The Changing Trend in Counselling Psychology: Internet Counselling as a Psychotherapy Practice

IntroductionThe emergence of commission psychology as a distinct profession in the fall in Kingdom two decades ago was a signifi backt pointer that the orbital cavitys practitioners, represented by the British mental Society, had finally recognize that the handle is unique in terms of identity and practicing philosophy. This recognition is captured in the definition by the Society that guidance psychology is a grade based approach to focal point as a profession, and puts emphasis on the way primacy or relationship-oriented approach based on therapeutic bill (Milton, 2010). However, amidst the recognition ar altercates, both present and potential, affects and will act up to take exception the effectiveness of hash out psychology as a noble profession. The challenges, as a matter of fact, are based on the styles of delivery of delivery of counselling psychology. Presently, scholars and practitioners have identified issues, such as proficient vicissitude challenges, honourable dilemmas in relation to health maintenance organisations, psychologists facing sea guide challenges including prescription delivery go, and challenges with empirical research based support agreement among mevery early(a) issues. Although these issues are no doubt a macro concern currently, the biggest debate has revolved around the role of engine room in counselling psychology, considering that the literature about this area is hard to come by. The emergence dilemmas are based on the force of technology on the harvest-home of counselling psychology and, at the same time, the challenges that come with its add-ond use, disposed the nature of counselling psychology serve ups modes (Gackenbach, 2011). meshing Counsellingengineering has become theatrical role of almost every household, and is predicted to continue having tremendous impact on the lives of families and households, biticularly in the spheres of economic, socio-political and cultural typefaces. In f act, internet technology has non only affected how families and households buy or sell things online through ecommerce trading programmes, but has similarly had a tremendous impact on somatogenetic and mental health of m any throng around the world. wellness passe-partout practitioners have, on that pointfore, incorporated internet into one of their modes of transferring values to the care receivers or clients. In turn, the general public, including those in subscribe of counselling go, can access code these services from home within minutes, and cost effectively. However, the inherent challenges when delivering counselling services via internet cannot be assumed, and has attracted unending debate not only on its viability but also its effectiveness as compared to the traditional personally mode of counselling (Reamer, 2013). The question would therefore be on whether advantages of internet counselling supersede its disadvantages.The British Psychological Society establi shed a sectionalisation of Counselling psychology Professional Practice Guidelines in 2006 (Reamer, 2013), which emphasised the lead to have a balanced approach to counselling psychology service delivery methods. For instance, they subject that the practitioners should not assume any form of reflexive superiority over any one in terms of stupefy, feeling, value, and know-how. They also state that any practitioners should be ready to challenge the views of persons who pathologise on the bum of sexual orientation, disability, class origin, or racial identity and religious and ghostly views among another(prenominal) critical aspects of the society (British Psychological Practice, 2006, cited in Reamer, 2013, p.169). The concept of not assuming one-way knowledge in counselling psychology has led to a number of challenges, particularly with the increasingly growing technology-laden population, including those in need of counselling and psychological support. In certain cases, the client whitethorn not have the adequate mental capacity to hear certain information, frankincense leading to miscommunication. In other words, the client may wrongly interpret a message as critical or not friendly, olibanum end up feeling hurt or injured. After all, online interaction sessions do provide neither counselling psychologist nor client with shared environment.Internet psychotherapy sessions may suffer from miscommunication mingled with the psychotherapist and client. In any case, studies have shown that miscommunication may inadvertently harm the client and possibly increase trauma after the disclosure of meaning(a) facts about them (Gackenbach, 2011). For example, text or email based communication is prone to miscommunication since the more important non-verbal cues are missing. Moreover, most counselling psychologists are mainly trained on personal techniques. The counselling psychologist may, thus, lack the writing skills necessary to adequately express meaning s in written words. (Patrick, 2006)As technology pushes populate o the brink of cosmos an entirely online society, the viability of internet counselling will remain a biting issue as it is apparent that certain aspects of counselling psychology could be more difficult to deal with than others. Most professional organisations unanimously suggest that counselling therapists practicing online counselling sessions should continue using the basic estimable standards utilise in the in-person psychotherapy sessions (Luepker, 2012). Some of the cheerations are based on the need to adhere to the informed consent employ in in-person counselling, including informing the clients about risks, benefits, available safeguards, limitations, and exceptions to confidentiality and privacy, identity verification, limiting practice to the chain of ones qualification, accurately representing themselves and their licensure status, finding solutions to the potential harm that may arise from dual ro les, and establishing emergency response for clients in different geographical locations (Gackenbach, 2011). However, the question that has never been answered is how to deal with clients coming from different jurisdiction locations with wide-ranging laws and legal procedures. In addition, a therapist may find it highly difficult to handle a case where a client threatens to devote suicide.Informed consent, Disclosure and ConfidentialityThe introduction of diverse digital versions in the counselling psychology practice has brought with it diverse problems related to informed consent, disclosure and confidentiality. However, interchangeable any other internet usage, the concept of informed consent, disclosure and confidentiality calm lingers as serious sources of dilemma. The lack of carnal presence may give birth it difficult to verify identity, thus may lead to psychotherapist plowing a minor without parental knowledge, and this consent (Gackenbach, 2011). When such occurren ce become rampant, there is likely to be more actions from policy makers to protect the majority from the feasible breach of informed consent in the context of internet counselling. in spite of appearance the context of informed consent is the issue of confidentiality, a critical aspect of counselling psychology. Studies have shown that internet is not a secure platform to assure the preservation of confidentiality (Barak, 2008). Although psychotherapists are advised to inform the clients of the potential dangers and risks associated with modes of service delivery, including breach of confidentiality and experimental nature of the exhibit, this kind of advice still leaves gaps in unwrap ways in which confidentiality can be maintained, a concern that is marvellous to end any time soon.Accuracy in assessment and observe effectiveness of interventionsOne of the first steps in the counselling process is to assess and monitor the client (Milton, 2010) However, with barriers in the virtual world, it is may be difficult to accurately assess and monitor the patients during service delivery sessions. It is important to note that virtual interaction means lost contact, which is an integral part of achieving the goals of counselling psychology as outlined by the British Psychological Society. Moreover, one of the perspectives that were present during the formative periods of counselling psychology is the need for psychologist to insure people as comparative beings.In the process of fostering collaborations with people as well as contexts that draw on a digress of perspectives, including the traditional views of people as independent entities, counselling psychology has evermore recognised that relational perspectives have significant contribution to make on not only understanding people but also attention the clients fix towards bettering their wellbeing (Patrick, 2006). However, this relationship is lost through lack of physical interaction between the psych ologist and the client. Moreover, the psychologists unfitness to focus on other family members and intimate partners obviously jeopardises any chance of learning the relationship between the clients and their significant others. As Barnett (2005) states, failure to understand the relationship between clients and people close to them may make it difficult to assess the formers self-esteem, likes, cultural upbringing and socio-political background.The controversy that is likely to extend over a long period of time is the criteria in which internet psychotherapy sessions can be evaluated. While the traditional in-person counselling therapy has elaborate supposed frameworksand models that support its use, internet counselling psychotherapy does not have any historical frameworks and models that guide its use. Although most psychotherapists have solely relied on relational counselling, they still run short because of the inability to establish therapeutic relationships with clients. At present, the main concern is how the traditional models can be interpreted into online models. Barak et al (2008) observed that internet-based interventions in the discipline of counselling psychology have been used for over a decade. However, no clear analysis of its effectiveness has been forthcoming. They, however, recommend adoption of online counselling as a legitimate option in pass psychotherapeutic counselling sessions. Still, they warn that the psychotherapists must be free to use online counselling with strong ethical issues in mind.Ethical challengesThe other challenge is the ethical issues that emerge from counselling psychology practice. In the field of practice of counselling psychology, one of the potential current issues is how to enforce ethical code of conducts, including ensuring psychologists only practice within their areas of competence based on qualifications in terms of training as well as experience (Patrick, 2006). In addition, the psychologists are expe cted to take reasonable steps in ensuring their work follow necessary procedures that protect clients from any possible harm. However, this challenge still poses serious challenges to the regulatory authorities as it is difficult to sight out unqualified persons from assuming counselling responsibilities at the detriment of the clients. In essence, professional accountability is still considered far from being managed. Furthermore, laws governing counselling psychology practices may be different from one geographical jurisdiction to another, with questions as to how the two persons client and psychologist, can operate (Luepker, 2012). It has been observed that some(prenominal) practicing counselling psychologists have attempted to navigate through the legal and professional barriers in internet counselling by defining their online counselling services as psycho-education (Patrick, 2006). Although some online counselling may be legitimately offering purely therapeutic education ser vices, some therapists cross the boundary and treat clients within multiple sessions, which clearly suggest therapeutic counselling sessions quite a than claimed educational. This is a serious ethical breach that, although may be meek by stricter regulatory laws and policies, may be difficult to interpret for attach actions to be taken.ConclusionDespite the advancement in technology and the appetency to build long-standing strategies to effectively deliver appropriate services to clients in the field of counselling psychology, there are inherent challenges that remain controversial to date. Confronting the complexness of electronic media to deliver counselling sessions in the most professional vogue has is one area that remains a challenge, and is expected to continue predominate this comparatively new profession. Moreover, virtual interactions are limited in the finger that the psychotherapist and the client are not connected beyond internet, hence are not able to experien ce the common advantages that come with physical interactions, such as nonverbal cue interpretations. Issues that have arisen, and will continue to generate debate in the foreseeable future are miscommunication, inability to stick to professional code of ethics by some counselling psychologists, inability to assess and measure the success of online counselling sessions, and difficulty in keeping internet communications secure. In fact, these issues have been discussed and continue to dominate the professions sphere of influence. It may be important to state that counselling psychologists may need to participate in developing thoughtful policies and procedures related to technology use in the field of counselling psychology by involving clients in the process. Lastly, it must be important to state that whenever technological intervention affects therapeutic relationship, either positively or negatively, the impact becomes part of the profession, hence must remain in the record.Refer encesBarak , A., Hen, L., Boniel-Nissim, M. and Shapira, N. (2008). A comprehensive examine and ameta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions. Journal of Technology in humane Services, 26 (2-4) 109-160.Barnett, J.E. (2005). Online Counseling New Entity, New Challenges. The CounselingPsychologist, 33 (6) 872-880.Gackenbach, J. (2011). Psychology and the Internet Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, andTranspersonal Implications. Waltham, Massachusetts Academic Press.Luepker, E.T. (2012). Record Keeping in mental hygiene and Counseling. ProtectingConfidentiality and the Professional Relationships. London Routledge.Milton, M. (2010). Therapy and Beyond Counseling Psychology Contributions to therapeuticaland Social Issues. New Jersey, NJ John Wiley & Sons.Patrick, P. K. S. (2006). Internet counseling Trends, applications, and ethical issues. In P. K. S.Patrick (Ed.). Contemporary Issues In Counseling. Manuscript submitted for publication (Allyn and B acon).Reamer, F.G. (2013). Social work in a digital age ethical and risk counselling challenges.Social Work, 58(2) 163-172.