Telephone counselling with adolescents and countertransference phenomena: particularities and challenges

Christogiorgos, Stelios; Vassilopoulou, Vassiliki; Florou, Aliki; Xydou, Varvara; Douvou, Maria; Vgenopoulou, Sofia; Tsiantis, John

doi:10.1080/03069885.2010.482394

Cited by 16 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…These barriers include: practical problems such as time, cost and means of transportation; being overwhelmed by an unfamiliar problem (King, Bambling, Lloyd, et al, 2006); perceived stigma and embarrassment; and the preference for self-reliance (Gulliver, Griffiths, & Christysensen, 2010). The ubiquity of the telephone and heightened use of mobile telephones by young people, along with the anonymous nature and immediacy of telephone counselling, helps to break down some of these access barriers for young people (Christogiorgos et al, 2010). In addition, helplines provide young people with greater control over the counselling process and do not require young people to seek prior parental permission (Christogiorgos et al, 2010), which fits with adolescents' developmental needs for self-determination and independence (Fukkink & Hermanns, 2009).…”

Section: Background To Telephone Counsellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This sense of anonymity is cited as both the main reason behind telephone counselling's attractiveness (Bobevski et al, 1997), and one of its main advantages (Centore & Milacci, 2008;Wark, 1982). The lack of identifying information both parties have about each other is thought to provide a sense of heightened intimacy between the counsellor and the caller, and a sense of security and safety for the caller (Christogiorgos et al, 2010;Wark, 1982).…”

Section: Anonymitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Young people are especially attracted to non-face-to-face mediums, as evidenced by their high use of non-face-to-face technologies such as telephones, mobile phones and the internet (Christogiorgos et al, 2010). Child Helpline International (2014) states there is a worldwide trend of young people accessing help over the telephone, with approximately 14 million calls being made to child helplines worldwide each year.…”

Section: Background To Telephone Counsellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It provides people with the ability to discuss, and request support for, problems they are facing as they happen (Christogiorgos et al, 2010;Rosenfield, 1997). According to Bassilios, Harris, Middleton, Gunn, and Pirkis (2015, p. 621) "telephone counselling includes the provision of mental health or emotional support, suicide prevention services and links to practical resources, such as emergency accommodation".…”

Section: Background To Telephone Counsellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Telephone counselling work is distinct from face-to-face counselling in its non-face-to-face format, and is characterised by a number of corresponding unique qualities, such as its invisibility, anonymity, immediacy and increased caller control (Centore & Milacci, 2008;Christogiorgos et al, 2010;Rosenfield, 2003b). Research in social work has indicated that work characteristics, such as interpersonal relationships and organisational environment, are crucial work related factors influencing employees' subjective wellbeing in human service agencies (Shier & Graham, 2011).…”

Section: Chapter 1 : Introduction: Exploring Counsellors' Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Youth counsellors' experiences of telephone counselling: a qualitative exploration

Davidson¹

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Telephone counselling is a well established medium of non-face-to-face mental health service delivery. Research to date has focussed on the delivery and effectiveness of therapy over the telephone. However, there has been little exploration of counsellor's experience of this work. The limited body of research about telephone counsellors' experiences portrays this work as challenging, exhausting and possibility traumatic for counsellors to perform. This is of significance considering the impact these factors can have on counsellors' subjective wellbeing, job satisfaction and turnover intentions.Research suggests that work related factors play a greater part than individual characteristics in shaping the experiences of telephone counsellors. However, there is limited understanding of the various types of work related factors that may shape these experiences.To address this gap in the extant literature this thesis explores youth counsellors' experiences of telephone counselling, and the range of work related factors that foster them. It examines telephone counsellors' general experiences of this work and those in relation to the work related factors of work environment, interpersonal relationships and specific aspects of the work. Unlike previous research, particular attention is paid to the spatial aspects of this work, such as the physical workplace environment and the mental space.To gain an in-depth understanding of telephone counsellors' experiences this research employed an instrumental case study approach and focused on youth counsellors in one telephone counselling service in New Zealand. Ten counsellors with 18 months to 9 years telephone counselling experience participated in this study, with the majority concurrently studying a human service related course at university. A multi-method design was adopted, including observations, in-depth interviews and reflective journals. To explore counsellors' experiences and how they are influenced by work related factors, both social constructionist and organisational theoretical lenses were adopted.The findings in this thesis indicate that overall counsellors enjoyed the work of telephone counselling despite its challenges. They experienced discrete aspects of their work as challenging, yet enjoyed their interactions with callers and the quality of relationships they had with colleagues and supervisors. Whilst counsellors experienced elements of the physical environment to be distracting and uncomfortable, they were able to exert some influence over the impact of these features by locating themselves in a preferred 3 counselling booth. Counsellors were found to enter into a distinct mental place when joining with their callers. Within this mental place they experienced a higher degree of proximity in counselling calls and greater distance in testing calls. The counsellors were able to manage the degree of closeness within their calls by their physical movement of leaning into counselling calls and leaning back from testing calls.This thesis makes a contribu...

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