The document discusses how digital media can help therapists and clients. It identifies challenges like repeating information, differing references between offices, and high demands. Digital media allows standardizing information to empower clients and reduce the therapist's workload. Surveys found clients and therapists found digital visitation agreements helpful, with clients better prepared for mediation. Therapists saw digital agreements as cleaner and giving clients more control over the process.

1. How to use digital media to
enhance the clients own
capabilities and decrease
your workload
Psycholog i s t
Sha r than S imoons
sha r than@25t ime.no
Nordi c Fami l y Therapy & The Future, 13-16 Augus t 2014, Tur ku, F inland
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 16/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 1

2. Challenges for the therapist
-Repeating task of giving the same
information over and over again etc.. over
telephone or in person
-Not the same reference point between
therapist to therapist and office to office
-Increased demands
-Not easily scalable service
-Usual solution: work harder and not smarter
-Empowering clients
Joris_Louwes
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 2

3. Challenges for the clients
-Negative preconceived ideas of therapy, psychologist & etc.
-Clients who find therapy very embarrassing
-Long waiting lists
-Can not afford professional help
-Traveling and traveling costs
-A generation of clients who use the internet (googling, smartphones) are asking for more
information
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 3

4. SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 4

5. Digital media
Audio, video, and images that exist in a computer-readable format, and can reside on a local
device (CD, DVD, hard drive), or remote location (website)
”Digital Media". Technology Brief. University of Guelph. September 2006. Retrieved 01 August 2014.
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 5

6. SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 6

7. SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 7

8. SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 8

9. Visitors
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 9

10. How it can help mediation
Before
During mediation
-Getting to know the
-Preparing the clients
document for later
-More specified questions
home use
-Know what to expect.
-Gives tips and
-Referring clients to page
examples
instead of answering a
telephone call
-Good for new therapists
-Using the
standardized program
in a flexible way
during the sessions
After
-What to do if this or that
happens
-Where to get future help
-They can easily change the
document. A living document.
-Does not become dependent
on an office
-Less time used to follow up
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 10

11. My feedback
Multiple choice and open ended questions.
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 11

12. Responses of the clients
N=74 from all over the country. The questionnaire was issued by the web page
Samværsavtalen.no. Every one who entered (1,550 visitors that month) could fill out the
questionnaire. Response rate= 4,77%
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 12

13. Graph from questionnaire clients n=74
2) How do you use Samværsavtalen.no?
9%
31%
29%
28%
1% 2%
Using it to quickly locate the helpful
links
Using it to write Visitation agreement.
Using it in order to understand better
what visitation concerns.
Using it to prepare me for mediation
No answer
Other * (Job-related, work at fam.
Office)
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 13

14. 3) Have the use of Samværsavtalen.no helped you to become better prepared for
mediation / parent collaboration?
Yes
46%
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 14
Do not know, first visit
No
15%
22%
No answer
16%
Other
1%
Yes
No
No answer
Do not know, first visit
Other

15. 4) What do you think is good with
Samværsavtalen.no?
“Form, objectivity.”
“clear "advice" / agreements.”
“There is much useful information in one place.”
“Seems like a neutral place to get information. Very, very nice. Out of everything else that exists
online, , it seems like everyone is in constant conflict with each other. Liberating to find a place
without propaganda for either side. Nice that it is not possible to comment on what it says on
the page, good with this one[this questionnaire] can provide feedback.”
“Point out issues that may come, but you do not think of at the beginning of a breakup.”
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 15

16. 4) What do you think is good with
Samværsavtalen.no? continue
“It is informative and helps to support / validate the spoken information. Seeing that it could
easily go back and forth in the agreement allow anything to rest a little as you need to think
about or agree on, makes it easier to come up with something. This seems often to reduce
conflicts.”
“Easy to find, and it seems that all questions are answered. Good and simple language, great to
be able to tap directly on links, great that calendar etc. are made - this must have to make the
job a lot much easier for all parties!”
“Availability and plenty of points.”
“Incredibly nice that this page is compiled .- we refer willingly to clients in the office. Easy to use
and easy to find information.”
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 16

17. Feedback from the Therapists and
secretaries
N=8 from the therapist and secretaries of the Family consolatory in Drammen and Kongsberg
The questionnaire was issued by e-mail. 6 Therapist and 2 secretaries answered out of total 12
Therapists and 3 secretaries. Response rate=53.33%
The therapists uses Samværsavtalen.no in therapy and in mediation
The secretaries have first contact with clients by meeting them, answering phone calls and
setting up appointments for mediation or therapy
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 17

18. 5) What do you think is good with
Samværsavtalen.no?
“It is user friendly, well arranged and easy to navigate. Digital review of the visitation agreement
ensures a common focus, as opposed to earlier where everyone sat with each of their
agreement in their hand. The work appears more serious and proper if visitation agreement is
made in this way.”
“Creates a cleaner and more structured way of working with an agreement. Super with
suggestions on how to split up the holidays. Relevant links related to the topic is very good.
Good to be able to refer the clients to the page.”
“That it is simple and digital, and they can send it to each other. It's also nice that a lot of
information in one place. It is aesthetically pleasing, I think. It is super good that you get step by
step what happens before going to court, and then get information about what happens if you
go to court.”
“Specific and clear and has links to the necessary information.”
“Easy to provide information to the clients. “
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 18

19. 8) Does the use of Samværsavtalen.no
changed your way of working?
“Have only received positive feedback. One sets of parents who had been here before, said they
experienced getting much more overview of the agreement when it was promoting at the screen vs
paper agreement, in addition to that they experienced to have more control because what was
written was visible to both parties throughout process.”
“exclusively positive”
“Good preparation for your appointment.”
“Clients say they will use this even when they evaluate the agreement in the future.”
“Easy to use.”
“Easier everyday life.”
“Easier - this makes the preparation of the agreement easier than ever before. Both in relation to the
practical and that samværsavtalen.no is available for all online - so that parents can use this to find
info etc.”
“Easier nice to have something to refer to. Fewer phones calls to therapists.”
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 19

20. 9) What are your clients' feedback on
Samværsavtalen.no?
“They have been delighted with links to relevant pages and suggestions for holiday breakdown. “
"Good preparation for your appointment.”
“Clients say they will use this even when they evaluate the agreement in the future. "
“Good, most people find on easy to fill out.”
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 20

21. Graph from questionnaire of T & S n=8
4) How do you use Samværsavtalen.no in your job situation?
17%
30%
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 21
22%
9%
22%
Ask's clients to write visitation
agreements with it
Refers clients to the page
Using it to write visitation
agreements
Using it to quickly locate the
helpful links
Using the information myself

22. 10) Do you find clients who have visited Samværsavtalen.no better prepared to talk
75.0%
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 22
12.5%
12.5%
about visitation?
Yes No No answer

23. 11) If you answered "Yes" to question "10)", in
what way do you find them to be better
prepared?
“They knew what they came for and had thought more than average on how they want it in the
future.”
“They have gone through and written down the proposals before they come.”
“They are more aware of the points to be covered in class and they are more focused on the
deal for the kids, rather than earlier couple history. They have even thought through what they
think might be a good arrangement.”
“Clients know to a greater extent what mediation contains. They have increasingly taken into
consideration the clauses of the agreement before coming to class.”
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 23

24. Summary
Digital media has the possibility to:
-Lowering the work load
-Increase client satisfaction
-Empowering the client
-Be scalable
-Eliminating travel time and cost
SHARTHAN SIMOONS 01/09/2014 SHARTHAN@25TIME.NO 24