In my past life, when I had a need to seek counselling for myself or family members, I wish I had known about email counselling. This included those times when I:

… Was tearing my hair out and needed to get it off my chest NOW.

… Couldn’t fit everything that was going on in only fifty minutes, let alone get any feedback.

… Thought, “what was that suggestion my counsellor made for when this situation comes up again??”

… Got so busy I completely forgot about my appointment, yet still had the pay the fee for the no-show :(.

First, I’ve read your whole FAQ below, but I have more questions!

You can find a lot more on my site! Feel free to check out my blog postings:

  1. Ten Reasons to Choose Email Counselling
  2. Does Counselling by Email Really Work?
  3. Communicating Online: Ethical Concerns
  4. Peek Inside my Email Counselling Office

Is it really possible to build a trusting and therapeutic relationship over email?

I firmly believe it is! I have come to this belief through extensive research on current practices, on-going professional training and personal experiences. In my responses to you, you will find that I use strategies and techniques to make it seem like we are together in the same room. Not only will you be able to hear my words, you will also “see” my body language and “hear” my thoughts. (Sounds strange right? You will get used to it, I promise!)

Letter writing isn’t just a relic of the past. Try telling people a hundred years ago that you couldn’t have an intimate letter writing relationship over a long period of time, sometimes even with people that you’d never met, sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings.

Is it really private?

You and I communicate through private conversational style letters, sent by email. All correspondence is scrambled (otherwise known as encrypted) through a secure server so that others cannot read what we write. Once you have received, signed and sent back your Welcome package, our sessions begin.

Some counsellors offer video counselling as an option for those who have difficulty coming to their office.  Click here if you are interested in learning more about confidential video counselling.

What if I want to meet in real time, AND have email counselling? Can I do both?

Absolutely! I am all about choices. In fact, click here for my package deal.

How long will it take for you to respond to me?

I will respond to your first email within two business days. (My business days are Tuesdays to Fridays.) After that, we can decide together on the frequency of exchanges. You may wish extra time to try out suggestions before you write back. My responses to you are informative, thoughtful, encouraging and reflective, and are based on a full hour of counselling time.

How do I get started with email counselling?

Step 1: Send a brief email (including your phone number) to kirsten@kirstenluise.ca. Please do not include anything you might consider confidential.

Step 2: I will reply, and get you set up on the cloud with Owl Practice. I use Owl for all my practice management needs: encrypted messaging, video counselling, client files, and online booking. You’ll get a a welcome package that first needs to to be signed and returned. Our email counselling will happen via Owl.

What to know more about how it works and what to expect?

I’ve written up a short role play to help.