E-Counselling

What is e-counselling?

In e-counselling, the counsellor and client exchange e-mail instead of meeting face-to-face. Typically, e-mails are exchanged once a week for an average period of 3 weeks.

Is e-counselling for me?

While you may want e-counselling, some issues and (or) situations do not lend themselves well the service. For example, if you need support right away, e-counselling will not meet your needs. If you are not in crisis, ask yourself the following questions to help you get an idea of whether this might be a good option for you:

• Do I organize my thoughts and express myself well in writing?
• Am I comfortable using computers? For example, can I easily create an e-mail account using a new, secure program?
• Do I have access to a non-work computer? For privacy reasons it is not recommended to use a work computer.
• Am I 18 years of age or older?

If I answered "yes" to most questions, how do I access e-counselling?

Just call your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1-800-268-7708 or, for persons with a hearing impairment, at 1-800-567-5803, and tell the counsellor that you want e-counselling. The counsellor will ask you some questions to help determine whether e-counselling will meet your needs, and will refer you accordingly.

If I'm referred for e-counselling, how long will it take for an e-counsellor to contact me?

Within 48 hours of your call to the EAP, the e-counsellor will phone you to explain how e-counselling works and next steps, as well as ask you some questions to help determine whether e-counselling will meet your needs.

How secure is e-counselling?

Employee Assistance Services' e-counsellors are required to use secure, web-based e-mail accounts with added protection, including encryption and digital signatures. Clients are strongly urged to 1) create a new e-mail account with these same features (available for free), and use for e-counselling only, and 2) not use their work computer for e-counselling.

Information for clients who have been approved for e-counselling

If you are here because your e-counsellor directed you to this web site, you're at the right place!  Before you start e-counselling, please take the time to read the 2 documents posted below:

• Welcome to Your EAP - for E-counselling Clients
• Services Not Provided

If anything is unclear or if you have any questions after reading these documents, please let your e-counsellor know.