Online support – how to prepare for your session

Your online support sessions will take place on the day and time you have arranged with your allocated support worker. When it is time for your session, use the link your worker sent you and click on “knock” so they can let you in their virtual therapy room. You will use the same link for all of your sessions. For more information, feel free to check our Whereby User Guide.

Before you start

A confidential space

It is important that you find a quiet and confidential space where you feel able to talk freely, without fear of being overheard, distracted, or interrupted.
Where would you like to have your session? Can you think of somewhere you feel safe and comfortable? Online sessions should not take place on your bed. If you are unsure about where to have your session, please discuss this with your worker.
During a session, you have 50 minutes for yourself; this is your time, your space. How can you make the most of this time, and reduce distractions and interruptions? You might want to have a discussion with members of your household about not disrupting your session, and you might want to turn off notifications on your phone, and have a glass of water and tissues next to you.

Your physical comfort

We encourage you to think about your comfort and health in order to find the most comfortable arrangement possible for your 50 minutes online session. For example, you might want to place your device on a steady surface so you do not have to hold it, or use a laptop stand (or an object) to have your screen at eye-level.
You might also want to try different sitting positions, use cushions, or place an object to rest your feet on, so that you feel well supported.
You might decide to move your neck, shoulders, and eyes, at regular intervals during your sessions, or make any movement that feels right for you.

Getting started

Your first session

You might feel the need to spend some time in your first session getting used to the platform or asking your worker technology related questions.
Some people might be used to technology especially during lockdown, but there are also many people that find technology quite stressful. It is totally fine to explore those feelings with your worker and ask for their support when you need it.
In the first session you might also feel the need to reflect on how “different” or safe video support feels for you. You can ask your worker to show you the safety options that ensure that no one else can enter in the online room while you have your session.

Being fully present

Similarly to face-to-face sessions, it is important that sessions take place at a time that is convenient for you. Perhaps, you do not want to have a session just after waking up nor late in the day when you are tired. Perhaps, you would like to have some time to yourself before and/or after a session, rather than rushing off to your other commitments. Discuss with your worker what times would work best for you, considering all those different factors. This will help ensure that you feel present during support sessions.
If you feel triggered or uncomfortable during a session, you can let your worker know and have a plan about what you can do together to keep yourself grounded and safe.
To make sure you are fully present and safe during the session we would ask you to not be under the influence of non-prescribed drugs or alcohol; if this happens your session would have to be re-scheduled for another time.

Feeling safe (during the session)

Please let your worker know how you feel about the pace of your sessions. You might want to practice breathing exercises, during a session, to slow things down and make you feel more present.
Discuss with your worker how to end your session in a way that feels right for you, especially if you are having support in the room you are spending most of your time in. At the end of each session, you could have a ritual to mark the transition back to your everyday life. Some ideas can be rearranging the chair or desk you were sitting on, changing your clothes, stretching, or practicing a protective distancing visualisation.

Technology

You can access your online sessions from a laptop, tablet/iPad or smartphone. Before the session, check that your internet connection is working well. Make sure you close all unnecessary tabs and apps on your device, and turn off the Wi-Fi from other devices that are not in use (your smartphone if using a laptop, for example). If possible, make sure that no one is using your Wi-Fi for streaming videos or playing online games. Your connection might be better if you use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi or if you sit closer to the router.
Whereby works best on the following browsers: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Opera.
You can test your webcam before your first session, and position it in a way that you feel comfortable with what is visible behind and around you. If you are using a shared device (laptop, tablet, phone, etc.) for your sessions, and you do not want other people to know that you are accessing support from ERCC, you can use a privacy feature on your web browser (eg Incognito). To do this you need to:
i. Right click on the meeting link you have received from us (whether Whereby or Zoom)
ii. Select “Open link in Incognito window”
iii. Remember to close the window when the session is over.
To keep everyone safe, and protect the confidentiality of sessions, we would ask you not to record (either using record functions on Whereby or any other device) or take screen-shots of sessions. If you feel you might lose the links or worksheets your worker might have sent you in the chat you can ask them to email them to you after the session.

What if…?

What if you cannot attend the session?

You might not be able to attend an online session if you do not have access to a private space or if you are feeling unwell. It is important to let your worker know in advance; our cancellation policy applies to online sessions too. If we do not hear from you, we will contact you to confirm the time and date of your next session. If you miss three sessions with no contact, we will assume that this is not the right time for you to access support, and your ERCC support worker will contact you to end your support, and also provide information about how to get back in touch if you would like support at a future time.

What if you are late for the session?

Your allocated worker will wait for you for up to 10 minutes, and you will have a shorter than usual session. If you are more than 10 minutes late your worker will contact you to rearrange a session at a suitable day/time.

What if there are connection issues?

If technology issues are experienced that disrupt a session, such as insufficient bandwith/delays, turning off video may assist.
If your worker drops out of the session due to connection problems, you can stay in the ‘counselling room’ while they try to reconnect.
If you lose connection, your worker will contact you via your preferred method of contact to ask if you want to try to rejoin the session by clicking on the Whereby session link, or continue the session by phone. After that, your worker will wait 10 minutes, and if they do not hear back from you they will re-contact to confirm the date and time of the next session.

What if online support does not work for you?

You can discuss with your worker whether video support feels appropriate for you or you would like to continue with your sessions over the phone with the same worker. Unfortunately due the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 we are no longer able to offer the same number of places for face-to- face support as we could before, and need to make sure we hold these limited spaces for survivors on our waiting list who are not able to access support remotely. If you do choose to wait for face to face support, it is important that you are aware there will be a significant length of time to wait for support, and you might not be able to be allocated to the same support worker.