by their provincial college. If you have any privacy concerns, please discuss them with your psychotherapist or social worker. 

Prior to your appointment, your psychotherapist or social worker will send you an email with the specific online “room” address or video conferencing meeting invitation to use. Please check your email the night before to ensure you know how to find us online. When you click on the link, you will come to a page or that says, “Request Permissions” and clicking on this link will activate your camera and microphone as well as connect you to your therapists. Other video conferencing links will take you directly into the video conferencing window. Do speak with your psychotherapist or social worker prior to your appointment if you are not sure about how to use video conferencing technology. 

Please be aware there may be additional charges from your internet/telephone provider if you exceed your data or phone minutes while using e-Counselling (video conferencing) or telephone for your psychotherapy sessions. We encourage you to please check your data / phone limits to ensure you do not incur unexpected overages.

e-Counselling or telephone psychotherapy services have positive potential benefits including easier access to mental health care, continuity of care, and the convenience of meeting from any location. We hope you continue with care and treatment with your current psychotherapist or social worker here at Family-Therapy. If you have any questions regarding e-Counselling, video conferencing or telephone psychotherapy services, please do reach out to us. Please take care of yourselves and stay home as much as possible. We know that taking care of mental health during COVID-19 serves up a variety of challenges. Our COVID-19 counselling services aim to help you and your family get through the unusual circumstances of this pandemic with greater ease and reduced stress. Book an appointment online, today.