Online Therapy Support (Awareness Level)

People often take a friend, a coach and a therapist to be the same thing. They are not, and mixing them up leads to bad choices. This module gives you a simple map so you can name each kind of help and say what it is for.

• Peer support is shared experience between people with no formal training, such as a friends group or a community circle. It gives company and hope, not treatment.
• Coaching focuses on goals, habits and skills, such as study routines or a career change. A coach does not diagnose or treat illness.
• Therapy is assessment and treatment by a registered professional who is accountable to a recognised body. Only this kind treats mental-health conditions.
• When in doubt about which you need, ask a doctor, a school counsellor or a helpline, and say clearly what is happening.

Activity. Sort 10 short cases (given by your mentor) into peer support, coaching, therapy or urgent help, and write one sentence of reason for each.

Standard to meet. Sort at least 9 of 10 correctly and give every reason naming what the helper is trained to do.

An online session is a normal appointment that happens through a screen or a phone. Knowing the steps reduces fear and prevents lost sessions.

• Steps: find a service, check who runs it, book a time, agree consent and payment, join on time, talk, agree next steps.
• Formats: text chat, voice call, video call, or messages left for a reply later. Each suits different people and moods.
• Set-up: a private room, headphones, charged device, stable internet, a glass of water and a note of what you want to say.
• Fall-back: agree before the session what happens if the line drops, for example a phone call within five minutes.

Activity. Write a pre-session checklist of at least six items and a fall-back plan for a failed connection.

Standard to meet. Cover room, device, link test, privacy, notes and fall-back in the checklist; name in the fall-back who calls whom and when.

Anyone can type "therapist" on a web page. Checking takes ten minutes and protects you or the person you advise.

• Look for a named professional, a registration number and the register where it can be checked in your place.
• A trustworthy service states its limits, such as that it is not for emergencies, and gives emergency contacts.
• Red flags: guaranteed cure, pressure to pay up front for many sessions, no named staff, secret methods.
• Record what you checked and the date, because services change.

Activity. Check one real or practice service with the checklist and write a half-page finding with sources and the date.

Standard to meet. Give each check a source and date; state pass or fail with reasons in the finding.

What you say about your feelings is some of the most private information you have. You should know where it goes.

• Ask what is recorded, who can see it, how long it is kept, and whether it can be deleted.
• Consent must be clear and can be withdrawn. Children and teenagers may need a guardian too, depending on the place.
• Use a private device, a strong password and a locked screen. Do not use a shared or work computer.
• Never share another person's story or screenshots without their agreement.

Activity. Complete a five-question privacy review of one service and record the answers.

Standard to meet. Answer all five questions from the service's own policy, with the page named.

Some situations cannot wait for an appointment. Knowing them and acting early can save a life.

• Warning signs: talk of wanting to die or self-harm, plans or means, hopelessness, sudden calm after distress, harm to others, abuse, severe confusion.
• If someone is in immediate danger, call the local emergency number and stay with them; do not leave them alone.
• Ask directly and kindly: "Are you thinking of ending your life?" Asking does not plant the idea.
• After the crisis, help the person link to a registered professional and a trusted contact.

Activity. Build an urgent-help card with your local emergency number, a crisis line, and three trusted contacts, and check every number.

Standard to meet. Verify the numbers for your place, date them and test them by calling a non-emergency number to confirm it exists.

Good helping is mostly listening. You are not there to fix, diagnose or promise.

• Listen first: give full attention, do not interrupt, reflect back what you heard.
• Name feelings gently ("That sounds exhausting") and ask what would help.
• Do not diagnose, give medicine advice, or promise secrecy you cannot keep when safety is at risk.
• Know when to hand over: say "I care about you and I want you to have proper help".

Activity. Role-play two listening conversations of five minutes with a peer and collect their feedback.

Standard to meet. Confirm that the peer reports they felt heard, no advice was forced, and the hand-over sentence was used.

Help that cannot be reached helps nobody. Language, money, disability and stigma all block people.

• Check language options, text-only options, accessible formats and low-cost or free routes such as public clinics or helplines.
• Respect culture, faith and gender preferences when matching a helper.
• Never pressure anyone to join a service.
• Offer to sit with the person while they make the first call.

Activity. List five accessible options for your area and check each one is real.

Standard to meet. Give each option a contact, hours, language and cost, and verify it yourself.

Bring the course together into one page that a neighbour could use tonight.

• Structure: the three kinds of help, the safe-use checklist, the urgent-help card and where to get help in your language.
• Use short sentences and large print.
• Test with two readers who have not taken the course.
• Plan to update the guide every six months.

Activity. Finish the guide and test it with two readers.

Standard to meet. Check that both readers can say the three kinds of help and where to call in an emergency.

L1: learner can name three kinds of help. Focus module: Three kinds of help, and who does what (Understand, 2 h). People often take a friend, a coach and a therapist to be the same thing. They are not, and mixing them up leads to bad choices. This module gives you a simple map so you can name each kind of help and say what it is for. Key points: Peer support is shared experience between people with no formal training, such as a friends group or a community circle. It gives company and hope, not treatment. Coaching focuses on goals, habits and skills, such as study routines or a career change. A coach does not diagnose or treat illness. Therapy is assessment and treatment by a registered professional who is accountable to a recognised body. Only this kind treats mental-health conditions. When in doubt about which you need, ask a doctor, a school counsellor or a helpline, and say clearly what is happening.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A student feels low for three weeks and has trouble sleeping. Her class group chat is peer support, useful but not treatment. A study coach can help her plan revision. Because the low mood has lasted over two weeks and affects sleep, she books a registered counsellor through her college health centre. Then set the activity: Sort 10 short cases (given by your mentor) into peer support, coaching, therapy or urgent help, and write one sentence of reason for each. Mark against the standard: Sort at least 9 of 10 correctly and give every reason naming what the helper is trained to do. Check at this level: Name three kinds of help. Model answer: Peer support, coaching, licensed therapy.

L2: learner can say why privacy and consent matter. Focus module: How online sessions work, step by step (Understand, 2 h). An online session is a normal appointment that happens through a screen or a phone. Knowing the steps reduces fear and prevents lost sessions. Key points: Steps: find a service, check who runs it, book a time, agree consent and payment, join on time, talk, agree next steps. Formats: text chat, voice call, video call, or messages left for a reply later. Each suits different people and moods. Set-up: a private room, headphones, charged device, stable internet, a glass of water and a note of what you want to say. Fall-back: agree before the session what happens if the line drops, for example a phone call within five minutes.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A client books a video session for 6 pm. At 5:45 they test the link, tell their family they need privacy for an hour, and write three points on paper. The line drops at 6:20, and the counsellor calls his phone within two minutes as agreed. Then set the activity: Write a pre-session checklist of at least six items and a fall-back plan for a failed connection. Mark against the standard: Cover room, device, link test, privacy, notes and fall-back in the checklist; name in the fall-back who calls whom and when. Check at this level: Does this course teach therapy? Model answer: No; awareness only.

L3: learner can use the safe-use checklist. Focus module: Checking qualifications and honesty (Analyse, 2 h). Anyone can type "therapist" on a web page. Checking takes ten minutes and protects you or the person you advise. Key points: Look for a named professional, a registration number and the register where it can be checked in your place. A trustworthy service states its limits, such as that it is not for emergencies, and gives emergency contacts. Red flags: guaranteed cure, pressure to pay up front for many sessions, no named staff, secret methods. Record what you checked and the date, because services change.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A site shows registration number 48213. The learner searches the public register for the profession in their country and finds the person, active, with a matching name and city. The site also lists a crisis number. Result: passes. A second site promises "cure anxiety in 3 days" and shows no names. Result: fails. Then set the activity: Check one real or practice service with the checklist and write a half-page finding with sources and the date. Mark against the standard: Give each check a source and date; state pass or fail with reasons in the finding. Check at this level: How do you check qualifications? Model answer: Registration with a recognised body and a public number.

L4: learner can run a kind listening chat and hand over. Focus module: Privacy, consent and data (Evaluate, 2 h). What you say about your feelings is some of the most private information you have. You should know where it goes. Key points: Ask what is recorded, who can see it, how long it is kept, and whether it can be deleted. Consent must be clear and can be withdrawn. Children and teenagers may need a guardian too, depending on the place. Use a private device, a strong password and a locked screen. Do not use a shared or work computer. Never share another person's story or screenshots without their agreement.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A service keeps session notes for seven years in another country. The learner decides this does not suit them and asks for a service that keeps records locally for a shorter period, then keeps a note of the privacy answers. Then set the activity: Complete a five-question privacy review of one service and record the answers. Mark against the standard: Answer all five questions from the service's own policy, with the page named. Check at this level: Name one privacy question. Model answer: What is recorded, who sees it, how long it is kept.

L5: learner can review a service for fairness and privacy. Focus module: Warning signs and urgent help (Analyse, 2 h). Some situations cannot wait for an appointment. Knowing them and acting early can save a life. Key points: Warning signs: talk of wanting to die or self-harm, plans or means, hopelessness, sudden calm after distress, harm to others, abuse, severe confusion. If someone is in immediate danger, call the local emergency number and stay with them; do not leave them alone. Ask directly and kindly: "Are you thinking of ending your life?" Asking does not plant the idea. After the crisis, help the person link to a registered professional and a trusted contact.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A volunteer hears a friend say "I cannot do this any more" and mentions a plan. She stays on the call, asks the question directly, calls the emergency number from a second phone and waits with her friend until help arrives. Then set the activity: Build an urgent-help card with your local emergency number, a crisis line, and three trusted contacts, and check every number. Mark against the standard: Verify the numbers for your place, date them and test them by calling a non-emergency number to confirm it exists. Check at this level: What needs urgent help? Model answer: Self-harm, harm to others, abuse, severe distress.

L6: learner can coordinate a small volunteer rota. Focus module: Fairness, cost and access (Evaluate, 2 h). Help that cannot be reached helps nobody. Language, money, disability and stigma all block people. Key points: Check language options, text-only options, accessible formats and low-cost or free routes such as public clinics or helplines. Respect culture, faith and gender preferences when matching a helper. Never pressure anyone to join a service. Offer to sit with the person while they make the first call.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A community centre lists a free helpline in three languages, a low-cost clinic and a text option for people who cannot talk aloud at home. Then set the activity: List five accessible options for your area and check each one is real. Mark against the standard: Give each option a contact, hours, language and cost, and verify it yourself. Check at this level: What is a barrier to getting help? Model answer: Cost, language or disability can block help.

L7: learner can audit a community guide. Focus module: Write and test your community guide (Create, 2 h). Bring the course together into one page that a neighbour could use tonight. Key points: Structure: the three kinds of help, the safe-use checklist, the urgent-help card and where to get help in your language. Use short sentences and large print. Test with two readers who have not taken the course. Plan to update the guide every six months.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A school puts the guide on the notice board and asks a teacher to check the numbers each term. Then set the activity: Finish the guide and test it with two readers. Mark against the standard: Check that both readers can say the three kinds of help and where to call in an emergency. Check at this level: How often should the guide be updated? Model answer: About every 6 months.