[LINK] Aussie 'Video Lifelines'

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

At 10:38 PM 25/03/2007, Jan Whitaker wrote:

At 10:03 PM 25/03/2007, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
>> A Lifeline service with both phone or net-video seems
>> inevitable to me. Why not sooner rather than later? Lives are at stake.
>
> Just a tad hyperbolic, don't you think? One of the reasons non-visual
> systems like phone and text work in these situations is because of
> the anonymity factor. It's the 'secular confessional'. So what if the
> 'professional' is advantaged by the visual cues? The important
> person in the exchange is the person reaching out for help. Many
> of whome are already weak in social exchange. To add a visual
> element on top of it is less than helpful.

So helping a counsellor understand a presenting person's concerns
via the additional provision of visual cues won't assist the process??

Viewing the counselling process as a secular confessional seems a
little odd to me.  Ideally the process is a process of mutual discovery.  
If the counsellor is seen as being on a power trip, to whom one must
'confesses' I'd suggest little personal progress will be made and one
needs to seek / choose another counsellor.  Psych 'churn' is normal.

> any real psychologists on here? 

My full State registration as a psychologist (only now lapsed because
I will not pay the rather steep annual fee for essentially little service)
means I am, or at least have been, a 'real psychologist'  but, whatever ..

> My opinion is based on observing the increased amount of revelation
> that happens in text only conferences and the lack of sharing even in 
> mundane communication when a tv camera is added in videoconferencing. 
> People become self-conscious. Add a vulnerable self-concept
> and the personal sharing declines further. Jan

(Speaking personally as you have done, I would much rather the warmth
and additional 'closeness' which one-to-one videoconferencing provides,
over a distant phone (or heaven forbid text) counselling session anytime)

And so in your opinion Jan, people shouldn't have the option of video
as well as telephone when seeking such services as personal counselling?

It's obvious that Lifeline etc will have video resources funded in future
whether we like it or not, and my guess is that it will be quite popular.

I'd also guess that what we say here will have nil effect regarding that.

But if my wife were killed in the Burnley tunnel, I'd sure like to 'see' 
and speak to someone about it right about now, late on a Sunday evening, 
even though I have no shrink of my own. But without the warmth & closeness
of my normal one-to-one video conference sessions, that is, by phone to 
some complete stranger .. well, maybe not. Video will happen, why not now?

Cheers, Jan
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia