Crisis situations are a common concern for eCounselors – and rightly so. To be ethical, counselors of all philosophies and practice settings need to handle these situations carefully. If you haven’t been concerned, consider that failures to make efforts to prevent client suicide account for 42% of the dollars paid in malpractice settlements.1 Thankfully, one can make prevention efforts and handle crisis situations successfully with online counseling (and telephone counseling). Emphasis on Crisis In contrast to in-person clients who visit a counseling center (which is a safe and neutral environment separate from their life-issues), online counseling clients receive help from within the settings where their problems take place. Hence, when a client says, “I hate my apartment, it reminds me of my ex-husband,” she is saying this from inside that apartment. This can increase the intensity of the counseling process. In addition to the uncontrolled setting, online and telephone counseling … [Read more...]