Our healing team offers the same professional and heartfelt in-person counselling experience online, anywhere in Alberta. 

We are equipped with the training and tools to bring the same professional, high-quality services we offer in-person, into the convenience and comfort of your home or office. 

The research has shown that online therapy is as effective as face-to-face. Our experience has been that the online experience is consistent with the counselling services received in person, with many of our existing clients preferring it and even utilizing this option exclusively.

We use state-of-the-art security and encryption protocols to ensure that privacy and confidentiality is maintained so that you feel comfortable and secure during video conferencing on your computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone.

BOOK YOUR ONLINE COUNSELLING SESSION

We respect your privacy and promise to take care of your information. By pressing submit, you consent to The Grief and Trauma Centre contacting you to set up your Online Counselling Session.

THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS OF ONLINE COUNSELLING.

The benefits of online counselling include increased accessibility if you live in a rural or remote area, flexibility and alignment with your unique schedule, and the convenience and comfort of having sessions in your home or office. 

This method of counselling is also advantageous if you experience barriers to mobility or transportation, have difficulty arranging childcare for sessions, or are dealing with other circumstances that make it difficult to leave your home including social anxiety.

*There may be some exceptions to online counselling which will be discussed in the first session. Each case is assessed individually to determine the best approach to therapy. 

Question #1: Is online counselling as effective as face-to-face counselling?

• Answer: Yes. Research consistently shows that online counselling is just as effective as face-to-face counselling. However, there may be exceptions to online counselling including play therapy with young children and complex trauma processing, which will be discussed in the first session. Each case is assessed individually to determine the best approach to therapy.

Question #2: Is our online counselling session private and confidential?

• Answer: Yes. Your therapist will be working from a quiet, confidential, and private space with a secure wifi connection, and we ask that you do the same to maximize privacy and confidentiality. If you are concerned about somebody in your home or office overhearing your session, we encourage you to wear headphones or earbuds and turn on a white noise machine near the door to drown out your voice (ie. fan, humidifier, or noise machine). In terms of confidentiality, we use state-of-the-art security and encryption protocols to ensure that privacy and confidentiality is maintained so that you feel comfortable and secure during video conferencing.

Question #3: What if we experience technical issues like a frozen or dropped video session?

• Answer: At the beginning of each session we will confirm the best phone number to call you if we experience any technical difficulties. We will attempt to reboot the video session and resume with the meeting, and if that is not possible due to a poor wifi connection, we will complete the session via phone. This is why it is important to have a secure wifi connection and when possible, to connect your computer or laptop into an ethernet port.

Question #4: How do I set up online counselling sessions for my child? 

• Answer: We ask that you set up and connect your child to the video conferencing platform to eliminate any technical issues and as an opportunity to communicate with your child’s therapist at the onset of each session. Depending on the discretion of the therapist and the treatment focus, you may be asked to stay or leave throughout the duration of the session. If you are asked to leave the session, we ask that you respect the privacy and confidentiality of your child’s session and keep your cell phone nearby in case the therapist needs to contact you.