An exploration of differences between face-to-face and telephone counseling for therapists conducting telephone counseling under Employee Assistance Programs

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was conducted with 19 therapists conducting telephone counseling under Employee Assistance Programs. The questionnaire included items related to their face-to-face and telephone counseling theory and clinical practice. Results suggested that therapists conducting face-to-face counseling based on humanistic psychology and/or brief therapy used these theories during telephone counseling. Clinical techniques consisting of 11 subcategories were identified in face-to-face counseling (visual information and empathic understanding, among others), and ten subcategories were identified in telephone counseling (auditory information and suggestion for solutions, among others) using qualitative methods. Moreover, differences in the two types of counseling by virtue of their treatment structures changed therapists’ behaviors. Furthermore, therapists with more telephone counseling experience focused more on their voices than therapists who did not have a lot of experience. It was found that “joining in voice” was essential for telephone counseling.