Instructors

Maureen Leyland, Mary MacDougall, Dan L Mitchell, Lawrence Murphy, and Dr. Kate Collie
(meet the instructors)

"Cybercounselling - Level II" is a three module course designed for counselling practitioners who have completed Cybercounselling Level I and want to deepen and refine their cybercounselling expertise. Upon completion of Level II, participants are issued certificates provided jointly by the University of Toronto, Faculty of Social Work and Therapy Online.

Participants will improve their online counselling skills and professionalism. The course is highly interactive and personal with a low student/teacher ratio. Online group and dyadic processes are used so that the entire course is a forum to practise text-based communication skills. Participants from around the world will study and discuss assigned readings, learn about and use secure e-mail technology, practise a diverse range of therapeutic communication skills and tools, engage in role-play, and receive supervision.

Assignments are given on a weekly basis. Individuals complete their course work in an asynchronous manner. Because of this, participants can fit the course work into their individual schedules to complete each session's assignments within specified deadlines. Participants who have plans to travel while the course is underway will be able to continue their participation, as long as they have Internet access.

The full course (i.e.: all three modules) lasts 12 weeks and the work load involves approximately five to seven hours per week. Please carefully consider your ability to schedule these hours into each week.

Learning Goals and Expected Outcomes:

Participants will

1. Orient themselves to the online learning environment.
2. Use e-mail encryption technology in professional learning relationships (groups)
3. Use the basic technological functions of the PrivacEmail Secure Administrative Interface at https://learning.privacemail.com
4. Review essential topics from Level I, especially Skills in text-based communication
5. Continually practise, by establishing and maintaining relationships with other participants, the use of counselling skills that are unique to text-only cyberspace
6. Explore and begin to define a “practical model” of cybercounselling
7. Establish and monitor their professional goals in the realm of cybercounselling.
8. Explore and discuss the pros and cons, for cybercounselling, of commonly used Internet communication methods
9. Practise and develop cybercounselling competency through role play, peer feedback, and practitioner research
10. Develop awareness of and strategies for managing client emergencies
11. Notice client misunderstandings and develop strategies to manage such situations
12. Plan how to manage clients who may experience emotions that are deeper than they know how to manage
13. Considering their target market, identify important screening factors and plan how to implement a screening process.
14. Explore assessment issues in a text-only environment.
15. Consider some of the unique legal issues and liability issues that may emerge in the field of cybercounselling
16. Develop a vision/goals for the business aspect of their practice/agency
17. Develop a marketing strategy for their target market
18. Practise cybercounselling skills in online counselling relationships and receive eSupervision
19. Become familiar with several eSupervision strategies
20. Practise providing eSupervision to a fictitious cybercounsellor
21. Receive instructor feedback for the eSupervision they provide
22. Have opportunity to discuss troubling or unanswered questions/issues
23. Summarize their model of cybercounselling, their vision, their personal direction in practice.

Course Prerequisites:

• Completion of Cybercounselling Level I
• A Master's degree in counselling or a related field;
• 2 years of experience delivering in-person counselling;
  • (or an equivalent of the above);
• Comfort with, and extensive experience using a computer with at least the last 2 years using e-mail and the internet.
  • (Please ensure you have the level of computer comfort required for this course. Click here for more details.)
• Membership in a professional association and adherence to their ethical code.

Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements:

Both Windows and Apple computers may be used Dial-up Internet access is slow. High-speed access is recommended.

Tuition fees for Level II

(all amounts in Canadian Dollars):

The total cost for the Level 2 training is $1347. Fees may also be paid by Module as the training progresses.

Module 1 $449
Module 2 $449
Module 3 $449

• To register you must already have completed Level 1. There are no exceptions.
• If you are interested in taking the Level II training please e-mail Lawrence

Questions? Please e-mail Lawrence Murphy
or call 519-831-9141 (Ontario) or 1-888-437-2794 (toll free in North America).