University of Toronto

This eight-week online course will introduce students to a range of theories and research relevant to Cybercounselling in today’s society, while considering the practical aspects involved in offering counselling services online.

Online counselling is a growing field that is now offered in a majority of Employee Assistance Programs, as well as by private agencies and private practitioners. It is increasingly expected that Helping Professionals will know something about the special characteristics of online work and the clients who prefer an online approach to counselling.

In this course we will look at the various modalities of online counselling, including email counselling, video counselling, real-time chat, and website or bulletin-board based approaches to working with both groups and individuals.

The history of the use of computers in counselling

Basic skills for online counselling 

Practical challenges in online counselling

Comparing online and face-to-face outcome research

Identifying characteristics of clients who self select for online counselling

Ethical issues in online counselling

Security, encryption, and other methods of ensuring confidentiality

This online course requires more than basic computer skills. You should feel comfortable sending and receiving emails, logging into websites, and doing basic trouble-shooting online.

A certificate will be issued by the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, upon successful completion of the eight-week online course.

This course provides a suitable foundation for those interested in taking the applied practice course, The Practice of Cybercounselling, Level 1. Please contact the Program Director, Lawrence Murphy at research@sympatico.ca for further information.

$349.00 (HST included)

[CYFOUNF]         October 5 to November 29, 2012

[CYFOUNW]       February 1 to March 28, 2013