'I use online so the counsellors can't hear me crying': Creating design solutions for online counselling

Abstract

This article reviews a project which has produced creative design solutions for the development of online counselling in collaboration with Australia's largest youth telephone counselling service, Kids Helpline (KHL). Our discussion focuses on the shape of interaction design research conducted against the dual background of young people's multiliteracies and professional counselling practice. Existing text-based communication tools already available for Kids Helpline's clients were integrated with graphical imagebased tools, while engaging young people in problem solving and empowerment during online counselling sessions. The paper considers the fashioning of a conducive design and interactive communication environment for distressed young people and the independent evaluation of the new site design. Preliminary results are that young people report a greater sense of control and comfort in their net-based interaction with a counsellor.