Your Kara Questions: What Therapists want to know about Online Counselling
The challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis affect nearly every corner of our societies.
As well as the direct health and economic threats it presents, there are countless knock-on effects being brought about by the quarantine measures governments worldwide have put in place to stop the coronavirus’ spread.
One of those side-effects is the immediate disruption of thousands of therapeutic services catering to millions of people across Europe.
Practitioners in mental health, physical therapy, welfare and education are all looking at critically-important courses of treatment and care being halted indefinitely by the lockdowns due to difficulties in holding face-to-face meetings.
Kara Connect can provide the assistance you need to minimise that disruption to your clients.
A simple and secure online meeting, booking and payment platform for therapists.
- Being used in ten different countries.
- Hosting more than 30,000 successful video sessions between launch in 2014 and March 2020. Half of those have taken place in 2020!
- Seen professional sign-ups increase 15x from February to March 2020.
We understand that some practitioners are sceptical about video as a substitute for face-to-face meetings with clients...
That’s why we’ve produced this simple guide to the questions we are most commonly asked:
Problem...
'I am not tech-savvy! Is it easy to install and use?'
Yes. We’ve made it as simple and intuitive to use as possible. It’s a browser-based application, so there is nothing to download or install.
Our website has an extensive library of FAQ articles written by the team and video tutorials showing you how to make the most of the system. We also provide an instant messaging intercom bubble on our website for users.
There is also a mobile app for clients, helping them to keep in touch with you on the move and from any device!
Problem...
'I don’t want to have to use one system for video conferencing, another for bookings, a third for payments - Can Kara prevent this?'
Kara Connect has been designed as an all-in-one platform for managing all these things in an integrated way.
It includes chat functionality, seamless payment handling, session reminder functionality (over email and SMS) and tools to take, index and retrieve secure notes.
Problem...
'I still want to book and manage face-to-face appointments though?'
That isn’t a problem. Kara Connect allows you to book and manage in-person meetings as well as online ones. Allowing flexibility in whatever you do!
Problem...
'I thought that video conferencing software was not legally compliant for therapy provision?'
Most general video conferencing services, like Skype, are not and are therefore not suitable for these purposes.
But we are happy to be able to say that...
Kara Connect is certified by the Icelandic Directorate of Health and Denmark’s Njord Law as fully GDPR-compliant, safe and digitally secure.
Since our foundation in 2015, data security and client confidentiality has been at the heart of our work. See our website for further details of how we ensure this.
Problem...
'I’m still not sure and I don’t want to pay for something I’m unsure about...'
We want to convince you! And for that reason, we provide a 30-day trial completely free. Just enter your credit card details (you won’t be charged until the trial period ends - you can cancel at any time) and you can set up Kara Connect and be using it with your clients within a matter of moments.
That lets you see whether it works for you and for them and whether it’s something you would be willing to pay for.
It’s that easy!
After your 30-day trial, the service costs just 29 euros per month per practitioner - no matter how many clients are being served. If you’re travelling to meet them or clients are travelling to you, the time and money you’ll save will repay that many times over.
Psychologist and Kara Connect user Hjalti Jónsson said:
Problem...
'I’m still concerned about the effectiveness of video conferencing for therapeutic purposes - can you put my mind at ease?'
Public authorities across Europe are encouraging the adoption of telemedicine to relieve pressure on overstretched service providers and expand provision in remote areas.
There is a growing body of evidence to show that online meetings can be just as effective as face-to-face appointments.
One of our users, Heimir Snorrason, an Icelandic psychologist working in New York shared your concerns to begin with, but soon changed his mind:
"It is obvious that meeting a person online is not the same as having that meeting face to face and I was skeptical about this to begin with — but these doubts turned out to be without merit. In my opinion, online sessions are of the same quality as face to face meetings — as long as the psychologist knows their trade."
And it’s not just professionals. Clients themselves appreciate the new possibilities that Kara Connect unlocks.
Copenhagen-based psychologist and health coach Kristin Thorisdottir told us:
"Most find it super easy to use, and they talk about the flexibility it offers. One client told me that this allows her to be able to get her session in before work without stress. This has also opened the access to help for those in more rural areas."
And now, as COVID-19 runs wild across Europe, other organisations are turning to telemedicine solutions like ours.
Greta Matthiasdottir, head of the Student Counselling and Career Centre at Reykjavik University, explained:
"We are very happy with Kara Connect and have been using it for a while on our student counselling support. Now that the Icelandic Government has announced that universities will be closed to combat the spread of the coronavirus we are ready to continue to provide good support and services through online consultation."
Solution...
We are all going to have to adapt how we provide clinical and non-clinical services during the coming months. Kara Connect makes adapting to the new, changed situation seamless:
- Nothing to download or install. Just set up an account and go.
- Free mobile app for clients to use.
- Bookings and payment management included - no need for other software
- Secure, safe and GDPR-certified for client confidentiality
- Try it free for 30 days before you pay anything
Click here to try Kara Connect now, or connect and message me to see how we can work together.
Chairman of the Board of Directors at Brim hf.
4 年But of course, the best is in demand! ??
Head Of Division - Strategy, policy and digital transformation
4 年Fráb?rt, Tobba. Keep up the good work.
E-Learning I Project Management I Learning and Development I Culture and Communication
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4 年Dear Helga, I must congratulate you, you were just in time w Kara????. Hope you and your family are all well. Happy Easter??