“All I know is that I have this moment to talk to this person. I don’t know if we’ll see each other again in the future. So what can we talk about now that it was useful for you? “
Harlene Anderson
The difference towards traditional counselling is, that you work on a specific goal during one session.
So, this format does not imply that you need only one session to be fine, but that a whole process of introduction, exploration and conclusion can be experienced in one single session. In other words, our dialogue will focus exclusively on one topic, which is discussed in a collaborative way, so you can come to new conclusions.
The topic of conversation runs under questions like: “What would you like to find out about this?” Or: “What would you like to talk about today so that this conversation was helpful for you?”
The time varies between half an hour and 90 minutes.
This is well suited for those who want to discuss and clarify specific aspects without digging in too deep in their whole life story (even though, we can do that, too… but for one single session). Nevertheless, a counselling process in the format of single session does not necessarily have to be limited to just one single session.
There are people who stick to one meeting, while others wish to have a monthly appointment, for example for their self-care.
Some clients also prefer this method over the traditional counselling process, because the idea of “one session at a time” seems more appropriate to their particular situation.
Personally, I like this approach because long-term plans in counselling are seldom fulfilled the way you want them to, and also, because the thought that we only have one hour (or up to 90 min.), helps us to focus on the main topic.
If you still have questions about online counselling and how it all works via zoom conference, you will find useful information here. And on the following link you can read more about my work approach:
What are collaborative and dialogical practices?
*Important: Online counselling has its limits and therefore officially (at least in certain countries) it must not be equated with psychotherapy.
People diagnosed with a serious mental illness or those who realize that they urgently need professional help, should always go to a local care center where, they can receive multidisciplinary treatment and support. (Examples: anorexia, suicide attempts or ideas, cutting, hallucinations, victims of sexual or fiscal abuse and other serious traumatic situations cannot be dealt with through online sessions alone).
If you are not sure about this, you can contact me for a first session and together we will evaluate which form(s) of attention you need.