First, both the therapist and client need to have a learning attitude towards life. This makes a huge difference in the success of counseling. If the client’s attitude is that of “I don’t care to learn from you”, even if you do things right, it is unlikely they will benefit from the therapeutic process. This attitude is most often evidenced when a client is under some type of obligation to be in therapy such as being court ordered or at the insistence of a spouse. On the other hand, if they come with the attitude of “I’m interested in learning from you” it is likely, even if you fumble the ball at times, they will have a useful experience to help them resolve their problems.

Secondly, the goal of both therapist and client needs to have some common ground, similar enough to have a starting point. If a client comes with the desire on their heart to find some answers to why their life is so problematic help usually results. The more similar the goal – the more likely the help.

If the client’s goal is for you to agree with them that can lead to ineffective results. In the early stages of counseling, I probe the client’s teach-ability factor. They may at first state their intent to learn and change. Later, if they show their reluctance for change, I come back to the earlier discussions and challenge them to sort out what they are really saying and what really is their goal in coming to counseling. Sometimes they are so hesitant from previous mistreatment they may at first resist learning. Then, as trust builds, they start to open up. This is different than the one whose goal is simply for you to agree with them.

When there is an alignment of attitudes and goals between you and your client, this offers the most effective environment for positive change as a result of the therapy.

In this video, Norm shares his excitement over the upcoming publication of his new book, “It’s all about Power and Control ~ why marriages fall apart and what it takes to put them back together again”. This book has been 4 years in the making and 25 years in the planning and research.

Norm talks about the history behind how this book came to be. When he began to notice patterns in the lives of most people, seeing how they seemed to repeat the same problems and have the same struggles over and over again, he started to wonder why that was. Once he completed his counseling training and began to provide counseling services, he noticed these very same problems with his clients.

He started to hear about the issue of power and how people control their lives; those two words together started his extensive study of power and control. Since he had a lot of trouble finding information as he searched he realized that there was an extreme need for a book about power and control and its dramatic effect on relationships.

Have a look at this video as Norm talks about his new book, on this special book introductory blog post. We will be posting the release dates for Norm’s new book, “It’s all About Power and Control” as soon as we have them.

The panel presented topics such as: client responses to online counseling, security issues, how to find a credible online therapist, and the accessibility to professional counseling especially for the handicapped. A live Q and A followed, even moving after the hour into an adjacent room to  address all the interactions from the participants.

Shortly, I will be commenting with some details on these subjects. If you are interested in viewing the panel presentation, it was recorded and will be posted here.

More conferences are likely in 2010 for the panel to expose to the world that Online Counseling is now available to the global community.

With You In Mind
Norm Quantz

In my video about jurisdictional restrictions relating to online counseling therapy, I referred to the client or public driven nature of having therapy services available online. In this video I expand on that topic.

With almost all other services available online today, it isn’t surprising that people want to access mental health services online also. The positive aspects of obtaining this service without leaving home are very appealing to many and are desirable for many reasons. People want to have the freedom to pick the therapist they want, and the freedom to choose how to access that therapy.

It is interesting to see the reaction from clients when they realize what is available and how they can do their counseling sessions online. Their eyes light up and they are amazed at the range of possibilities and systems we have in place. They love the fact that they don’t have to drive anywhere or deal with weather.

We do have our work cut out for us as therapists and professionals but it is also important that we make sure that our jurisdictional issues don’t restrict the public.

Please have a look at this video and I hope you will consider contributing your input on this very important subject as we venture into the future of counseling therapy.

With You in Mind,
Norm Quantz

Using online video therapy as the model that I use in my private practice, in this video blog post I talk about the effectiveness of online counseling therapy in the case of a client who had dissociative identity disorder.

Sometimes the dissociative clients are afraid that they won’t get help unless they are in person with the therapist but the clients that I have helped in my online conference room have found these fears to be false. There are in fact certain advantages to not being in person with the therapist.

There is a different kind of safety and comfort level present here and clients often find it easier to express themselves within it because there is no physical threat in this environment. That is one less threat to worry about.

Other added advantages of using this medium is the ability for the client to text their story or even a portion of it if it is too difficult to speak of. Drawing diagrams or pictures on the whiteboard takes the place of paper used in “in person” sessions.

I have had “in person” clients who have transferred their sessions to the online medium, and they report that the using the conference room enhances their experience of therapy. In conclusion I would have to say that in my experience, online counseling therapy for dissociative identity disorder is very effective.

I am interested in your comments regarding using an online environment for the treatment of DID.

With You in Mind,
Norm Quantz

There are many benefits to accessing a therapist online, but today the question is this; is online therapy for depression as effective as in person, face to face therapy?”

There are numerous types of online therapy and in this video I am addressing the type of online counseling that I do, which is video therapy. I meet with many clients in my online conference room which replicates the in person experience without the travel time and expense.

There are some unique aspects to depression which make online counseling therapy a good option for many people. My clients have found that online therapy can actually enhance the therapy experience. As a therapist, I also see some very positive results counseling online with those who have issues with depression. Have a look at this video as I talk about some of those aspects from my perspective and from theirs.

Please feel free to comment and express your thoughts or to post your questions about online counseling.

With You in Mind
Norm Quantz

Note: If you are looking for an Online Counseling Therapist, Norm uses a video conference room, fully equipped with whiteboard and drawing capabilities, text, document sharing, video and audio. Please contact Norm through the contact form here or through his counseling website at Relationship-Makeover.

In this video I talk about the challenge between the freedom of the individual to access therapeutic services online from whomever they wish to, and the issue of jurisdictional restrictions and the laws that are in place.

With the technology available today and the World Wide Web, everything is changing. New guidelines need to be developed in relation to online counseling therapy. There are a few professional organizations such as the International Society for Mental Health Online, working on developing these guidelines. You may be interested in getting involved in helping to make the changes happen.

We have our work cut out for us as professionals, but I believe this service option for online therapeutic services will be driven by the general public and the clients who wish to access therapy from whomever they choose. We need to start thinking globally.

I welcome comments and opinions on this topic. Take a look at the video.

With You in Mind
Norm Quantz

Several years ago, my insurance broker started the quest to find the kind of insurance I wanted for my online therapy practice. I was specific in what I wanted and it was evident that one of the problems was that I wanted insurance that included coverage in the United States.

For those of us who live outside the USA, it is very hard to get global insurance coverage for counseling therapy that includes the United States. I didn’t want any exceptions in my coverage and it took my broker two years to find an insurance company that would cover me anywhere including in the United States.

This has been a journey for us, but I believe that the time is coming when insurance providers will be more open to the idea of this type of coverage for online therapy practices. In this video I talk about finding global coverage for my online therapy practice and how it came about. I share important details in order to save you time if you are looking for professional insurance for online counseling therapy.

I wish you all the best in your search for insurance coverage for your online therapy practice!

With You in Mind,
Norm Quantz

Insurance companies are highly regulated regarding the areas that they can operate in and those areas that they can’t. These restrictions are based on their licensing therefore first of all it is important that you find an insurance broker that can do the search work for you. A broker is more familiar with the restrictions within each insurance company and can help you find one that will offer the type of insurance you are looking for.

Make sure the broker understands exactly what it is that you are doing; let them know how your online or global counseling practice operates. There is a wide variety when it comes to online therapy so make it clear to them what type of online work it is that you do or wish to do.

Although I am not able to disclose the name of the company that covers my online practice, I am able to disclose the company that backs them which will help you to point your broker in the right direction or at least in a helpful direction so please watch the video.

In this video I offer a few ideas that might help you in your search for global professional insurance for online therapy practices. In the next video I talk about the journey to finding the global insurance coverage for online counseling work and offer a few tips that will save you time in your search.

With You in Mind
Norm Quantz

It’s helpful in life if we anticipate some of the hurdles we might come across and prepare a little bit for how we will handle them.

In this video I talk about the book “Flight Plan ~ The Real Secret of Success” by Brian Tracy and I read something that Brian writes in reference to being prepared for some of the unexpected and often difficult events that may occur in our business life.

Being prepared increases our chances for success. Have a look at the following video and feel free to add your own ideas or suggestions.

To Your Success,
Norm Quantz

Flight Plan ~The Real Secret of Success by Brian Tracy
Berrett Koehler 2008
Referencing pages 85 and 86