Just How Private Is Phone Counseling?



Phone counseling sessions are private on the side of the therapist. We call out from our professional office building from our private line. I always remind clients that the biggest chance for breach of confidentiality is on their end of the line. Say that mom is on a phone therapy call and her teenage daughter picks up the phone. Most times you can simply tell her you're on a call and she hangs up. To prevent this from occurring I suggest people pick times when they have privacy and with the use of phones, and even more so, cell phones, this is usually no problem to schedule.

How Is Phone Counseling Different Than Face-To-Face?

I believe nothing beats face-to-face counseling. So why have I offered phone counseling for the past 10 years? Because it works! And individuals specifically request it more and more. Over the years I've noticed some powerful advantages of phone counseling over sitting with a client.

Why is this the case? People on the telephone feel more secure and anonymous during the call. Therefore they simply share more quickly about what the issues are and are ready to receive advice. In live sessions an issue we call "transference" appears to be more active. Simply put, a client is more tentative the first time; may hold back for fear of looking bad or becoming embarrassed and they may have a need to be liked, which can get in the way of sharing in a more thorough manner.

What is the outcome of 'cutting to the chase' and sharing pertinent information up front? Therapy sessions are shorter in duration and the total number of sessions are often less than traditional therapy. Interestingly, phone counseling has helped me address these issues in live counseling, so, the wisdom learned from phone counseling can be experienced more readily now in my personal therapy sessions.

Phone Therapy Is Convenient!

In a fast-paced world phone therapy is incredibly flexible and you can fit it to YOUR schedule. Most times you have to work around a therapists schedule. I've counseled people while they walk, before they head off to work, during lunch time, while on a commute train to work, or in the car as they drive to or from work.

We all live in a busy world with busy lives. This is one way practitioners can adapt to people's lives. Clients are very grateful for it. Other clients suffer so severely from issues such as agoraphobia that they cannot leave the house. We've counseled and prepared people to leave the house while on a cell phone and work directly with their anxiety right in the moment. Now that's meeting a client exactly where they are at.

Is Phone Counseling Expensive?

You may have already put this together from the previous paragraphs. How much would you estimate it might cost you to take time off work? Get child care? How much is it worth to you to travel to and from appointments? Live sessions across the US range anywhere from $65-$140 per hour. When adding in the items I mentioned above you can add another 15-20%. Using phone therapy can cost you 15-20% less than a scheduled sit-down appointment.