Date of Award
Spring 2007
Project Type
Thesis
Program or Major
Counseling
Degree Name
Master of Arts
First Advisor
Loan T Phan
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare key elements of a counseling session across both face-to-face sessions and sessions occurring over cyberspace via synchronous chat such as instant message or chat room. The key elements of a counseling session compared in this study included the interview environment, physical and psychological attending, interpreting verbal communication, and interpreting nonverbal communication. The results of this study, though not statistically significant, suggest that credentialed distance counselors perceive counseling via instant message to offer less opportunity to create a facilitating counseling environment, less opportunity for interpretation of nonverbal communication, and less opportunity for psychological attending to clients when compared to face-to-face counseling. Opportunity for interpreting verbal communication, and providing physical attention were perceived to improve during counseling sessions conducted via instant message as compared to face-to-face counseling.
Recommended Citation
Long, Ryan M., "Cybercounseling: A comparison of the elements of counseling sessions face-to-face and over instant message" (2007). Master's Theses and Capstones. 47.
https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/47