Talk:Telephone counseling

This article lacks references and clarity. There is a very clear divide between phone counselling and what is known as a 'listening ear' service. This article switches freely between these two distinctly different interventions. User:Irishmarcopolo

I don't see the divide so clearly, could you explain further? "Listening ear" sounds like a Rogerian intervention, which could be employed on counselling line along with many other interventions. Steve Carlson^Talk 10:59, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

Merge Telephone Counseling with Crisis Hotlines

I have to wonder why Telephone counseling isn't merged with crisis hotline. Greg (talk) 21:41, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

I've added the merge tags. The services are very similar, in fact I don't think there's any difference at all. The term "counselor" is restricted in the US, so they couldn't call the lines "telephone counseling". And while the telephone lines are there for crises, the majority of calls are people with a non-crisis issue - so "crisis hotline" isn't perfect.

Of course - in any merged article we'll have to discuss both terms.

So

• does anyone agree or disagree on a merge?
• if we merge - should it merge to telephone counseling, crisis hotline, or a generic "emotional support helpline"?

Thanks Greg (talk) 01:52, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

I disagree on the merger for reasons I will discuss below.Postcrypto (talk) 18:43, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I think it's a good idea, because there is so much overlap and there is often parallel editing between the articles. Of course, there should be a section on for-profit counseling, which I think should address Postcrypto's objections. I think "Telephone counseling" is the appropriate title - I volunteer as a "crisis counselor" here in the US, I am not aware of any regulation that prevents me from doing so. I rarely hear anybody use the term "emotional support hotline", and the use of the word "hotline" ignore for-profit service providers. "Crisis hotline" will of course be a large section of this article, and the current article should redirect to that section. Steve Carlson^Talk 02:59, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

I also disagree with the merge, partly for the reasons cited by postcrypto. The traditional services such as Samaritans are specifically not set up to provide counseling - their term is "befriending" - as their experience shows this has a place. Someone calling a crisis line (whatever it is called) may well be receiving regular counseling or other professional treatment but needs support, often in the middle of the night, to overcome panic or depression. Suitably trained volunteers can be as efficacious in providing this as professionals, but it is not seen as a substitute for other treatments. I understand that Steve is called a "counselor" and there are many "help lines" set up since Samaritans which offer advice on specific issues, which might be called counseling, so it's not a clear cut issue. Chris55 (talk) 10:53, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

Needs a Major Rewrite for Accuracy

The general trend of this article suggests that telephone counseling is primarily a para-professional service conducted by non-profit agencies. However, if you do a Google search for 'phone counseling,' a very different picture will emerge. More and more licensed, professional therapists are working primarily over the phone, and this trend should be represented in the article. There is a non-cited assertion that little research exists on the efficacy of phone counseling, while this is entirely untrue. A large body of literature has been building over the last 15 years demonstrating that telephone counseling is as effective as in-person therapy for such symptoms as depression and anxiety, and that it rates as high or higher in client satisfaction. In fact, upon searching Google for the term 'telephone counseling' the very first result is an APA study on its efficacy. After attempting to insert a citation to my website that has a review of research on phone counseling and it being removed, I ask for permission to rewrite the page.Postcrypto (talk) 18:43, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

I agree with your assertions, but question whether the page requires a full rewrite to achieve accuracy. My objection is largely based on the fact that points often get lost when a page gets overhauled, since it's very hard to ensure one-to-one correspondence between sentences between versions. I would prefer that you delete unsourced assertions, add a section on efficacy, and one on for-profit entities entering into this field. I was the one that deleted the "see also" to your website, because I could not immediately find the information the link advertised, which made it smell a little spammish. I would prefer a more widely recognized reliable source, just to avoid potention POV issues. Steve Carlson^Talk 04:13, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

How is this re-write? I would be happy to fill out sections we decide are lacking.Postcrypto (talk) 19:46, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

Better, I think the new structure makes a lot of sense and addresses the shortcomings of the previous versions. A few things: three of the sections are now laundry lists, which are discouraged under wiki style guidelines. These should be re-written as prose. Also, I saw you reintroduced the link to coherencecounseling.com as a source for one of the statements, which I have several problems with. First, it really does not qualify as a reliable source. If you got that information from somewhere else to make that page, then you should cite those sources and not your website. Second, since it is your website, there are potential conflict of interest issues, and because the page is also a registration page for your services, it probably constitutes spam as well. Please do not re-introduce it here or on any other article - continuing to do so could get you blocked. Steve Carlson^Talk 22:24, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Looking back at the history and doing comparisons, I actually much preferred the previous prose versions of advantages and disadvantages. Steve Carlson^Talk 22:39, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

So I restored the old content and integrated points from the lists that didn't seem to be covered by the existing prose. Also, I thought you were going to create a section on research and efficacy studies? Steve Carlson^Talk 23:09, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

I need to talk with someone

I am struggling due to being in a 20yr relationship that was abusive verbally and physically and I am still struggling to cope with things that seem to trigger what I went through. 2600:1015:B05D:3396:D57F:9E97:B027:7062 (talk) 23:33, 1 July 2022 (UTC)

Sorry to hear this, but Wikipedia is not the place to find help. I suggest that you telephone Lifeline or whatever crisis help line is available in your country, and try to get referred to a psychologist or other counsellor. Laterthanyouthink (talk) 01:59, 2 July 2022 (UTC)

Discussion notice

There is currently a discussion at Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals) regarding the use of suicide crisis telephone numbers. The thread is Suicide hotlines. Thank you. TheSpacebook (talk) 02:14, 19 April 2024 (UTC)