Share with a CounsellorShare with a Counsellor-This is a Counselling Center that provides both virtual and physical therapy sessions. The therapy will be offered to the general public going through normal challenges of life. The Physical Therapy Center is available in Nairobi for now, but soon it will be in every major town in the country through our Agents. How, the Virtual Therapy Center is available to anyone in Kenya using the Share with a Counsellor Apps, while Global Clients can access Virtual Therapy Center by booking through the email provided.
Professionals providing services at the Therapy Center The services are offered by professional counsellors accredited by a professional body and specialist in specific areas. The Agency through complex system links up the professionals and clients using different mediums and platforms, to provide services through the App. The Professionals are Part-time counsellors/ psychologists serving in other agencies or in private practice in different parts of the Country or the bigger World. However, all these professionals have gone through the recruitment process, contracted and trained on expected delivery of quality services.
Access Virtual Therapy - While within the App at the Therapy Center portal, Users will be expected to Book a Session by completing the intake form provided within the Mobile App, making payment in the integrated system and with 24 hours get linked to a professional. The process is clear and well guided within the App and incase of any challenges through the provided contacts in the Website help is available. The Virtual Therapy will take place virtually using a provided medium, which will be communicated to the client via their email or phone no. Both virtual and physical sessions booking for clients using the App (in Kenya) go through the same integrated payment system. The Global clients booking session via the Website will go through the administrator through the provided email address, and all processes will be shared via their emails including mode of payment. available interventions and way out of danger, without alarming the perpetrator if privacy is an issue of concern.
Access Physical Therapy Center- The Agency has on operation office in Nairobi, where physical therapy takes place as indicated on the Website. The charges for physical therapy are a little higher that virtual. The booking and payment process are all done within the App just like the virtual, only that the User clarifies they want physical therapy. The are no physical sessions for Website booking of session, because it shall be treated foreign nationality; however, before the App is launched all sessions are booked via the Website.
The session is not anonymous- Unlike the Anonymous therapy provided at Share Center, at Therapy Center clients should complete the provided intake form, allow the system to allocate a counsellor within 24 hours. They have access to brief profile of the attached counsellor; while the counsellor has access to their intake form. At the end of every session the Counsellor is expected to make client session notes and share with the Office. The services are charged half the market prices, this is intended to encourage everyone to seek mental wellness services that are affordable, accessible, and at their convenience. The client is attached to a single counsellor for a minimum of 5 sessions, giving them continuity compared to the Share Center anonymous services, which does not guarantee allocation of similar counsellor in future.
Therapy Center Operation Time- the Virtual Therapy Center taking place in the Mobile Phone will open for 12 hours from 6.00 am to 8.00 pm every day of the week. Busy schedules and office closing hours are no longer excuses not to seek mental wellness services. Anytime, anywhere at Share we Care. The physical Therapy Center will operate as indicated on the Website (with Nairobi for now). The clients have the liberty to book a session in either and the process takes 24 hours. Urgent counselling needs will be handled at the Share Call Center where services are immediately or within a few hours.
The target populationAt Virtual Therapy Center, the general public is welcomed to seek mental wellness services, students pursuing counselling and psychology courses (Course requirement therapy sessions) and Practicing counsellors seeking supervision sessions (professional requirement).
1. Counselling for General Public-This model of service provision has brought Mental Wellness Services very close to every mobile phone User. Hence, the public will no longer be limited by distance, time, cost, or privacy concerns when seeking psychological counselling services. Virtual sessions will contribute towards demystifying 'mental health' by reducing the stigma associated with Mental Health Services. Therapy sessions are not a reserve for mentally ill/ challenged persons, but a noble service for any persons going through the normal encounters of life, which occasionally overwhelming our resilience. Thus, every person needs mental care and wellness through the services of a psychological counsellor.
- Individual Session -The Agency through its Apps, has given every mobile owner an opportunity to access a personal counsellor at the comfort of their space. This innovative approach will make therapy sessions cheaper, more accessible, and convenient to both the counsellor and clients. The goal of virtual therapy is to empower the client to deliberately take charge of their mental wellness like they do with physical wellness.
- Joint Session -Couple going through pre-marital counselling will also have joint session, which is charged as double session and takes longer time. Mediation session are treated like joint session of because it has more that one person and the same rules apply. Whichever model they take physical or virtual the charges are pre-determined.
2. Counselling to special groups - The Virtual Therapy Center will offer special services to persons who have been marginalized because of language barriers, disability, or class/status.
- Vernacular- the Agency will offer counselling services in vernacular for persons who can best express themselves in vernacular, especially the elderly in the society and illiterate (Coming up soon).
- People living with disability - People enabled differently can now access mental wellness services with little or no hurdles. Counsellors enabled differently are also given an opportunity in the Agency to offer professional services.
- People struggling with status and class issues - Mental wellness is not a preserve of the lower and midlevel populations, but also, the upper, affluent, and prominent persons in the society; everyone needs mental care irrespective of age, religion, culture, level of education, professional line... Just like all other operations on individual mobile phones are available and used across the board, the Share with a Counsellor perfectly fits in the same space.
3. Counselling for Counsellor-Students
- Student’s pursuing their studies virtually - The Therapy Center will be of great relief to counselling and psychologist students conducting their studies virtually (distance/remote learning) at all levels (Certificate, Diploma, Degree, Masters and Doctorate). Part of the course requirement is for all counsellor-students to attend personal development therapy sessions and submit a letter of completion. These services will be available within the Share with a Counselor Agency.
- Due processes are followed- The Agency is working with Professional Psychologists and Counsellors who academically qualified to support students at all levels. With the approval of the learning institutions and clear communication in writing (therapy request letter), students will be attached to the counsellor of their description and required academic qualification.
- Support to complete courses is provided - Upon completion of the required number of sessions, the therapist will provide the counsellor- student with a letter of completion, through the Share with a Counsellor Administration. The Head of Departments (HoD) in learning institutions now have a reference point to recommend to their students. The HoDs can directly link their students to the Agency with minimal/ zero formalities between the two parties, because the students will shield their own Therapy Cost.
4. Counsellor supervision services
- Who is providing the service? - Counsellor Supervision is another service offered at the Therapy Center. Share with a Counsellor agency works very closely with the professional bodies governing counsellors and psychologist in Kenya, to obtain Senior Counsellors and Supervisors accredited to provide supervision services to counsellors. Within the professional portal all counsellors/ psychologies (Student counsellors, practicing counsellor and supervisors) will join the Mobile Application, to offer and access supervision services.
- Provision of consultancy supervision services- Supervision is a requirement for all practicing Psychologists and Counsellors; therefore the Center intends to support Institutions, Corporates, and Organizations, (ICOs) who have engaged counsellors that encounter challenges to access supervision. An example is where ICOs have their operations based in remote parts of the country or where the counsellors are not able to access supervision services easily, cheap enough to afford and virtually to address distance as a challenge. Within the mobile phone application, the individual supervision sessions, will take a similar approach to the therapy only that the professional providing the services is different. More explanation on supervision is covered under the section on Professional services (counsellor therapy/supervision services).
- Remove barriers to professional growth - This Virtual Therapy Center intends to remove most of the barriers prohibiting counsellors from accreditation and promotion to more senior positions, mostly attributed to lack of supervision. Such barriers include:
Accessibility- With virtual supervision, there is no movement involved, at the comfort of work, home, car, etc. anytime anywhere supervision will happen.
Time-the employer finding it challenging to allow counsellors serving in their ICOs time-off to attend supervision. With the virtual supervision, such concerns will be easily addressed, because any available breaks during duties can be used for supervision.
Support- the un-accredited counsellors will be supported through the process, completes the requirements, and gets accredited, hence strengthening the professional bodies.
5. VIP, Celebrity, CEO and Senior Managers Mental Wellness
Share with a Counsellor has set Wellness groups that will be functional within the App under (Share Wellness Groups). Within the Mobile Phone App, subscribers will be allowed this groups, with a specific annual membership annual subscription, which will cater for their 5 individual sessions and other psychosocial support activities. The members will have a dedicated team of Senior Counsellors/Psychologist of their status, to walk with each individual members and the group on the issue of mental wellness. The limited number of participants per group will warrant early booking upon announcement.
This category of clientele will have liberty to go through a profile of Professional allocated to their group and book a session using booking procedures provided in their Corner (Specific Portal). Any VIP, Celebrity, CEO and Senior Managers who has the Share with a Counsellor App, and not part of the specified Group but would love to access individual therapy with high profile Psychologist, they are allowed to go through the same process as other clients but pick on the appropriate category. Take note that the charged for this category is a little higher than the rest.
