Disadvantages:
- inapplicable on clients poorly equipped or with no motivation for face-to-face
confrontation or exchange; - on the one hand the counsellor loses the opportunity to impress clients by
means of his presence or his office, diplomas, certificates and other
references displayed, charisma, etc.; only the quality of the communication
and the emotional impression prove the counsellor’s competence; - persistence in the common knowledge of a stigma attached to counselling or
therapy, and to the people requesting such help directly or indirectly; - impossibility to make sure of a client who seems to be in urgent need of
hospitalisation or treatment; - difficulties in staying both involved in the case and critical of the service
quality the counsellor provides during telephone counselling; - although the communication codes are known, information traffic cannot be
controlled, nor can the final destination of the data exchanged through
systems like Skype. Some European companies have already forbidden them
from being downloaded or used, due to the virus threat; - the risk that the counsellor’s discourse might become conversational and lose
its healing and formative role; - the increased incidence of obscene or interrupted calls since the client does
not feel obligated to hold on to a “counselling contract”.
Bibliography
Broadbent, D. E. (1958). Perception and Communication. London, Pergamon Press.
Consilierea la distanţă. Manual (2004). Bucureşti, Euroguidance, Editura AFIR.
Dinu, M. (2004). Fundamentele comunicării interpersonale. Bucureşti, Editura BIC ALL.
Folosirea tehnologiei informaţiei şi a comunicării in consiliere. Competen ţele şi
formarea practicienilor. (2005). Bucureşti, CNROP, AFIR.
Grumet, G. (1979). Telephone Therapy: A Review and Case Report. In: American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 49, p. 574-84.
Lester, D. (1995). Counseling by Telephone: Advantages and Problems. In: Crisis
Intervention. 2, p. 57-69.