In a study published in the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 40 experienced telephone counsellors were contacted by a client who was in fact an actor working from a script.
Seven of the counsellors were rated by the caller as extremely helpful, while nine were rated as considerably less helpful. The counsellors who took a more active role in the call, and structured the process, were rated as more helpful.
In another recent study it was found that the dropout rate for clients receiving telephone counselling was only 7.6%, compared with nearly 48% for face-to-face clients.
Conclusions
So, what does this tell us? I think we have to remember that it takes a lot of courage for someone to admit to themselves that they need help, and just as much courage to contact someone to obtain that help. Speaking on the phone may seem less daunting than going to see a counsellor. It is also interesting that the telephone counsellors who were deemed the most helpful took an active role in the call and addressed practical as well as emotional issues.
This evidence supports another study carried out in the US where clients said that they found telephone counselling ‘easier’ because it involved the “counsellor engaging with the client, rather than the client engaging with the counsellor” in face-to-face scenarios.
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor so this guide should not be considered a replacement for seeking medical advice. It is also not a substitute for obtaining therapy as other factors, such as trauma, need to be considered. There are pay per click ads on this site for which I may receive a small commission. This helps to pay for the running of the site. I do not endorse any of the products advertised.