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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2009)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, February 19, 2009 Have you been wondering if online counseling can work for you? by the American Counseling Association From groceries to diamond jewelry, you can have practical- ly anything delivered via the In- ternet today. That list includes not just merchandise, but per- sonal services as well, includ- ing online counseling help, or “cybercounseling” as it’s some- times called. It’s a service a lot of people are using. For someone suffer- ing from a fear of crowds or go- ing outdoors, or who’s ill and housebound, online counseling can be a great alternative. But, due to its ease and conven- ience, a lot of people are taking advantage of such online serv- ices. It’s important to remem- ber, however, that it’s not right for every person or every prob- lem, and it always lacks the face-to-face interaction that can sometimes help in communi- cating. Many highly qualified coun- seling professionals now offer very effective help via online counseling, but you need to check out any counselor before starting work with them. It takes little effort or expense to create a website and call yourself a “counselor,” despite lacking ap- propriate credentials or train- ing. Professional organizations, such as the American Counsel- ing Association, have estab- lished ethical standards for cy- bercounseling that provide on- line counselors with clear guidelines to protect con- sumers working with them. These standards require that counselors should offer com- plete and honest disclosure about themselves and their services. An online counselor should make it easy to find out what degrees are held and in what fields, what licenses and certifications are held, and pro- fessional organizations in which the person participates (such as the American Coun- seling Association or the Amer- ican Psychological Associa- tion). Does the counselor spe- cialize and have experience and expertise in the area where you are seeking help? Where is the counselor lo- cated? There are now cases in courts asking whether it’s legal for someone to be offering counseling services in a state where he or she is not licensed. Answering such questions still does not guarantee the quality of the services being provided. A legitimate profes- sional will offer a trial period, without requiring an expensive, long-term commitment, so you can judge if the services of- fered are helpful for you. A professional counselor, fol- lowing the ACA ethical guide- lines, will inform a client early in the relationship if cybercoun- seling is not the correct ap- proach, and should suggest al- ternatives better suited to the problem. Online counseling can be a valuable resource for many people, but it does have its lim- itations. Ask questions and evaluate carefully to make sure it’s the best way to get the help you need. De-stress any disagreements with your boss by the American Counseling Association In any work situation it’s in- evitable that there will be times when you’ll have differences with someone higher up the food chain. Too often we react to such situations emotionally, find ourselves feeling stressed and then end up wishing we had handled things differently. Rather than second guess- ing yourself, we’d suggest try- ing a logical approach to dis- agreements that may not al- ways get you what you want, but that can reduce stress and leave you happier with how you handled things. Start by accepting that you can’t change your boss, or any- one else. If your problems are growing out of the type of per- son he or she is, or how he or she works as a business per- son, accept that this is simply the way things are. Don’t waste time and increase your stress by trying to change what can’t be changed. Next, decide whether to deal with the problem now or later. There’s no right answer. Maybe tackling it now will make you look argumentative, but wait- ing might lead to bigger prob- lems. You also need to decide whether to deal with the differ- ences directly or indirectly. Talking with the boss in the right way, at the right time, can sometimes be effective. But there are also times when talk- ing to a friend might give you a better perspective on the situa- tion. Once you’ve made those de- cisions, begin a logical, prob- lem-solving approach to the disagreement. Start by decid- ing how important the disagree- ment is. Don’t let emotions make you waste a mountain of energy on a molehill-sized problem. Next, consider all the possi- ble courses of action. Most sit- uations have many possible so- lutions. Be realistic in evaluat- ing how each might work and what outcomes might be achieved. When you’ve decided on the best alternative, take action to implement it. Your final move then is to step back and evalu- ate the outcome. You may end up finding that things still aren’t quite right and you need to go back through the process again, trying a dif- ferent alternative. There’s no guarantee that every problem is fixable or that your boss will always agree with your solutions. Rather, it’s important to remember that your final objective is not to change your boss, just to feel good about how you’ve han- dled the situation. Taking a log- ical, considered approach to disagreements can mean less stress and a better work envi- ronment. Col. Co. Republicans set meeting Columbia County Republi- cans’ monthly meet-up will be held Friday, February 27, 7:00 p.m., at Mr. Joe’s Coffee Cafe, 555 South Columbia River Highway in St. Helens. Every- one is welcome to this informal gathering. Come early and or- der food if desired. Action Ads INEXPENSIVE – EFFECTIVE 503-429-9410