TILT – Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology
Cyber Supervision Anne Stokes
Does breaking confidentiality feel more difficult for the supervisee with online clients?
Anne says: So you’d like to look at the issue of disclosing/ breaking confidentiality........
This issue featured an online session with a supervisee, who works in a university counselling service, offering both online and face-to-face counselling. There appeared to be some differences between the two ways of working regarding the ease with which this was discussed with the client and possible levels of discomfort within the counsellor.
What would you like to get from the discussion?
Below is a part of the transcript of our conversation. Although the transcript largely stands on its own, some of the points we discussed are revisited at the end of the article.
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Sarah says: Clearer understanding of where the balance lies in what I disclose and what I don’t even when I’ve been given consent. Anne says: Is it different for you online from f2f? Sarah says: When I work f2f, I discuss the intricacies more directly because I can gauge the answer to each stage. Perhaps it is the difference from working synchronously to asynchronously Anne says: Can you say a bit more about that?
Sarah says: When it is synchronous, I can take it step by step and get a sense of when it becomes too much. I am comparing f2f synchronous with online asynchronous. I wonder when I am working asynchronously, if I am more cautious about not frightening a client off. Perhaps I ask something in more careful terms that might be broader rather than detailed. I have to make a judgement on what is understood by my client. That leaves space to get it wrong so it feels bigger to hold. Anne says: It feels bigger to hold - have you an image of that bigger thing? Sarah says: It feels like trying to hold a big ball that is bigger than me and I don't